Is my vulva normal?
People rarely spread their legs and compare what their female genitals look like over cocktails. So it can be hard to know if your vulva/or vagina is normal. And we know that it can be a big insecurity for a lot of people.
We could blame porn for giving people an unrealistic view of the vulva aesthetic. But other factors are at play too – like biology textbooks. That’s right. You can go right ahead and chuck yours in the bin (not really, but you get our point). Those nice, tidy vulvas in scientific diagrams are NOT scientifically accurate and vaginal openings come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes which should totally be celebrated.
So, what does a normal vulva look like? Here’s a clue: yours!
Learning to love your vulva
What should a vulva look like? How would you know if you haven’t even seen yours yet.
Your vagina is an extremely powerful and clever thing. It’s literally designed to bring actual humans into being after all. So why not get to know it properly?
We know you’ve probably heard this quite a bit, but rule number one for getting yourself acquainted with is to whip out a hand mirror and give yourself a vulval self-exam. Remember that whatever you see is completely normal. Plus, practically every other person with a vulva will have had exactly the same worry at some point.
Don’t believe us? Here are some of the most common fears:
My vulva lips are ‘wrong’
The most common worry of all is that you have a ‘saggy vulva’ that’s completely repulsive. It has dangly bits that shouldn’t be there and anyone who goes down there is going to run away screaming.
The truth? Every vulva is different. And not all of them are tucked away neatly. Your labia lips may well hang quite far down below your outer lips. There also might be extra skin all over the place. Big vulva lips are just a normal labia minora and/or labia majora doin’ their thing. Let’s say it louder for the people in the back – Perfectly Normal!
And if you’re still asking yourself what should your vulva look like, then refer back to the previous section.
“It’s like worrying what your ear looks like. A ‘normal’ vulva covers a huge range of looks,” says Dr Ranj. “A lot of people worry they should look a certain way. Or that everyone else has a neat vulva. But that’s simply not the case.”
My vulva is a weird colour
If you’re not flapping about the size of your vulva, then you may be worrying that the flaps are the wrong colour.
Once again, biology has come to bite you in the ass. Those scientific diagrams that helped you learn about periods only depict vulvas in a fetching shade of peach or light pink. This could not be farther from the truth.
They can be purple, brown, reddish or even grey. In fact, peach is the least likely colour they’re going to be (although that’s fine, too!). So in answer to ‘What does a normal vulva look like?’ There is no such thing.
“Genitals are generally darker than the rest of your body,” says Dr Ranj. “There’s actually a huge spectrum of colours they can be. Unnatural colours, like blue or green, are the only thing you need to worry about.”
My vulva smells. Do I have a problem?
Practically every secondary school has that rumour about some guy going down on a girl whose vulva smelled of fish. We’re here to tell you that it’s nothing but an urban myth. Yet it’s enough to make a lot of people worry about the smell and taste of their vulvas FOREVER. Sometimes even making them feel too insecure to have – or enjoy – oral sex.
The fact is, your vulva is supposed to smell. "Odur is natural,” says Dr Ranj. “It’s even normal to have quite a strong odour. The concern comes when the smell is very strong and offensive because it could be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection. Especially if you’re also experiencing pain during sex or unusual vaginal discharge.”
Should I wash my vulva?
Not really. Not inside the vagina anyway. Of course don’t leave it completely alone. You should always make sure the exterior is kept sanitary. But if you’re worried about smelling or being unhygienic, interior spring-cleaning is actually the worst thing you can do.
“The vagina is a very complex, self-sufficient, self-cleaning ecosystem that keeps everything in balance,” says Dr Ranj. “When you start mucking about with it by putting soap or deodorants in there, you wash out the natural bugs. This can actually lead to smelly infections.”
What am I supposed to do with my pubes?
Pubic hair is one of the great questions of our time (along with ‘is my vulva normal,’ of course).
“No one really knows why we have pubic hair,” says Dr Ranj. “One theory is that it traps your pheromones so you smell sexually attractive. Another is that it’s a way of showing you’re sexually mature in the animal kingdom.”
Presently, fashion is dictating that women have minimal amounts of pubic hair. This means that waxing, vajazzling, or shaving it all off is commonplace. What you choose to do with your bush is totally your own decision though. So try not to feel any pressure to do anything you don’t want to with it. If you wanna have a hairy vulva – then go for it!
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