Labiaplasty surgery is on the rise and spin classes are partly to blame, say doctors

Labiaplasty surgeries are now more popular than ever among women of all ages

Spin classes and athleisure trends may be to blame for the new obsession with "designer vaginas," a trend that has plastic surgeons seeing a sharp increase in requests for labiaplasty procedures.

According to one surgeon, the increase has to do with women becoming more aware of their anatomy while sat atop stationary bicycles.

Looking to plastic surgeons for comfort and aesthetic solutions, the plastic surgery procedure has become especially popular among the SoulCycle crowd - fans, usually women, of the high-intensity spin class that promises “a powerful mind-body experience,” in addition to a workout.

We spoke to plastic surgeon Dr David L Cangello about the procedure for reducing the labia minora and/or the labia majora, the folds of skin surrounding the human vulva - and how the 39 per cent spike in labiaplasty procedures in 2016 was related to exercise.

While Dr Cangello said the rise in SoulCycle members and the rise in labiaplasty are not “directly related” the "demographics of the type of women who have the procedure are similar."

According to Dr Cangello, who performs 20 to 30 labiaplasty procedures a year: “It tends to be women who are into their appearance and also active.”

And while women used to seek out the procedure for cosmetic reasons only, now comfort also plays a big part.

Discomfort in yoga pants may cause a woman to seek out a labiaplasty procedure

Dr Cangello would estimate the requests as: “50/50 - It is a combination of the two reasons usually - usually it’s not solely discomfort that causes women to come in for the procedure. It usually starts as an aesthetic issue then when they also have discomfort they are more compelled to seek something.”

So why the rise in labiaplasty requests? According to Dr Cangello, it’s likely due to a few factors. He said: “Number one is people talk about it. And two, grooming techniques change.”

“With that, the demographic of women who are going to SoulCycle care about their appearance. Labiaplasty ties into grooming trends where women want everything to be clean and neat and streamlined,” said Dr Cangello.

Grooming techniques and aesthetics largely influence plastic surgery trends

He continued: “The surgery is no longer primarily for aesthetics - now it is catering to women who find cycling or others forms of exercise cause discomfort.”

But just how serious is a labiaplasty procedure? While it may sound painful, according to Dr Cangello, it is actually a “relatively minor procedure that can be done under local anaesthesia.”

Once sedated, the process entails one of two techniques - the “Trim Technique” or the “Wedge Technique.” Dr Cangello usually opts for the wedge - which means removing a wedge of the labia.

And while “there is potential for discomfort because it is a sensitive area,” the healing process is quite quick.

According to Dr Cangello: “Usually if there is any sort of pain or soreness, it only lasts a couple days to a week.”

Labiaplasty procedures can greatly improve comfort while working out

And in four weeks, “You can be back to full activity,” which Dr Cangello confirmed included sex and SoulCycle.

If you’re on the fence, but can no longer sit atop your spin bike, it seems the surgery is worth it. According to Dr Cangello: “women are a lot more comfortable working out after they’ve gone through with the procedure.”

But be prepared to shell out $4,000 to $6,000 - as reducing the size of your labia isn’t cheap.