Labial Hypoplasia

Also known as: Small or absent labia

What is labial hypoplasia?

The labia are the two inner and outer protective lips/folds of the vagina. Labial hypoplasia is the harmless condition where one or both sides of the labia either are missing or don't grow normally during puberty.

What causes labial hypoplasia?

The cause of labial hypertrophy is not known.

What are the symptoms of labial hypoplasia?

There are no symptoms of labial hypoplasia and it doesn't affect sexual function.

What are labial hypoplasia care options?

No treatment is typically necessary; cosmetic surgery can be performed to make the labia match in size if desired.

Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: September 16, 2025 12:19 PM

Adolescent Medicine

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Labial Hypertrophy

Labial hypertrophy is a harmless condition where the inner labia (usually) is larger than normal, however either one or both labia can be affected.

Labial Adhesions

The labia (majora and minora) are the outer lips of the vagina. Both pairs of labia are separated from one another, however when the labia minora stick together this is known as labial adhesions.