Demand for bizarre 'pubic lift' surgery surges 500% - women are shocked to learn what's involved
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Growing numbers of British women are undergoing a bizarre cosmetic procedure to 'tighten and lift' the front of their pelvis, where the pubic hair grows.
Demand for so-called 'pubic lift' treatments, which can involve cutting away part of the fatty tissue below the tummy, has soared 500 per cent over the past five years in some clinics.
It is said to tackle laxity in the skin that comes with age and the impact of childbirth, giving the pubic region a 'youthful and aesthetically pleasing shape', surgeons from London's Harley Street Clinic say.
Cosmetic surgery experts argue that some women are so conscious of sagging tissue in the area — officially known as the mons pubis — they avoid wearing swimwear or leggings.
Some medics, however, have warned the surgery can involve unpleasant side effects including scarring and even haematoma — an accumulation of blood under the skin.
Dr Aamer Khan, a surgeon and Harley Street Skin Clinic co-founder, said: 'We've seen a considerable uptick in procedures that focus on more intimate areas of the body.
'We can credit this increase to the growing destigmatisation of cosmetic surgery.
'This is leading people to seek treatments for insecurities in areas that were previously considered off-limits.
The treatment, which involves getting the flesh on the pubic bone tightened and reduced, claims to help women improve their sex lives by 'enhancing physical comfort'
'Rather than feeling the need to hide their bodies, we find that people are seeking these treatments so they can feel more confident in their own skin, both when they look in the mirror or the presence of others.'
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), removing excess fat and skin to lift the mons pubis can 'potentially lead to enhanced sensitivity in the area, allowing for closer contact during sexual activity'.
Dr Smita Ramanadham, a New Jersey-based ASPS member surgeon added: 'It's going to be an improvement in confidence and that's the biggest thing.'
The lift, which takes up to two hours, involves making an incision along the bikini line, to remove excess skin and fat. Liposuction may be used to refine the contour.
Surgeons often perform it in tandem with an abdominoplasty — a tummy tuck — but it can be done on its own.
Women who have undergone the procedure have even taken to social media to share their results, with one claiming 'sex is now amazing'.
In one Reddit thread with over 20,000 members, another patient wrote: 'It was a little sore and swollen and the results have been beautiful.
'So flat in undies and swimsuits now.'
Cosmetic surgery has been on the decline in the UK according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons's annual audit, peaking in 2015 with over 51,000 procedures but a recent post pandemic boom has seen the number so of ops carried out in 2022 soar to over 31,000
A third said: 'I decided tummy tuck was the way to go and I have to sat the mons lift is my favorite part.
'Life changing. I can wear anything I want. No camel toe, no spare tire. No extra flubber blubber. I can wear any pants. It’s amazing.'
Common reasons touted for undergoing the procedure included a desire to look thinner, with many adding that sagging skin had made the bone more evident and less firm after fluctuations in weight from dieting.
'I had a big mounded fatty area there from weight gain and then skin was loose from weight loss,' one Reddit user said.
'I knew that after getting flat abs from my abdominoplasty, I would not be happy with that big mound of fat in that area sticking out. I am very glad I had it done.'
Elsewhere, however, women have reacted with shock at the procedure, claiming they never even realised it existed.
'How do you even do that?', one said in a response to a surgeon on TikTok explaining what a 'pubic lift' was.
'Skin excision? Omg! I’ve never heard of that option,' a second said.
Ms Vaughn said her surgeon disappeared for half an hour during her surgery (stock image)
Another wrote: 'I had a tummy tuck 10 days ago and my doctor did all of that. I never knew this was a thing.'
Prices for the procedure vary among clinics.
Harley Street Skin Clinic say their pubis reduction surgery starts at £6,900 ($9,090).
But in other ads seen by MailOnline, private clinics charge as little as £2500 to £5500 ($3,300 to $7,200).
Like all surgical procedures, however, the intimate treatment carries risk.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, while significant complications from the operation, which is often referred to as a monsplasty, aren't common, they can include hematoma, infections, scarring, lumpy or uneven results and persistent numbness.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) also warns: 'Before undergoing any surgery, it is important to determine whether there really is a problem with the genitalia or whether another solution would be more rewarding.'
It comes as demand for another intimate procedure — labiaplasty — has too seen a surge in demand.
The controversial cosmetic op, which can cost upwards of £4,000 in the UK, involves shortening or reshaping the outer tissue of the vulva.
BAAPS began collecting data on the number of labiaplasty surgeries carried out every year for the first time in 2022, owing to the sudden uptick in women seeking out the procedure.
In 2023, the association recorded 607 surgeries taking place in the UK.
Experts have pinned rising interest in the op on increased exposure to a particular anatomy seen in pornography, including genitals without public hair.
Daily Mail
