We’re very open about talking about certain signs of aging or changes in our bodies, but there are a few more personal issues that some women may find embarrassing to talk about but which are causing them great discomfort and/or embarrassment. If you’re suffering from vaginal changes that are affecting the quality of your life, call Persona Med Spa in Houston, TX and ask about vaginal rejuvenation.
What Is Vaginal Rejuvenation?
Vaginal rejuvenation is a way to treat various changes to the vaginal walls, canal and pelvic floor as well as treating the aesthetic of the vulva. Femme 360 is a type of vaginal rejuvenation that doesn’t require surgery, is minimally invasive and doesn’t require any downtime.
What Does Vaginal Rejuvenation Treat?
As a woman ages or experiences hormonal changes, the condition of her vaginal tissue can change. She may experience vaginal tissue laxity or not feeling as “tight” in the area anymore. A woman, after menopause, in particular, can experience vaginal dryness that can be uncomfortable and make intercourse painful.
Other issues addressed through this treatment include:
- A weakening of pelvic floor muscles
- Stress incontinence
- Reduce sexual pleasure
- Changes in the external appearance of the vulva
What Causes Vaginal Changes?
There are several big factors that can cause changes in a woman’s vaginal tissue. The two main causes are childbirth and menopause.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy starts a pretty big change in women. As they carry a baby, their volume of blood increases significantly to support the baby and the mother. This can cause the vaginal tissue and vulva to swell. This swelling can last for months and can add to the stress the vaginal tissue goes through during this time of life.
Varicose veins can appear in the vaginal area. Varicose veins are caused when the valve each one of our veins has to keep blood flowing in one direction becomes faulty and allows blood to pool in the vein. Most of these veins will resolve themselves after childbirth, but this highlights the amount of pressure that’s put on the area during pregnancy.
Childbirth
So much happens during childbirth that there isn’t just one factor in the vaginal changes it causes. First, the cervix, which forms a passage at the bottom of the uterus, has to dilate 10 centimeters. Once the dilation occurs, the baby can be pushed through the vaginal canal.
As the baby travels, it is pushed along by muscles on the pelvic floor. Sometimes these muscles can stretch to three times their normal size. Once the baby gets to the vaginal opening, the tissue will stretch as far as it can, but sometimes it needs to stretch past its limit, in which case the doctor will form an episiotomy. An episiotomy involves cutting the tissue from the opening of the vagina to the perineum to prevent the skin from ripping.
After Childbirth
The vagina is a resilient area and will go back to its original shape after most births. That said, many women report never really feeling the same, saying sex isn’t as enjoyable, and some suffer from stress incontinence. These symptoms can be worse after giving birth to multiple children.
Menopause
The other big life event that really takes a toll on the vagina and vaginal tissues is menopause. The drastic decline in hormones causes vaginal walls to thin and become lax or atrophied. This leads to the body not producing natural lubrication and stress incontinence getting worse as pelvic floor muscles lose strength.
Natural Aging Issues
Collagen
Collagen is a strong, fibrous protein that acts like the glue keeping all of our skin cells strong and tight. We hear about collagen all the time as it relates to the skin on our faces, but it’s the same everywhere on our bodies. When we’re young, collagen ensures our skin is smooth and taut and its cells regenerate into healthy new ones.
Collagen works like a strong foundation under the surface of our skin, giving the outer layer something firm to adhere to. When we’re young, we have an abundance of collagen, and it works hand in hand with elastin and hyaluronic acid.
Elastin
Elastin allows our tissues and skin to be flexible while still snapping back to place. This helps the vaginal tissue regain its shape after intercourse and childbirth. As we age, our collagen production declines, and with it goes our elastin.
Hyaluronic Acid
Able to hold 1000 times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid is a naturally produced sugar our body uses to keep the skin and connective tissues lubricated and hydrated. Because this sugar works with the proteins collagen and elastin, when their levels taper off, so does this hydrating powerhouse.
Decline In Collagen Production
Over time, and starting in our early 20s, we lose about 1% in collagen production each year. When a woman hits menopause, she can lose another 30%. When she loses that much collagen, the foundation that was keeping her vaginal walls in place and tight can weaken significantly. When this happens, the tissues thin and the mucosa cells that produce natural lubrication stop functioning properly.
When collagen declines, elastin does too, which can lead to even more laxity in the vaginal walls and even a dropping of the exterior vulva. Women can become embarrassed by the aesthetic of their labia changes, as this area can elongate or become uneven. This can make wearing certain clothes or doing certain exercises uncomfortable.
Weaker Muscles
When collagen declines, the muscles on the pelvic floor can become weakened. This can make having an orgasm difficult because those are the same muscles that were stretched during childbirth. A weakening in these muscles can also lead to stress incontinence.
If a woman has mild bladder leakage when she laughs, coughs or exercises, this could be because of childbirth of the loss of collagen menopause can bring.
Psychological Symptoms of Vaginal Decline
The physical symptoms can sometimes lead to negative emotional symptoms if left untreated. If sex is painful, uncomfortable or unenjoyable, or a woman is embarrassed by the aesthetics of her vaginal area, she may withdraw from intimate contact, leaving her disconnected and isolated.
Stress incontinence can leave women in a state of social anxiety that’s hard to overcome. It’s important for a woman to feel empowered enough to speak to her doctor and ask for treatment.
Luckily, innovation in women’s health has come a long way. It used to be that women had to learn to live with these symptoms or undergo invasive surgery. Now there is an effective, non-surgical choice that is giving women back their quality of life. It’s called Femme 360 vaginal rejuvenation.
How Does Vaginal Rejuvenation Work?
This treatment uses radiofrequency that turns to thermal energy. This energy targets old collagen and disrupts it, forcing the body to produce more and healthier collagen and elastin fibers. This radiofrequency treatment device comes with two attachments–one each for internal and external treatment.
The first attachment works to rejuvenate the outside, labial area, and another attachment treats the vaginal walls and canal. Both areas can be done in the same treatment. When the targeted area is treated, new collagen and elastin are made and blood flow is increased in the area.
Rebuilding
As collagen rebuilds a stronger foundation, the woman will start to feel tighter and stronger. The collagen will also build up healthy mucosa cells so her natural lubrication will increase. The entire area will have a more youthful feel, appearance, and function. Other results seen from treatment include:
- Plumping of the labia majora
- Firming and lifting of the labia minora
- Tightening of the vaginal canal
- Tightening of the perineum
- Increased blood flow to the clitoris
- Decrease in stress continence
- Increase in natural lubrication
- Decrease in itching and burning
Increased blood flow to the area has been shown to increase the libido of clients as does the increased sensation during intercourse.
What to Expect
You’ll have a consultation with your doctor to go over all your symptoms and the results you’d like to make sure this is the right treatment for you. Once you’ve decided vaginal rejuvenation is the right option, you’ll make an appointment with just a few pre-treatment instructions.
Pre-Treatment
You’ll need to have had a gynecological exam within the last year with normal results. Drink plenty of water two days prior to treatment. Avoid caffeine and other diuretics for 24 hours before your appointment.
Make sure the treatment area is shaved before your appointment.
Your Appointment
The number one goal is to make you feel as comfortable as possible. If you’re having both internal and external treatment, a water-based gel will be smoothed over the skin of the labial area. The handpiece will be moved around as radiofrequency pulses are delivered to the treatment area.
A different attachment will be placed on the device to treat the vaginal canal. This process is comfortable. Clients describe it as feeling a spreading warmth but without pain. Your appointment will last about 45 minutes.
Post-Treatment
After your session, you are free to go back to work and your normal routine. There is no downtime. 30 minutes of very light activity is beneficial within 12 hours of treatment. Refrain from intercourse for a week after the treatment. To ensure optimal results, avoid:
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Poor hydration
Results
You’ll notice an immediate tightening. This is because blood flow has been increased to the area. Remember, your body is producing more collagen and elastin, so your results will continue to improve over the next few weeks. As collagen rebuilds, you’ll notice your body will produce more natural lubrication.
The recommended course of treatment is three to four sessions spaced two weeks apart. Once you’ve achieved the results you want, ask your doctor how often you should receive treatment to maintain your results.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
If you’re experiencing negative vaginal changes that are affecting your quality of life, no matter how small, this is a great option to consider. Only your doctor can determine if this is the right treatment for you and your areas of concern. Women in good health who are looking to restore vitality and youthfulness to their vaginal area and function are great candidates!
Call for a Life-Changing Appointment
If vaginal changes are decreasing the pleasure you get out of life, you don’t have to deal with it or find a temporary workaround. You can have real, long-lasting results.
Call Persona Med Spa in Houston, TX and schedule your consultation to talk about this transformative treatment. We’re dedicated to empowering women to take control of their sexual and vaginal health by giving them the highest level of compassionate service while providing them with amazing and life-changing results.
