THE CLITORIS: UNDER THE HOOD

Do you know women have different clitoral hoods? They are different in sizes and shapes; here is how to find your clitoris hood and what it does?

Clitoral hood, the vulva, is the external female genitalia. It contains the labia, the opening of the vagina, the clitoris, and the opening of the urethra. The flap of the skin above your labia surrounds and protects your glans clitoris. It's the female equivalent of the male foreskin. It comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. The outer lips are fleshy and usually covered in public hair. The inner lips are inside the outer lips. Many women worry that their hoods do not look normal, but that is normal. Look at pictures of different clitoris hoods to understand how varied they are. They get all the glory when it comes to sexual pleasure. There is a lot more to the clitoris than that little bud.

How To Find Your Clitoris Hood?

The best way to understand the clitoral hood is to know where to find it. According to Chalker (2018), the glans clitoris sits inside your labia, outer lips, and inner lips. You'll find the clitoris hood at the top of the inner lips. You want to get a close look, get a hand on a mirror and get naked from the waist down. Sit on the chair or at the end of the bed, and open your legs. Put one foot on the bed or chair. Hold the mirror in the middle of your legs and angle it so you can see your vulva. Use your free hand to pull your outer and inner lips apart. Look at your top slit, and you'll see a flap of the skin connected to your inner lips.

What The Hood Does

Your hood contains nerve endings. All nerve endings are constantly rubbing against the fabric on your clothing. It exists to protect this sensitive tissue from excessive stimulation and external irritants. Nguyen & Duong (2019) stated that the gland in your clitoral hood produces a lubricant called sebum; it helps your hood move smoothly over the glans and shaft on your clitoris.

Does the Hood Retract

When sexually triggered, your glans clitoris puffs up like a penis. It's enough to move your hood aside, exposing your glans. If your hood is larger, it may not retract as easily. It's a sign of clitoral adhesions. It forms from bacteria, sebum build-up, and skin cells. More women who visit a sexual medicine practice have clitoral adhesions. Left untreated, it can cause utmost pain and interfere with sexual pleasure and orgasm. Washing more thoroughly can resolve or prevent clitoral adhesion. If you experience discomfort, try soaking in a warm bath and washing the area more frequently. You can also talk to your doctor. They can look at it and remove the adhesions if it doesn't work. You can retract the hood enough to expose the glans clitoris; you place your finger at the top of your lips and pull.

Does It Affect Clitoral Orgasm?

Having a hood with thicker tissues may affect sensation. Retract your hood or experiment with a different position. Applying more pressure when stimulating your clitoris over your hood may be all you need to up the pleasure. It comes down to what you're you're comfortable with. Some women prefer stimulation over the hood and find direct clitoral stimulation to be a little too intense.

What Causes an Enlarged Clitoris

According to Kaefer & Rink (2017), an enlarged clitoris is usually caused by normal sexual arousal. Otherwise, the hormonal imbalance or medical condition can cause the enlargement of the clitoris. It's called clitoromegaly; it's longer than 10 millimeters in grown-ups. A swollen clitoris in grown-up is not usually a cause for concern. The pediatrician should evaluate a newborn or child with a longer or swollen clitoris to rule out the conditions.

Clitoral Hood Stimulation

You can enjoy using your hood, regardless of size or shape. Below are ways you can enjoy clitoral stimulation;

Use Lube

Lube is always a good idea, whether solo or with a partner. Even if wet enough, adding lube can increase your pleasure and stop potential discomfort in tracks.

Let the Fingers Do the Work

Exploring with your fingers is the better way to learn how to pleasure yourself. Try rubbing your clitoris over the hood directly with one hand to pull your hood back and expose your glans, as Norsigian (2011) explained. Experiment with different amounts of strokes and pressure to see what works. When playing with your fingers, ensure that you are careful or shorten your nails to avoid injuring the clitoris. 

Hand Job Technique

Taking your hood between your index and middle finger and sliding it up and down is one way to get some enjoyment from the hood. Remember that the female anatomy is very sensitive, and you can get off from any action on any part.

Sex Toy

Vibrators are a great way to stimulate your clitoris and can be helpful if you have a thicker hood that interferes with sensation. You can also try suction toys not only on the clitoris but also on the clitoral hood.

Find the Right Position

Intercourse on its own is not likely to get you an orgasm as clitoral stimulation and certain positions can give you both worlds. Sex is all about being adventurous and giving new things a try. 

Ride High Position

Lie on your back, and your partner should angle their penis or dildos so that the upper shaft rubs against your clitoral as they thrust. Each thrust will slide your hood up and down or provide enough pressure over the hood to stimulate your clitoris.

What About Reduction?

Women with excess tissue overhanging the clitoris that causes increased yeast infection, discomfort during sex, or decreased sexual sensitivity can be reduced by clitoral hood reduction. Also, it's called clitoral unhooding or cordectomy, a surgical procedure to reduce the size of the clitoral hood by removing excess tissue. Its performed along aside from the labiaplasty, which reduces the size of the labia minora. Recovery varies from person to person; expect some pain and comfort while healing. Talk to your doctor if you want one.

Conclusion

The female anatomy is complex, but there are obvious things like the clitoral hood, which is the fold of skin covering the head of the clitoris. It protects the sensitive parts of the clitoris from rubbing and friction. If the swelling of the clitoris goes away for a few days, it doesn't indicate a serious condition. A child with enlarged or swollen genitals should be checked by the doctor and rule out certain conditions. Some females have the surgery for cosmetic reasons, which carries risks as with surgical procedures. When you consider the surgery, you should carefully choose your surgeon before going ahead.

References

Chalker, R. (2018). The clitoral truth. Seven Stories Press.

Kaefer, M., & Rink, R. C. (2017). Treatment of the enlarged clitoris. Frontiers in pediatrics, 5, 125.

Nguyen, J., & Duong, H. (2019). Anatomy, abdomen and pelvis, female external genitalia.

Norsigian, J. (2011). Our bodies, ourselves. Simon and Schuster.