Everything You Wanted to Know About the Not-So-Secret Labiaplasty That Shocked #MomTok

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Jessi Ngatikaura is one of the star’s of Hulu’s hit reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” She underwent a labiaplasty and breast implant revision surgery in February 2024. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I didn't know a labiaplasty existed until I went to my doctor, Dr. Devan Griner at Peak Plastic Surgery. I originally went wanting to downsize my implants (I've had four boob jobs), but during the consultation I started talking to Dr. Griner about how I looked and felt different—down there.

My problem was actually pretty common, especially among women who have had children. I didn't need [my vagina] to look perfect, but I felt like [my labia] was affecting how my body looked in tight clothing, like yoga pants. I didn't like wearing anything workout-related—going to the gym even felt weird. I was always self-conscious. I could tell that it was a little looser. But more than it was an issue aesthetically, it was physically irritating. The biggest thing I noticed after I had my babies was that my actual lips pressed out—they were touching my thighs. It was a super uncomfortable day-to-day. Anything active or that applied pressure, like riding a bike, wasn't enjoyable.

I asked Dr. Griner if he had anything he recommended for the pain and discomfort I was feeling, and that’s when I found out about labiaplasty.

“It’s important to understand the anatomy to understand a labiaplasty,” explains Dr. Griner. “That area is made up of the labia majora, which is the skin on the outside, and the labia minora, which is the tissue on the inside. Those are two completely different types of tissue. Think of it like the lips on your face—the labia majora is like the outer red portion of the lips. It’s meant to be exposed to the elements; it can be outside. The labia minora is like the inner part of your lips and the wet vermillion part of your lips. If that part gets exposed to the air for too long, it dries out, cracks, bleeds, and burns. It's very delicate and sensitive. With patients who are getting a labiaplasty, their labia minora is exposed."

When I learned I could have both surgeries on the same day, I was like, “Sign me up!” I don’t have much downtime, and recovering from two surgeries at once sounded great.

My Labiaplasty Consultation

Preparing for a labiaplasty isn’t like other surgeries. Like, I know what I want my boobs to look like, but a vagina is harder. I had the other MomTok girls do paintings of vaginas before my surgery.

It was a little hard bringing it up to my doctor at first, because when you’re talking about that area and it’s not a gynecologist who’s meant to be down there [it can be awkward], but Dr. Griner is great—he’s just so friendly and welcoming. I ended up showing Dr. Griner what I looked like in yoga pants and what I noticed. Then, we did the consultation with my pants off, and I showed him what I would like to have tucked up here and pulled there. Honestly, I let him do what he recommended. I’m not a medical professional, so I didn't want to say, “take two inches off,” but I told him my concerns and then gave him free rein.

The Day of My Labiaplasty Surgery

The day of the surgery, I was nervous. I've had a few boob jobs before, so I knew what to expect with that. But with my labiaplasty surgery, I had no clue. I was really nervous, just not knowing how I would feel waking up. That part was pretty scary.

I did have The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cameras in the surgical room with me, but I’m such an open book. Maybe it’s because I’ve been an influencer for so long. I share every part of my life, the good and the bad. I wanted to go on reality TV, not just to highlight the good things, but to show the raw, real, and ugly because everyone has that. I knew it would help some women; some may not understand, but at least I can help some girls with this struggle if they have it.

When I came out of anesthesia, I was a little nauseous and loopy, but I felt okay physically. I knew I would be sore, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was an hour when I could feel everything down there, though, because my pharmacy didn't fill my pain medication on time. My husband was running to the pharmacy, trying to figure it out, but it felt like there was a blow torch up there. That was pretty brutal. My advice to anyone going through this: make sure you have your pain meds before you go into surgery. I just thought I could get them after, and I'd be fine, but I was not.

Labiaplasty Recovery

Recovery was similar to post-pregnancy. Frida Mom has this Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit that I used with both my kids, and I literally got the same thing for this. It has the big granny panties, the ice packs, and a peri bottle. After you have kids, they give you this bottle with a little nozzle that sprays water. You spray it down there to clean yourself, like a bidet, but it's hand-held, and it cleans you instead of wiping because you can’t wipe at first.

I had ice packs down there, and that really helped with the cooling, swelling, and burning. I also wore granny panties for three days straight because there was a lot of blood. It was super helpful just to wear those and not worry about staining any of my stuff. After that, I transitioned into wearing pads in my underwear for a few days. After a week, I was pretty normal. I just had to dab and blot instead of wiping.

The hardest part of the surgery was feeling like you gave birth without actually having a cute baby at the end. The whole not being able to wipe and just being super sensitive down there, especially if you can't handle pain. It is a little bit hard, but within four days, I felt like I was fine.

“We usually recommend a regimen for patients of a thin layer of antibiotic ointment applied a couple of times to the incision lines along with the peri bottle to be able to spray and then wash the areas,” adds Dr. Griner. "You don't have to do any kind of extensive wiping, and then they're supposed to rest and relax for about up to a week to help the swelling and everything go down.”

I took that girls’ trip to Las Vegas about three days after my surgery. I had two days of downtime, and then, on the third day, I was road-tripping to Vegas. Dr. Griner saw the video and was like, “You have to tell people this isn’t normal!” I chose to get the labiaplasty, knowing I had to go to Vegas a few days later. I wore surgical dressings and granny panties on the way to Vegas and again on the first day. Then the second day, I had to wear a little dress, so I wore normal underwear, but I still had heavy pads. I stayed on painkillers the whole trip. I have a high pain tolerance, so I'm insane, but probably shouldn't have done that. “That was definitely not approved,” emphasizes Dr. Griner.

The first six weeks were the hardest because you can't have sex for six weeks. I was so sore and sometimes I was like, oh no, what did I do? There were moments where I was just hoping I would feel normal again.

My Post-Op Check-In

My stitches disintegrated, so I didn’t have to go back to have them removed, but I went back to the office about 10 days later to make sure everything was looking good. Then I had another appointment at four weeks and again at eight weeks. You can always check in if anything feels wrong—Dr. Griner’s office takes great care of you to ensure you’re good.

My Labiaplasty Results

The first four to five days were the most intense with swelling, but after about a week I thought my vagina looked pretty normal. By two weeks, I thought it looked great. But I would say it took a good three to four months for me to feel like it was where it needed to be, which is totally normal. And now I'm almost a year and a half out of it, and it's exactly what I wanted.

But now, if you were to look at it or even physically feel it, you can't even tell I got something done. It's amazing. I'm way more confident in the clothes I wear. I don't worry about it rubbing anymore, I don't feel any discomfort. It's a little crazy going through it, but I knew I wanted it done, and I knew it would give me the results I wanted.

My Labiaplasty Takeaway

This surgery is in the top three of those I'm so happy I did, so I have no regrets. I'm glad I did this together with my boob job, too. If it had been my first boob job, I probably would've freaked out because there are so many different sensations and pressures. But I was well-prepared for at least half of this.

If you’re thinking about having a labiaplasty, I would say make sure that you are prepared for the six weeks of recovery, and make sure that you know how to follow the rules because you can't just get this surgery and then not do the aftercare required. Other than that, it didn't affect me that much daily.

I always know that sharing anything will come with criticism. I got some backlash after the show aired—many people just said, “This is ridiculous, no one even sees that.” I want to take this opportunity to clarify that while visually I wanted it to look better, I was also treating physical discomfort. I'm used to people not understanding my decision, but the small percentage of people who say, “Wait, I've been looking into a labiaplasty, and can you please share your experience?” Those people make it worth it to me.

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Meet the Expert

Dr. Devan Griner

Dr. Devan Griner, a proud Utah native, returned to his home state in 2016 following years of meticulously honing his surgical expertise. Dr. Griner boasts dual board-certifications in both General surgery and plastic surgery, with specialized training in pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery. His influential presence extends beyond the operating room; He is a widely published author and much sought-after speaker at conferences across the world, where he imparts his wisdom to fellow surgeons. Dr. Griner is the founder of the Utah Smiles Foundation, a non-profit that has provided crucial care to hundreds of children with cleft lips. His commitment to excellence in both care and results are some of the many reasons why he is considered one of the best plastic surgeons in the state.