Shapes, Sizes, Colors, and More

While they may perform the same functions, no two vaginas are alike. Together, your vagina and vulva have unique traits that define their shape, color, and size. Factors such as hormones, childbirth, and age can cause these traits to change during your lifetime. Infections and other health conditions can also trigger changes.

Shapes

The vaginal shape is often described based on the appearance of the labia, or vaginal lips. There are two sets of labia:

• Labia minora (inner lips)
• Labia majora (outer lips)

The labia, along with the urethra and clitoris, are part of the vulva, the external portion of the female genitalia. The vulva acts as a protective gateway between your body’s internal and external environments.

Research indicates that variations in vaginal shape, dimensions, and axis can’t be explained by body size or demographic variables. In a study involving the examination of 600 white women between the ages of 18 and 84, researchers found massive variability in the way healthy vulvas appear. In a subsequent study involving 44 women of different ethnicities, these findings were determined to be consistent for people of other races and ethnicities.

Based on the results of these studies, there are nine general categories of vulva and labia shape. They include:

• Asymmetrical inner lips: One inner lip is longer, thicker, or larger than the other. The longer side of the inner lips will usually hang past the outer lips. This shape is very common and considered normal.
• Prominent inner lips: Prominent inner lips are both longer than and protrude from the outer lips. The length difference can range from subtle to significant.
• Prominent outer lips: Prominent outer lips have larger outer lips that are thick and puffy or thin and a bit loose, sitting lower on your vulva. In most cases, the inner lips can’t be seen.
• Curved outer lips: The outer lips have a horseshoe shape, with the small lips exposed in the front. The inner lips may extend past the outer lips or they may not.
• Long, dangling inner lips: The inner lips can hang up to an inch or more past your outer lips. Extra skin or additional folds may be present. If the inner lips dangle low enough, they may protrude from your underwear.
• Long, dangling outer lips: The outer lips are slightly large and contain thin and loose skin, causing the inner lips to be more exposed. The outer lips may dangle so low that they protrude from underwear.
• Small, open outer lips: The outer lips are flat and rest against the pubic bone. They have a slight separation, which allows the inner lips to be visible.
• Small, closed outer lips: Small, closed outer lips are not set apart. They completely contain and conceal the inner lips. While this shape is common in adult entertainment, it is the least common shape.
• Visible inner lips: This shape describes a vulva in which the inner and outer lips are the same size. The inner lips are usually peeking through the opening in the outer lips.

Outer Lips

The outer lips are the outermost folds of skin on your vulva. They are located on either side of the vaginal introitus (vaginal opening). They are usually fleshy and covered with pubic hair. They can vary in color from pink to brownish-black. Their color can change as you age. The appearance of normal outer lips can be long or short, or smooth or wrinkled.

Depending on your vaginal shape, your outer lips may or may not hide the inner lips. It is also possible for the outer lips to be so large that they interfere with your comfort, even though their structure may be considered normal.

Inner Lips

The inner lips are the two inner folds of skin that surround your vagina. The inner lips are located under the outer lips. The space that exists between the two inner lips is known as the vestibule, which consists of the vaginal opening). The inner lips protect the vaginal opening and urethra.

It is common for the inner lips to be visible. They begin at your clitoris and end under the opening of your vagina. They can vary in size and shape and may not both be the same size. Like the outer lips, your inner lips can be smooth or wrinkled, long or short, and considered normal.

Inside the Vagina

The inside of your vagina is configured like a tube with a slight dilation at the cervix. The vagina occurs in a “V” or funnel shape, though the width at the widest point can vary. The configuration may help make childbirth easier.

The inside of your vagina is lined with folds, ridges, and bumps, known as vaginal rugae. These bumps are more prominent during your fertile years. They help your vaginal canal expand and make the lining likely to tear during sex or childbirth. The vaginal canal is usually smooth in texture before puberty and after menopause.

The Hymen

The hymen is a thin piece of tissue that surrounds the opening of the vagina. It can develop in different shapes. The most common shapes are crescent and circular. The hymen can also change over time, induced by hormonal variations that occur during stages such as puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

Regardless of how it appears, the hymen must be open to allow menstrual blood and normal secretions to flow out of the vagina. When this does not occur, a hymen variant is typically treated with a hymenectomy (a procedure in which excess tissue is removed, leaving a more typical-sized hymen).

The different types of hymen variations include:

Imperforate Hyman

The imperforate hymen does not open up. Instead, it completely covers the opening to the vagina. In this position, it blocks menstrual blood and other secretions from exiting the vagina.

It is usually diagnosed during puberty when an adolescent girl presents with abdominal or pelvic pain and difficulty urinating but has no menstrual period. This occurs because the vagina becomes filled with menstrual blood that is unable to exit the body via the vagina.

Microperforate Hymen

The microperforate hymen is a condition in which the hymen has a very small opening. While the opening is large enough to allow menstrual blood and vaginal secretions to exit the vagina, it is too small for tampons or vaginal intercourse. If a tampon can fit, it may be difficult to remove after expanding with menstrual blood.

Cribform Hymen

A cribform hymen has several very small openings. While menstrual blood and vaginal secretions can flow out of the vagina, this type of hymen cannot accommodate a tampon or sexual intercourse.

Septate Hymen

A septate hymen has a band of extra tissue in the middle that results in two small vaginal openings instead of one. Menstrual blood and vaginal secretions can flow out of the vagina, but it may not be possible to use a tampon or have vaginal intercourse.

Size

According to a study that measured the length, width, and angles of vaginas, the average length of a vagina is just under 4 inches. Vaginal length can measure up to 7 to 7.5 inches in some people.

Vaginal size can change by temporarily elongating and stretching to accommodate the passage of a baby during childbirth or elongating to accommodate a penis during intercourse. When sexually aroused, the length of the vagina can stretch to 4 to 8 inches.

Color

Variations in vaginal color can align with the color of the skin on the rest of your body. However, it is normal for vaginal skin to be a different color.

The color of the labia is used to describe vaginal color. Typical labial color can range from pink to purple to brown or black. Color changes can reflect shifts in hormone levels and variations in blood flow to the area. Normal labial color can appear darker when you’re aroused or paler as you age.

While it may be normal for your skin, a chronic red vulva could indicate a yeast infection. A red-purple vulva could indicate lichen simplex chronicus, a chronic vulva irritation that occurs for weeks or months.

Hair

Pubic hair protects your genitals from dirt and bacterial illnesses. In most people, it covers the labia majora to the inner thighs and forms a triangular shape up to the pubic bone. Pubic hair can vary in thickness. It can also grow a different color from the hair on your head depending on where melanin (a substance that gives hair, skin, and the eyes their color) is concentrated throughout the body.

Certain medical conditions can trigger the overgrowth or undergrowth of pubic hair. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition linked with higher testosterone levels in women, can trigger the growth of excess pubic hair. Aging and issues such as alopecia (condition causing hair loss) or adrenal disease can cause the loss or thinning of pubic hair.

Discharge

All vaginas produce fluids for lubrication. Vaginal discharge also helps maintain the balance among healthy bacteria, cells, and yeast to maintain vaginal health. While the amount and consistency of vaginal discharge can vary among individuals, it can also help you determine your vaginal health. Normal discharge has the following characteristics:

• Clear, milky white, or slightly yellow color
• Odorless
• Stretchable during ovulation

Premenopausal people secrete about one-half to 1 teaspoon (2 to 5 milliliters) of vaginal discharge daily. This can vary at different points during the menstrual cycle. Factors such as pregnancy and the use of birth control pills, patches, or rings can also affect the amount and type of discharge produced.

Changes from the typical color, amount, and odor of your discharge may indicate a vaginal infection. Signs of a vaginal infection can include vaginal discharge with the following characteristics :

• Bleeding that’s not from a period
• Burning when you urinate
• Foul odor
• Green or greenish-yellow color
• Itching, discomfort, or rash

Bleeding

Menstrual blood leaves your body by way of the vagina. The amount of blood lost each month can vary among individuals. It can also change from month to month. Menstrual flow during a female’s period typically lasts about three to five days, though a period that lasts two to seven days is also within the normal range. and produces a total blood loss of about 2 to 5 tablespoons (30 to 80 milliliters).

While there is a range of what’s considered normal menstrual bleeding, abnormal uterine bleeding can involve:

• Any bleeding that occurs after menopause
• Bleeding that lasts longer than seven days
• Menstrual flow that soaks more than one pad or tampon per hour
• Menstrual flow that regularly contains blood clots the size of a quarter or larger
• Persistent lower abdominal pain or cramping during your period

Smell

Having a vaginal odor is considered normal. The vagina and surrounding area (groin, skin, vulva, etc.) contain healthy bacteria and sweat glands. The odor that the vagina and surrounding area produces can vary by individual. The odor can also change during your menstrual period, during pregnancy, or after sex.

Normal vaginal smells can vary and include the following:

• Bittersweet or molasses
• Like bleach
• Metallic
• Spicy, fermented, or sour

Abnormal vaginal smells can occur due to an infection such as bacterial vaginosis. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as trichomoniasis, can also produce an abnormal vaginal odor. A vaginal smell that indicates a medical problem typically is strong and fishy, or otherwise foul-smelling.

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

While there is a wide range of normal vaginal behavior, having the following symptoms may indicate a potential problem. Call your primary care provider or gynecologist if you have any of the following symptoms:

• A change in the color, order, or amount of vaginal discharge
• Vaginal redness or itching
• A mass, bulge, or irregular bumps in or outside your vagina
• Abnormal or painful periods that involve bleeding that is heavier than usual, heavy cramping with and before your cycle, bleeding that lasts longer than a week, and/or bleeding that occurs unexpectedly on other days or weeks
• Irregular vaginal bleeding that involves unexplained bleeding between periods, bleeding after menopause, bleeding while pregnant
• Pelvic pain that involves pain during intercourse, exercise, or other activities, along with a bloated feeling or abdominal heaviness with or without vomiting

Summary

Your vagina plays a key role in normal body functions that include menstrual flow, childbirth, and sexual satisfaction. Most healthy vaginas are considered “normal” no matter their shape, size, or color.

Like other personal features, your vagina is a unique part of you. It’s important to know and understand how your own vagina looks so you are aware when changes occur.

Like your physical build and facial features, your vagina is a unique part of you and should not be compared to other people’s. Contact your healthcare provider if you’re unsure about the vaginal features you have or changes that occur. A provider can offer support and determine if there is a cause for concern.