Feminine Rejuvenation in 2022 Is A Complete Life Changer. Here’s Why.

Many of my female friends who are in their early thirties all share the same worry: how will my body change after giving birth naturally?

Even in 2022, I find that many ladies aren’t very familiar with what rejuvenation of our feminine parts actually is. Feminine rejuvenation refers to a few corrective procedures suited for women who have given birth or are approaching menopause. These women suffer from conditions including:

• Laxity of the canal
• Urinary incontinence
• Inability to lubricate

As a female doctor, I understand that there are many psychological drawbacks when it comes to going for a procedure like feminine rejuvenation. The same can be said for areola or privates whitening procedures. Women who have given birth multiple times would often rather accept the reduction of quality in their sex life rather than consider that they might need a procedure like this.

Given the social stigma associated with a women’s sexuality, laxity in our feminine parts is an incredibly underreported problem. It is historically not recognized as a “treatable condition” and clinical papers and research on the topic are far and few between. However, recent studies ₍₂₎ have shown that up to 48% of surveyed women suffer from a degree of laxity in our feminine parts that negatively affects their overall quality of life.

As ladies, the nagging feeling that our appeal has faded can be a huge burden to bear. Some of my friends who are young mothers can definitely relate; many of them harbour the feeling that their sex lives have slowed down and they are no longer as confident with their bodies as once before.

Ladies, this doesn’t need to be the case.

The Fotona IntimaLase treatment makes use of a specialized and 2940nm Er:YAG laser technology called Fotona SMOOTH_® which is engineered to deliver a set of specially composed laser energy pulses specifically to the mucosa tissue.

These pulses of non-ablative laser energy are tuned in order to induce a thermal effect within the tissue, which stimulates both collagen remodelling as well as triggering the growth of new collagen fibers. This triggers collagen neogenesis and the end result is a tightening of the feminine canal.

What Sort of Results Can I Expect?

One would imagine that in order to effect a significant change in physiology, this would require months and months of expensive treatments. However, clinical studies on women who only underwent a single treatment of Fotona IntimaLase came back with the following statistic ₍₁₎:

Immediate Results Are Great. But What About the Long Term Effects

It’s easy to fawn over positive statistics for 1 to 3 month long treatments – but that’s not exactly our end goal for ladies undergoing this procedure. What we want is a safe, sustainable and holistic improvement to the physical and mental well-being of ladies who have had their confidence in their sexuality shaken due to pregnancy or menopause.

In 2016, a study was conducted where interviews were conducted with patients at the 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36-month follow ups post-treatment. ₍₃₎ Most patients who had undergone the treatment reported that the positive effects lasted upwards of 16 months, with none reporting any major adverse effects. More than 83% of the patients reported that they would be willing to repeat the therapy – it was concluded that only two treatments (with a maintenance session 8 months after) were needed in order to obtain a substantial improvement in tightness.

Immediate Results Are Great. But What About the Long Term Effects

It’s easy to fawn over positive statistics for 1 to 3 month long treatments – but that’s not exactly our end goal for ladies undergoing this procedure. What we want is a safe, sustainable and holistic improvement to the physical and mental well-being of ladies who have had their confidence in their sexuality shaken due to pregnancy or menopause.

In 2016, a study was conducted where interviews were conducted with patients at the 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36-month follow ups post-treatment. ₍₃₎ Most patients who had undergone the treatment reported that the positive effects lasted upwards of 16 months, with none reporting any major adverse effects. More than 83% of the patients reported that they would be willing to repeat the therapy – it was concluded that only two treatments (with a maintenance session 8 months after) were needed in order to obtain a substantial improvement in tightness.

Previously, some gynaecologists and aesthetic doctors would use radiofrequency technology (e.g. ThermiVa, Viveve) for women suffering from feminine parts relaxation syndrome. ₍₄₎ However, due to the issues with social stigma I previously mentioned, there have been relatively few extensive studies have been conducted on the safety and efficacy of such methods.

Currently, there isn’t any radiofrequency device on the market that’s cleared by the US FDA for feminine rejuvenation. Over the last decade, many brands were accused of deceptive marketing and the US FDA raised concerns about the medical integrity of such devices. Hence, I was hesitant to offer these treatments to my patients.

Only in recent years did the practice of using a non-ablative laser technology like Fotona IntimaLase really gain in traction and popularity. Studies specific to the Fotona SMOOTH_® technology were also published, allowing me and many other doctors to gain confidence in its efficacy and safety when offering this treatment to my patients ₍₅₎.

Personally, I prefer to use a non-ablative laser technology over radiofrequency due to:

• Better side effect profile
• More studies supporting its safety and efficacy
• RF technology requires a manual repetitive “in-out” motion, which can be embarrassing to some ladies, compared to the 360° nature of the Fotona IntimaLase
• Fewer treatments required for the same results

For all ladies who have given birth or are in or approaching menopause, I know it isn’t easy to overcome the mental barrier of going for an intimate laser treatment for your feminine parts. In fact, many of my friends still have reservations even after I educate them about the efficacy of such treatments.

A women’s intimate parts are very much linked to their sense of femininity and self-esteem and making the decision to treat them is definitely an extremely challenging one.