Vaginal Rejuvenation - Is it only cosmetic or are there any other benefits?
A little recap on vaginal rejuvenation
Vaginal rejuvenation includes both surgical and non surgical procedures that not just work on making the appearance of the vagina better but also improve the functionality of the vagina and the parts in the abdominal area. With age and childbirth, a woman’s vagina loses its original shape, elasticity and firmness. Vaginal rejuvenation procedures aim to bring back the previous state of the vagina.
Surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures include vaginoplasty that involves tightening the muscles and tissues in and around the vagina along with correcting the shape of it. Some procedures also include fixing the damage that occurred to the perineum area due to childbirth. Non surgical procedures mostly use laser or ultrasound (energy based) devices to stimulate the production of collagen and tighten the muscles. Filler injections are also used to achieve certain results.
The common belief is that vaginal rejuvenation is a cosmetic procedure and most women don’t need it. However, one should know that the process of fixing the vagina and the surrounding muscles and tissues also help in treating certain medical conditions faced by women including:
- Incontinence
- Prolapse (Bladder, Rectal, Uterus)
- Damage to the perineum area
Incontinence
Incontinence is a condition (mostly seen in women) where there is no control over the bladder or stool. Urine leaks out when you cough, sneeze or even lift a little heavy weight that can put a little pressure on your abdomen. Some women may see their faecal matter leak. Incontinence is caused due to the weakening of muscles in the abdominal area and there are several factors that can cause the muscles to tear and/or weaken.
What causes incontinence?
- Childbirth – Pregnancy and childbirth put a lot of pressure on a woman’s pelvis and the muscles in the area. The muscles and tissues in the area stretch to a great extent in a short span of time, tearing them. Childbirth is the most painful part where several muscles literally tear to deliver the child.
- Menopause (and age) – With age, the production of estrogen reduces in women which inturn can weaken the muscles (in the whole body and also the pelvis region).
- Surgery and medical conditions – A surgery in the abdominal area involves cutting through the tissue and muscles to fix the inner organs. Though the muscles heal and get back to their normal condition, they may not be as strong as before. Certain medical conditions may be treated with diuretics that can cause urine leakage too.
How can vaginal rejuvenation help treat incontinence conditions?
Some processes in vaginal rejuvenation, either surgical or non surgical, aim at tightening the muscles in and around the vagina. Though the intent of the surgery is to improve the appearance of the vagina aesthetically, repairing the internal weak muscles gives a better and longer lasting outcome. As the muscles around the vagina are tightened, they get a better hold on controlling the bladder movement and thus help in managing incontinence.
Prolapse
Prolapse is the condition when the organs in the pelvis region drop – literally. The uterus may drop through the vagina (uterine prolapse), the bladder may drop (bladder prolapse) or in some cases, the rectum may also drop through the anus (rectal prolapse). Any prolapse occurs when the muscles and tissues around those organs become too weak to hold them in place.
What causes prolapse?
Again, the conditions and reasons are similar to that of incontinence – weaker muscles that can be caused due to pregnancy, childbirth (multiple childbirths make things worse), ageing, surgery, medicines or other medical conditions.
Does vaginal rejuvenation help in treating prolapse conditions?
Vaginal rejuvenation procedures do not treat prolapse conditions totally. There are other procedures and treatments targeted towards treating the condition. However, the muscles and tissue tightening through surgical methods especially, can help in managing prolapse.
In surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures, the tissues inside the abdomen are pulled together and sutured to get the firmness in the area. This helps bring back the strength lost by the muscles to an extent. Once healed, your cosmetic gynaecologist will suggest some exercises to keep up the strength of these abdominal muscles so that the effects of the surgery will last longer.
Damage to the perineum area
“Only a woman would know how painful it is to deliver a baby through the vagina. In many cases, I have seen women whose vagina is torn very badly and even the perineum is torn to an extent where we have to stitch up the area.” says Dr. Deepa Ganesh, one of the most sought after cosmetic gynaecologists in Chennai, South India.
Many men complain that they are not able to enjoy sex with their partners after child delivery like they used to do before. This is because of the weakened vaginal and perineum areas which fail to give the same kind of grip and firmness during sex. This is a very common complaint. Some women try to get the shape and strength of their vagina back through vaginal rejuvenation while some let it stay the natural way.
As the muscles and tissues in the vaginal and perineum region are tightened (either using laser or ultrasound frequencies or through a surgery), their sex experience can return to near previous levels and help in building a tighter bond between the couple. If you, as a woman are scared of undergoing a surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedure, there are multiple other options that don’t take much time but can show significant improvement in the appearance and functioning of the vagina.
