Controversial OnlyFans star Lily Phillips has opened up about getting labiaplasty to her 313,000 TikTok followers.
In a candid video on TikTok, she revealed what motivated her to have the procedure done at just 19 years old, receiving thousands of views in just a few hours.
Lily said the surgery, which she had four years prior to her 101 men in a day sex stunt, made her much more confident in the bedroom.
The adult performer previously discussed going under the knife in an interview with Metro, recalling: ‘Labiaplasty was what I spent my first OnlyFans paycheck on because I didn’t like the look of my vagina.
‘In comparison to what I’d seen online and what I’d seen in porn, my vagina wasn’t the norm.’
Lily explained that she had one labia ‘much longer’ than the other, which would make wearing underwear uncomfortable because it would pinch her vulva.
As well as this, the difference in size of her labia made her feel insecure, leading her to have the £5,000 procedure to make them more symmetrical at a Harley Street clinic.
‘In sex work,’ Lily told Metro, ‘the money is good but it does affect every aspect of your life. It’s hard with your body image and the way you look because what I earn is tied to how I look.
‘If I had bigger boobs would I earn more money? And when you have more money it brings the question of “do I get plastic surgery?”. Do I risk my life to get a BBL just so I might have more fans? It’s a constant mind battle with yourself and you appearance.’
She added that none of her boyfriends or sexual partners had ever commented on her labia being different sizes, but she’d seen men online suggesting it meant a woman had been ‘f**ked more’ or had a ‘wide vagina’ – both of which are false.
‘Comments like that are absolutely awful,’ she said. ‘So I was happy that I got labiaplasty done, it’s made me so much more confident.’
And it’s not just those working in the sex industry that feel like this. In a Refinery29 survey, half of women said they had concerns about the appearance of their genitalia, with 64% of them being worried about size and 60% about shape.
This is in spite of the fact that there’s no such thing as ‘normal’ when it comes to vulvas: one large-scale study found labias typically ranged from from 5mm to 10cm, and around 50% of women are believed to have asymmetrical labia.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Inês Vaz commented: ‘The concept of “big” and “small” was created by the media. Women should think twice before they categorise themselves as “abnormal”.’
When we asked if she felt her cosmetic surgery was contributing to the unrealistic body standards that porn sets, Lily admitted her part, saying: ‘I didn’t think when I got it done that I was going to be so much in the porn industry and have an effect on girls watching it.
‘It’s quite hard because I might be adding to some girl’s insecurity, but I’m definitely very open that I’ve had it done. I never set out to be some kind of influencer or change the way girls think about themselves… I am an individual, and I’m just kind of doing what makes me happy.’
In her TikTok, Lily also noted that she didn’t want to recommend people get surgery, but that for her it was ‘worth it’.
‘I absolutely loved it and it made me feel so much more confident with my coochie,’ she commented.
All you need to know about labiaplasty
Gerard Lambe from Reflect Clinic UK, is one of the UK’s leading labiaplasty surgeons, and performs 40 of these procedures each year.
He tells Metro: ‘There has been a huge rise in demand for the procedure in the last five years, with both private and NHS surgeons seeing a spike in requests for it in the last year alone.
‘Social media is clearly playing a part and more high profile women sharing their labiaplasty experiences has certainly inspired other women to finally explore having it done.’
The procedure is described by Dr Lambe as having ‘the labia majora or lips trimmed, shortened, or made more symmetrical, if one fold of skin is larger or longer than the other’.
Lily’s surgery took an hour under general anaesthetic, which the surgeon agrees is the norm, but while Lily paid £5,000, he charges £4,000 which includes pre-surgery and post-surgery care.
Alarmingly, Lily admitted that she had sex just two weeks after the procedure, which Dr Lambe recommends should be avoided for at least four to six weeks afterwards.
He says: ‘It’s intricate surgery on sensitive skin and the tissue is very tender and sensitive following surgery. There’s bruising, stitches and due to the labia being so near the urethra it is really very open to a lot of sensitivity and pain when you pee, never mind having sexual intercourse.
‘Sex before you have fully healed could split the stitches before they have had time to heal and dissolve. A woman would be at much more risk of infection and STDs too, as there is the possibility of an open wound and blood infection.’
It’s also not advisable to go out to the club the same day you’ve had labiaplasty, as the OnlyFans star did.
‘Like any surgical procedure there is the risk of infection or injury during recovery too if you do not rest fully or rush to head to the gym, cycle or even running can slow down healing,’ the doctor adds.
What is labiaplasty?
A labiaplasty is surgery to reduce the size of the labia minora – the flaps of skin either side of the vaginal opening.
It should not be done on girls younger than 18 because the labia continues to develop beyond puberty into early adulthood.
Some women want a labiaplasty because they do not like the look of their labia. But it’s completely normal to have noticeable skin folds around the opening of your vagina. In most cases, it does not cause any problems, which is why labiaplasty is rarely available on the NHS.
In the UK, a labiaplasty costs about £4,000. The cost of any consultations or follow-up care may not be included in the price.
Having a labiaplasty is a big decision that you should think about carefully. It can be expensive and carries a number of risks.
There’s also no guarantee you’ll get the result you expected, and it will not necessarily make you feel better about your body.
If you’re thinking about having a labiaplasty, discuss it with your GP first.
You may have a condition that’s causing discomfort, which can be treated. Or there may be a reason why the operation is not suitable for you.
Your GP may advise you to speak to a counsellor or psychologist before committing to surgery.
Source: NHS
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