Have you ever looked between your legs and cringed because what you saw down there looked different from what you’ve seen on TV or on websites or magazines? Same girl, same. I remember as a pre-teen when I had begun to explore my vulva and what it liked, I noticed that one of my inner labia was longer than the other. I got scared because I thought something was definitely wrong with me. It wasn’t until I was maybe 18 that I learned that it was the definition of normal. And I know I’m not alone in this. There are many people with vulvas who still believe something is wrong with theirs. No two vulvas are exactly the same. Each vulva is unique to each person. This includes your labia, vagina, clitoris and so on. Basically, everything that makes up your vulva is intricately unique to you. However, there are some general patterns to most vulvas and these are some of the ‘types’ you’ll see below.
Asymmetrical Inner Lips
The vulva is regarded as asymmetrical if one inner lip is longer, thicker, or larger than the other. It’s actually pretty typical for vulvas to have uneven labia minora (the inner lips of your labia).
Curved Outer Lips
If you have this kind of vulva, your labia majora(outer lips) will curve, revealing your labia minora from the front, but they will meet equally at the bottom, resembling an upside-down horseshoe. The inner lips do not typically hang below the outer lips in this situation.
Prominent Outer Lips
Some vulvas have labia majora that are more noticeable than labia minora. In this situation, the outer lips tend to sit much lower and may, in some case, portrude outside of your underwear.
Prominent Inner Lips
This vulva will often expose the labia minora through the entire length of the labia majora, which sweep to either side. In some, it looks like a “flower bud poised to open”, In others, the inner lips are typically longer and stick out more than the outer lips.
Small Open Outer Lips
In this case, the labia minora is visible because the outer lips, which are flat and rest against your pubic bone, are slightly apart.
Closed Outer Lips
The shape of this vulva, which resembles a Barbie vagina in many ways, makes it the least common but also the most frequently “desired” variety of vulva. The labia minora are totally enclosed and concealed inside the labia majora with this type of vulva. Here, the outer lips typically lie against the pubic bone and are more or less flat.
If your vulva doesn’t match any of the types here, don’t panic. These are general types, not ‘all’ types. Your vulva is still normal and beautiful just as it is. Don’t ever forget, it is unique to you and different from everyone else’s.
For more answers to questions surrounding the vagina, check out the rest of our articles on vaginal health