Ladies! How much do you actually know about your vagina? Did you know, for example, that it is self-cleaning? Or that there are different types of vaginas? Yes, that’s right! Our vaginas are just like us: unique, and no two vaginas look the same.
You might even be surprised to learn that there are five different types of vaginas!
Wait… what? We know. But don’t ovary-act just yet…
Check your vagina! Which type do you have?
Five Types of Vaginas: How To Identify Them According To A Bikini Waxer
Mel is a former bikini waxer. She seen hundreds of vaginas over the course of her career and has determined five different overall vagina shapes.
She says that “all women fall under in one way or the other” but not everyone will fit perfectly into a certain category.
This isn’t a mathematic algorithm. This is just to help women understand this weird ‘secret’ [the appearance of our vaginas] we keep from our friends and society at large is not as scandalous or peculiar as we may have thought. – Mel
These are the five types of vaginas named by Mel: Ms. Barbie, Ms. Puffs, Ms. Curtains, Ms. Horseshoe, Ms. Tulip.
Her fun shape names, however, focuses on the outer appearance as a whole (the vulva included, that surrounds the vaginal opening) and not the actual vagina. They include the labia majora (think pouty outer lips) and the labia minora (think smaller inner lips).
Five Types Of Vaginas: Which One Do You Have?
1. Ms. Barbie
Illustration by TheAsianparent
The “tidy” Ms. Barbie is the rarest vaginal type — also the appearance that most people think a classic vagina looks like, but the waxer says it’s not. With everything tucked in, it is where the labia minora is completely hidden from view within the labia majora.
In fact, many celebrities have expressed their desire for getting designer vaginas that look like this one.
2. Ms. Puffs
Illustration by TheAsianparent
Similar to the Ms. Barbie is the Ms. Puffs, just that it extends longer; the lips of the vagina sit lower on the pubic bone. The labia minora is still hidden from view within the labia majora and the lips could be ‘either full and puffed up or thin and loose’.
Ladies, if you’re wondering about the way your lips hang, it has little to do with your age or weight, so you can stop stressing now.
3. Ms. Curtains
Illustration by TheAsianparent
Ms. Curtains is the vaginal type that Mel noticed on most women. It is where the labia minora extends past the labia majora, peeking out either a little or a lot at the bottom.
This commonly-seen vagina may not be entirely symmetrical and has characteristics that are seen in other types as well.
4. Ms. Horseshoe
Illustration by TheAsianparent
Women with the Ms. Horseshoe have a vagina opening that looks wider at the top, where the labia minora is slightly revealed and may be seen. But the labia majora closes at the bottom to stop the labia minora from extending below, such that it resembles the shape of a horseshoe.
5. Ms. Tulip
Illustration by TheAsianparent
The name speaks for itself: the Ms. Tulip resembles a flower that’s about to bloom. The labia minora is slightly exposed throughout the entire length of the labia majora.
What’s the difference between Ms. Tulip and Ms. Curtains? The inner lips for Ms. Tulips are both exposed yet contained — a more neat and tucked-in version than Ms. Curtains.
Various Types Of Vaginas: Love Me As I Am?
Women don’t have to feel ashamed of their female bits.
Every vagina is different and like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. You just can’t choose which vagina you want to be born as. “It shares a sisterhood with all other vaginas, and nobody should feel strange or abnormal,” Mel said.
“Just because you haven’t met your sister vagina yet, doesn’t mean she isn’t out there.”
Besides, your vagina is perfect. She concluded with a sense of humour and said: “It’s just like a curtain. You wouldn’t hate your house if it had ugly curtains.”
Mel essentially hopes that conversation about the vagina can become “normalised” and part of a healthy discussion about overall feminine health.
Tips for keeping your vagina looking good and healthy
Did you know that the vagina is designed to keep itself clean through natural secretions? And you don’t need to use any kind of soap.
What you can start doing:
- Keep it clean
- Ensure a natural PH balance by avoiding perfumed soaps, gels and antiseptics as they could cause irritation.
- Live and eat healthily. Having a healthy diet and exercise helps! Fruits and vegetables are great.
- During your period, wash your lady parts more than once a day (normal bathing routine is fine)
- Avoid vaginal douches as they could lead to many health problems — STOP immediately if you’re doing so.
- Avoid scented wipes and vaginal deodorants (visit your GP if your notice an unpleasant smell)
- Let your lady parts BREATHE. Use cotton if you can. Avoid underwear that is too tight.
- Cooler temperatures can be great. Sleeping naked is an option.
Fun fact: It helps to keep your vagina’s pH level steady during sex — all the good bacteria in there can stay healthy, according to a 2013 study in the journal PLoS One.
- Be careful when on the bicycle. Frequent riders face higher risks of genital numbness, pain, and tingling (not in a good way).
- Don’t overuse antibiotics
So now ladies, you’re better equipped with knowledge about the different types of vagina, remember that no matter what kind of vagina you have, you’re amazingly beautiful! If ever in doubt, just remember you pushed out a small human through your vagina!
Photo credits: Kylah Benes-Trapp
Source: Elite Daily, NHS, Yahoo
Originally published by The Asian Parent