The labia minora also known as the inner labia, inner lips, or nymphae, are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vagina

Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...

l opening, situated between the labia majora

Labia majora

The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the pudendal cleft, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the...

 (outer labia, or outer lips). Inner lips vary widely in size, colour, and shape from woman to woman.

The inner lips extend from the clitoris

Clitoris

The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina. Unlike the penis, which is homologous to the clitoris, the clitoris does not...

 obliquely downward, laterally, and backward on either side of the vulval vestibule

Vulval vestibule

The Vulval vestibule is a part of the vulva between the labia minora into which the urethral opening and the vaginal opening open...

, ending between the bottom of the vulval vestibule and the outer lips. The posterior ends (bottom) of the inner lips are usually joined across the middle line by a fold of skin, named the frenulum labiorum pudendi

Frenulum labiorum pudendi

In female human anatomy, the frenulum labiorum pudendi is a frenulum where the labia minora meet posteriorly.-Pathology:...

 or fourchette.

On the front, each lip divides into two portions. The upper part of each lip passes above the clitoris to meet the upper part of the other lip—which will probably be a little larger or smaller—forming a fold which overhangs the glans clitoridis; this fold is named the preputium clitoridis. The lower part passes beneath the glans clitoridis and becomes united to its under surface, forming, with the inner lip of the opposite side, the frenulum clitoridis

Frenulum clitoridis

The Frenulum clitoridis is a frenulum on the under-surface of the clitoral glans, created by the two medial parts of the labia minora.-External links:...

.

On the opposed surfaces of the labia minora are numerous sebaceous glands not associated with hair follicles.

Size and shape

In or around 2004, researchers from the Department of Gynaeology, Elizabeth Garret Anderson Hospital in London, measured the labia and other genital structures of 50 women from the age of 18 to 50, with a mean age of 35.6. The results were:

Measuring	Range	Mean [SD]
Clitoral Clitoris The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina. Unlike the penis, which is homologous to the clitoris, the clitoris does not...  length (mm)	5–35	19.1 [8.7]
Clitoral glans Clitoral glans The clitoral glans is an external portion of the clitoris.- Anatomy :It is covered by the clitoral hood, which is also external and attached to the labia minora...  width (mm)	3–10	5.5 [1.7]
Clitoris to urethra Urethra In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...  (mm)	16–45	28.5 [7.1]
Labia majora Labia majora The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the pudendal cleft, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the...  length (cm)	7.0–12.0	9.3 [1.3]
Labia minora Labia minora The labia minora , also known as the inner labia, inner lips, or nymphae, are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening, situated between the labia majora...  length (mm)	20–100	60.6 [17.2]
Labia minora width (mm)	7–50	21.8 [9.4]
Perineum Perineum In human anatomy, the perineum is a region of the body including the perineal body and surrounding structures...  length (mm)	15–55	31.3 [8.5]
Vaginal Vagina The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...  length (cm)	6.5–12.5	9.6 [1.5]
Tanner stage (n)	IV	4
ditto	V	46
Colour of genital area compared with surrounding skin (n)	Same	9
ditto	Darker	41
Rugosity Rugosity Rugosity, fr, is a measure of small-scale variations or amplitude in the height of a surface,f_r = A_r/A_gwhere Ar is the real surface area and Ag is the geometric surface area.... of labia (n)	Smooth	14
ditto	Moderate	34
ditto	Marked	2