It’s not a subject that’s often talked about, but it’s something many women, and particularly those who have given birth or who are a little older, quietly cope with. The loosening of vaginal tissues can leave women prone to incontinence and dissatisfied with sexual intercourse. This condition can take a toll on a woman’s wellness and self-confidence, but you don’t have to struggle in silence. A non-invasive treatment called Votiva can tighten up those tissues in just a few easy appointments at Anazao MD in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Understanding Vaginal Looseness

Women often notice vaginal laxity, the medical term for loose vaginal tissue, after having children. Pregnancy, and particularly multiple pregnancies and deliveries that involve forceps, can stretch the pelvic muscles and the vaginal tissues. Menopause, hormonal changes, and the body’s natural aging process, all of which cause skin and tissue to become thinner and looser, also contribute to vaginal laxity.

Even though vaginal laxity can have a significant impact on a patient’s sexual experience and overall well-being, it frequently goes unreported and isn’t always treated. There’s no specific test for vaginal laxity, but your physician can diagnose it by talking with you about your medical history and conducting a routine exam.

What Are the Symptoms of Vaginal Looseness?

Women experiencing laxity frequently report less satisfying intercourse because they’re unable to feel as much friction in the vaginal area. The looseness may also make you more prone to incontinence, including leaking when you sneeze, cough, or jump.

In addition, patients may feel dryness and a general looseness in the vaginal area. They may notice, for example, that tampons tend to slip out of place. For some patients, the vulva area may also take on a loose or stretched out appearance.

How Votiva Can Help

Simply put, Votiva vaginal rejuvenation uses radiofrequency to tighten the internal and external tissues in the vaginal area. During your treatment, a handheld device will be used to heat vaginal tissues in a way that encourages the development of collagen and elastin. Over time, that additional collagen production firms up and rejuvenates the tissue. Anesthesia is not needed for this treatment, which is comparable to your annual gynecological exam and lasts less than an hour. There’s also no downtime, which means you’ll be able to get right back to your regular schedule.

Will This Help Internal or External Tissues?

One of the great things about Votiva feminine rejuvenation treatment is that it can help tighten up both the inside of the vagina as well as the external part of the genital area. in fact, this treatment has two different technologies that can be used: FormaV and FractoraV. FormaV focuses on the internal tissues, while FractoraV addresses external tissues.

What Does Treatment Feel Like?

This is a gentle treatment, and aside from a warm sensation, you’ll feel no discomfort during your appointment. If the external tissues are being treated, we’ll first apply a topical numbing cream to make sure you are comfortable.

How Soon Will I See Results?

For the best results, patients often undergo a series of two or three treatments, each of which is spaced several weeks apart. You’ll notice improvement after your very first appointment, and because it can take several months for the collagen to fully generate, you’ll continue to see improvement even after your final treatment. The results of this treatment are long-lasting, but because the body is constantly aging and evolving, it’s not a permanent solution. Most patients maintain their results by returning every year or so for followup treatment.

Can I Have This Treatment if I’m Not Done Bearing Children?

Yes. You can undergo this treatment even if you’re planning to have more children.

Is It Safe?

This radiofrequency-based treatment has FDA approval and has been safely used on patients all over the country. The devices used in this treatment are also equipped with an important safety feature. They are equipped with a sensor and are designed to cut off if the temperature gets too high, ensuring that the delicate skin being treated never gets too hot.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

Because this treatment is non-surgical, it’s suitable for a wide range of patients. If you are struggling with vaginal laxity or any of its symptoms–from decreased sexual satisfaction to incontinence–this innovative radiofrequency treatment may be able to help. It can be used to treat adult women at every stage of life. We can design an individualized treatment plan for you that may involve FormaV technology, FractoraV technology, or a combination of the two.

The surest way to determine if this is the treatment for you is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jeanne Fitzsimmons. During your consultation, Dr. Jeanne will review your medical history and talk with you about your concerns. She’ll work with you to determine if this treatment will best address your needs.

What Benefits Are Associated With This Treatment?

This treatment works in a number of ways to boost a woman’s comfort, confidence, and sexual satisfaction. Here are some of the benefits this radiofrequency treatment offers:

Improved Sexual Satisfaction

A satisfying sexual relationship with your partner is important to your overall health and wellbeing. Too often, women feel discomfort or even pain during intercourse, particularly as their bodies age. Once you’ve undergone this treatment, intercourse will once again be something you and your partner enjoy and look forward to. The vaginal tissues will be tightened and blood flow to the area will be greater. The vaginal area will be more sensitive, sensations will be greater, and you’ll no longer experience pain with intercourse.

No More Leaks

Do you experience occasional leaks when you cough, jump, squat, laugh, or suddenly contract your muscles in another way? Have you gotten into the habit of frequently wearing absorbable pads, just so you have a backup? This type of leakage–called stress urinary incontinence–is very common, particularly as a woman ages. By tightening the vaginal muscles, this treatment gives you better control, and you won’t have to worry about those embarrassing leaks. You’ll feel comfortable being more active, whether that means chasing after your grandchildren on the front lawn or attending a fitness class at your gym.

Enhanced Comfort

After you’ve undergone this treatment, you’ll be amazed at how much more physically comfortable you’ll feel. Muscles in the vaginal area will be tighter, and the additional collagen your body is producing will improve your natural lubrication. If you currently struggle with vaginal dryness and itching, which is common in post-menopausal women, this treatment can help address that. Many women coping with dryness turn to suppositories or medications, which can sometimes help. But this radiofrequency-based treatment offers effective and long-lasting relief for vaginal dryness and itching.

Improved Appearance of the Vulva

Some women are bothered by wrinkling and looseness that can develop in the vulva area, particularly after several pregnancies. Weight fluctuations and menopause can also change the appearance of the vulva. Although these types of cosmetic changes are not usually a cause for medical concern, patients may be embarrassed by them and sometimes feel self-conscious about their bodies during sexual intercourse. By tightening and rejuvenating the vaginal tissues, this treatment can help patients feel better about their bodies and more comfortable in the bedroom.

How This Treatment Compares to Other Approaches to Vaginal Rejuvenation

This treatment is one of a number of non-invasive vaginal rejuvenation techniques that work in various ways to tighten, firm, and smooth tissues in the area by jumpstarting the body’s own collagen production. These treatments are popular as a group because of the benefits they offer and the fact that they involve easy, convenient appointments that require little downtime.

Some, like Votiva, rely on the gentle heat associated with radiofrequency energy. Others use laser energy pulses to spur rejuvenation. Here’s how this treatment compares with a laser-based technique called MonaLisa Touch and another radiofrequency-based system called ThermiVa.

MonaLisa Touch

MonaLisa Touch is a non-invasive treatment that spurs the body’s natural rejuvenation process. But instead of using heat associated with radiofrequency energy, Mona Lisa Touch uses light-based laser energy pulses to trigger collagen production and new blood vessels in the interior and exterior of the vagina. For best results, patients undergoing Mona Lisa Touch often schedule about three sessions that are roughly six weeks apart. But MonaLisa Touch is different in some key ways.

While Mona Lisa Touch can effectively resolve vaginal dryness, it’s not an ideal treatment for loose muscles and the incontinence that sometimes results. And unlike Votiva, the technology that Mona Lisa Touch is administered with does not automatically turn off if the temperature gets too high.

ThermiVa

The technology behind ThermiVa is very similar to Votiva. Both treatments harness the heat associated with radiofrequency energy to spur collagen production and tissue rejuvenation in the vaginal area. ThermiVa uses a wand with a small electrode plate, while Votiva relies on bipolar devices.

There are differences in the two treatments, though. ThermiVa distributes energy in a less focused and controlled way. Votiva, because it closely monitors treatment temperatures and shuts off if they get too high, tends to be a safer and more effective treatment that takes less time.

What Other Options Do I Have?

Radiofrequency and laser-based vaginal rejuvenation treatments offer a nice combination of convenience and effectiveness. But patients do have other options. A surgical procedure called vaginoplasty is also an effective approach to vaginal tightening, and pelvic exercises are sometimes recommended to patients.

Surgery

Vaginoplasty is an effective way of resolving vaginal laxity, but not every patient is able to commit to this procedure, which involves the removal of excess skin inside the vagina and the surgical tightening of tissues. Vaginoplasty is performed under anesthesia and usually requires one to two weeks of recovery.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Some patients try pelvic floor exercises, which are also sometimes referred to as Kegel exercises. These exercises work to strengthen the pelvic floor: the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, small intestine, and rectum. Strengthening these muscles can also help resolve incontinence and other issues. In fact, these exercises work well in combination with Votiva, which does not address muscle tone in the pelvis on its own.

It’s Time to Try Vaginal Rejuvenation

Declining sexual satisfaction, incontinence, dryness, and itching don’t have to be a part of aging. Vaginal rejuvenation is a fast, easy, and non-invasive treatment that can allow you to get back to enjoying life. Patients who have undergone this treatment often wonder why they waited so long to try it! Call Anazao MD in Steamboat Springs, CO, today and schedule a Votiva consultation.