Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation
What is it?
Also known as aesthetic genital plastic surgery, vaginal rejuvenation is a broad term for vaginal corrective treatments. These procedures include labiaplasty, clitoral hood reduction, labia majoraplasty, monsplasty and vaginoplasty.
These procedures can be done for cosmetic reasons or to solve age-related problems and reduce discomfort, such as lack of vaginal tightness and urinary incontinence.
Vaginoplasty
What is a vaginoplasty?
Vaginoplasty, also known as posterior colporrhaphy, is a procedure designed to tighten the vagina. This may be performed after childbirth since most women may notice vaginal laxity after child bearing.
Reasons patients want a vaginoplasty
After childbirth, women may complain of vaginal laxity, resulting from stretching of tissues and separating of muscles, sometimes to the point that a tampon falls out, and this lack of tone can contribute to sexual dysfunction.
Labiaplasty
What is it?
Labiaplasty, is plastic surgery on the labia (the “lips' ' surrounding the vagina) that can be performed on the labia major (the larger, outer vaginal lips), or the labia minor (the smaller, inner vaginal lips). It is the most commonly performed aesthetic genital plastic surgery and it can relieve symptoms women experience from twisting and tugging of the labia by typically making them smaller or correcting an asymmetry between them.
Reasons patients want a labiaplasty
Women opt for surgery for a variety of reasons, including pain from twisting and tugging of the labia when riding a bike or during intercourse, itching, irritation and self-consciousness.
What does a labiaplasty do?
The goal of the procedure is to reduce the labia minora so that they don't hang below the hair-bearing labia majora. A labiaplasty may be performed to reduce asymmetry when one is longer than the other, or, more commonly, to reduce the length of both labia so that the labia no longer twist, tug or fall out of a bathing suit.
Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation
Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation involves two common methods. One is using radio frequency and the other using the laser. They are known as energy-based treatments. Both radiofrequency and laser options heat the tissues, which affects the formation of collagen. It was found that cooling, along with radiofrequency, leads to the tightening of the vagina. The alternate laser use heats the vaginal tissues and tightens them too.
Energy-based treatments provide a nonsurgical option for vaginal rejuvenation.
Radio Frequency – Radiofrequency or RF treatments use electromagnetic waves. These are similar to waves produced in a microwave. These waves are, to a lesser extent, in an RF treatment, and the energy is focused to heat the tissue. Some brands that offer RF devices are – ThermiVa and Viveve.
CO2 Laser – In CO2 laser treatment, a wand is inserted. This wand heats up the tissue in the vagina. The tissue in the lower layers are forced to make more collagen and make the skin firm and tight. Brands that offer the laser device are – FemTouch, MonaLisa Touch, and FemiLift.
What does an energy-based treatment for vaginal rejuvenation involve?
Both types of treatment use heat. The device uses the energy to heat up the top layers of the tissue. When the tissue is heated, the underlying layers of tissue create extra collagen to help heal the area. By damaging the top layers of tissue, the lower layers make new and firmer tissue.
