A body image educator known for taking photos of women’s vulvas has accused Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives of setting a bad example for women by broadcasting labiaplasty surgery.
Australian photographer Ellie Sedgwick, creator of the female body positivity movement Comfortable In My Skin, told DailyMail.com the hit series could leave “impressionable teenagers” with body image issues.
Sedgwick was outraged after seeing cast member Jessi Ngatikaura undergo labiaplasty on the show following the birth of her second child.
On the show, Ngatikaura referred to her lady parts as “curtains of flesh” and said she wanted them to be “pretty and perfect” again through surgery.
Since the cast of the Hulu show are all TikTok influencers, Sedgwick stressed that Ngatikaura was sending the wrong message to young girls by normalizing the procedure.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jessi Ngatikaura (pictured) has come under fire for getting a labiaplasty on the hit Hulu series.
Vulva photographer Ellie Sedgwick told DailyMail.com that the Hulu series could leave “impressionable teens” with body image issues.
“She uses words like, ‘I’m going to be perfectly tight.’ Like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to cut off my extra flesh so my lips are nice and perfect again,'” Sedgwick said.
‘And that’s like giving these impressionable teenagers the idea that if they have any kind of hanging labia or any beautiful mom who just gave birth to a baby, you’re giving them the idea that if their vulva changes during childbirth, if they have something hanging down, it’s like fleshy and it’s wrong and it’s not beautiful.
“You’re not desirable, you’re not worthy, and labiaplasty is so accessible now, just go ahead and cut it off and that’s fine.”
Sedgwick has published a book of vulva photographs called Flip Through My Flaps, and says most women are unaware of what a normal vulva looks like because of the normalization of things like “Barbie’s vagina” in the media.
“I’d love to ask Jessi if she’s seen a lot of vulvas. I’d love to ask her where she got the information that her vulva is so much worse than other people’s,” Sedgwick said.
“For example, in my book there are a lot of postpartum vulvas. Do you know what a normal vulva looks like?”
Sedgwick also warned that many women are unaware of the dangers and complications that can result from labiaplasty.
Sedgwick says most women aren’t aware of what a normal vulva looks like because of the normalization of things like “Barbie’s vagina” in the media.
On the show, Ngatikaura referred to her lady parts as “curtains of flesh” and said she wanted them to be “pretty and perfect” again through surgery.
“People are not informed about this type of surgery and what it is. Obviously, throughout history women have been excluded from (medical) research, so we don’t know exactly how many nerve endings are there,” she said.
“From research I’ve done and working with sexologists, I know that that part of the labia minora that everyone gets cut off is packed with nerve endings. They say there are upwards of 8,000 to 10,000 nerve endings there,” Sedgwick continued.
“What worries me is that people are going to get this surgery because they saw something on TV, and they’re going to cut off this beautiful tool of pleasure just to fit society’s idea of beauty and meet these beauty standards that are unrealistic.”
And he added ominously: “And that can never be put back. It’s like once you cut it off, it’s gone forever.”
Speaking to DailyMail.com last month, Ngatikaura said she had no regrets about undergoing surgery.
“It’s all great. I’m very happy I did it,” she gushed.
“I think as a mother who has had children, your body changes. And I wanted to share that it’s okay to want to feel and look better, especially as a mother, because you sacrifice so much of yourself to have these children that you love so much, so you want to feel like yourself again,” she continued.
‘I know plastic surgery can be a hot topic, but I hope that if anyone sees this and wants a similar surgery, they can reach out to me and share my experience.’
Ngatikaura told DailyMail.com that she has no regrets about going under the knife. “I’m so happy I did it,” she gushed.
The hairdresser, who has also undergone three breast augmentations, also decided to reduce her implants while undergoing a labiaplasty.
The Hulu star wasn’t shy about flaunting the results of the procedure on camera.
Ngatikaura surprised her co-stars on the hit Hulu show by showing them the results of her labiaplasty procedure on camera.
In the episode, the 32-year-old mother of two said childbirth had changed her vagina and left her unable to wear yoga pants.
“My flesh curtains just hang low,” she told her stunned castmates in episode six of the controversial Hulu series.
“I’ve noticed a huge difference down there, to the point where it’s uncomfortable,” he continued.
“Basically, they cut off that extra flesh and make my lips nice and perfect again.”
Jessi then added with a laugh: “Extra meat. I’m going to make a sandwich with that!”
The hairdresser, who had previously undergone three breast augmentations, also decided to reduce her implants while undergoing a labiaplasty.
“I’ve never had two surgeries in one day, but I thought I could do a 2-in-1 and only have to go under anesthesia once,” she said.
The 32-year-old mother of two said giving birth had changed her vagina and left her unable to wear yoga pants.
Jessi is pictured during her second pregnancy, which she says left her with a protruding vulva after giving birth.
Discussing the results with her co-stars, Jessi revealed that she was unable to have sex for “four to six weeks” while she recovered from the painful procedure.
Sharing the “brutal” recovery period, Jessi said: “I felt like I had a blowtorch up there!”
He then pulled down his shorts to show the results to his friends, who were visibly shocked to see his surgically enhanced nether region.
“Open it!” they shouted as Jessi stripped in front of them.
While showing off her designer vagina to her friends, Jessi said: “It’s swollen. They said it should look like a hot dog bun now, which it does, but once it’s not swollen it’ll be tight.”
He added: “Before (the surgery) all this was hanging at least that same number.”
Speaking to DailyMail.com, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr Deepak Dugar of the Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty Center said it is common to experience some pain and bleeding during the recovery process.
“Typically, there is a week where you may have some pain, spotting and bleeding, and then it takes about four to six weeks until the general swelling subsides and you can resume most major physical activities and exercises, including sexual activity,” she said.
Dr. Dugar said most women seeking labiaplasty are mothers who have seen their vaginas change after childbirth.
“The biggest changes that occur in the lips usually happen hormonally during puberty, or happen after pregnancy when there is stretching and tearing,” she explained.
“And so there’s a big idea that these types of procedures should generally be done after delivery and saved until postpartum because of the fact that more changes might occur after having children with a vaginal birth,” she added.
And when it comes to getting the vulva of your dreams, Dr. Dugar said there is a certain level of customization that patients can request.
“I think there’s definitely customization and different ways that people approach labiaplasty,” she explained.
“There is a trimming procedure and a wedge procedure. There are different types of labiaplasty that are performed and talking to a board-certified plastic surgeon is essential so they can show you examples of work very similar to yours,” she continued.
‘Obviously, labiaplasty is a very personal and private thing, and there won’t be a lot of public information about it, so I think it’s key to go to a surgeon who does a lot of these surgeries and let them guide you with before and after photos so you can understand what the differences are and where you can achieve your goals.’
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