Hymoplasty: Your Options For Restoring The Hymen

Many women who have ruptured their hymens through sex or other activities, and some who didn't have a hymen to begin with, are very interested in the surgical repair of their hymens. Many pursue this type of surgery because their social status depends on their ability to bleed on their wedding night, but there are also women who opt to have hymen repair for strictly personal reasons — because their hymen ruptured as the result of an encounter they regret, and they would like to have a do-over.

As one plastic surgery clinic from Istanbul puts it: "The hymen is a ring like skin membrane in a girl’s vagina and its rupture signifies the end of her virginity status. Virginity is a prized possession in several countries of the world. The honor of a girl, her family and even her community depends on her hymen remaining intact before marriage. And its rupture followed by a little bleeding is proof of her virginity. Otherwise she is considered unfit and sinful. There are several races and communities for whom virginity is a prized possession, lost only through marriage and the sexual act after that."

In the US, women can expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 for hymenoplasty. Cheaper procedureds are available in other countries, but women whose futures depend on this procedure should always keep in mind that reputable cosmetic surgery clinics tend to come with higher price tags.

Types Of Hymen Repair Surgery

Several types of hymen repair surgery, or hymenoplasty, exist. It's important to keep in mind that doctors and clinics may develop procedures unique to them, and even procedures that roughly fall into the same category can differ significantly. Broadly speaking, there are three different types of hymenoplasty:

• Repair of the original hymen, something that can be performed if remnants are still present. Some surgeons only perform this procedure shortly after the hymen ruptured, facilitating repair that can't be spotted by those who may examine the hymen.
• Short-term hymen repair (performed shortly before the woman "needs"  the new hymen) can be cosmetic only or fully functional. Cosmetic hymens don't naturally bleed, but artificial blood can be included within its tissue to create the illusion of bleeding. Fully-functional hymens can be created somewhere between 10 and seven days before the wedding. These will bleed.
• Long-term hymenoplasty is a more invasive procedure that creates a new, artificial, hymen from the vaginal lining. It takes about 45 minutes, followed by a few months of healing. This should be performed as far ahead of the wedding night as possible, and it will give you completely natural-looking results.