Why taking care of your intimate health shouldn't be a luxury
The phrase 'designer vagina' makes intimate health procedures seem like a vanity exercise. It gives the impression that women are having surgery on their intimate area purely for aesthetic reasons, and this is a myth that intimate health specialist Dr. Shirin Lakhani of Elite Aesthetics wants to dispel.
"I work hard to stop people using the term 'designer vagina' as it is derogatory and misogynistic," she says. "It takes away from the wide variety of reasons women may seek treatment. Not to mention it is also technically incorrect. The correct term for the female genitalia is vulva. The vagina is the birth canal," Dr. Shirin adds.
She explains that the term 'designer vagina' traditionally referred to surgical procedures carried out to alter the appearance of the vulva, but intimate health procedures can also help with painful conditions including vaginal dryness, laxity and incontinence.
The misconception around intimate treatment goes so far as to put women off booking in for them, even when they're experiencing life-limiting symptoms as a result of intimate health issues, as Sarah Jones, 45, explains: "I didn't understand why anyone would have intimate rejuvenation. I assumed it was all about how it looked, and I didn't care about that. That was a misconception. The treatments are about functionality and improving quality of life."
Dr. Shirin, who treated Sarah, explains: "The vast majority of patients I see are looking for treatments for functional issues, but sadly the stigma surrounding intimate health, particularly for women, leads to many suffering in silence.
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"Women come to me for vaginal rejuvenation to be able to live life to the fullest, rather than simply wanting to improve how they look," she continues. "For some people, vaginal rejuvenation is about improving their sex life, for others it’s about treating vaginal atrophy, where thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls may occur as your body produced less oestrogen and for others, it’s about feeling more comfortable in their own skin.
"I have seen countless lives transformed as a result of these treatments, from the women with such severe incontinence that they were practically housebound before seeking treatment, to those who lost their confidence and ability to enjoy sexual intercourse during menopause."
Sarah shared how her intimate rejuvenation changed her life, after she suffered with incontinence for 18 months.
"For a year and a half felt like I needed to go to the toilet all the time. On car journeys, I had to stop frequently to use the loos and if I was on a train, I wanted to know where the toilet was and to sit as close to it as possible.
"When I needed the toilet it was urgent and I couldn't hold it. I also woke up around 4am every day to go, which was disturbing my sleep. It was hugely impacting my life and I had to plan my day around when I could visit toilets.
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"The discomfort of feeling like I needed the toilet all the time was really getting me down. It was impacting my sex life as I felt constantly uncomfortable.
"Vaginal rejuvenationmade a huge difference to my quality of life. The feeling of not having that discomfort all the time is brilliant. I had increased urinary control after the treatment.
“The first time I really noticed the difference was when I went to London for a work meeting. I live a few hours outside of London, so the journey is quite long. When I arrived at the station, I needed the toilet, but the queues were really long, and I had an appointment to get to. I was confident enough to leave the queue, wait for a taxi and travel to where I was going without visiting the toilet. Beforehand, I would have had to ask someone if I could go in front of them as there is no way I could have even held it in a queue that long.”
It's not about vanity
Intimate treatments are often perceived as unnecessary, but Dr. Shirin wants to reinforce that this is not true. "Your vagina is just as much a part of your body as your heart, lungs or brain - they all need to be looked after in order to keep healthy.
"Talking about vaginal treatments should be no different to talking about the treatments we have on our face. The reality is, as women age and experience pregnancy, childbirth and hormonal fluctuations, our vaginas change too. When taking care of your skin and your body, don’t neglect your vagina.
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"If you have something that is bothering you so much that it is affecting your self-esteem, then it is worth considering what treatments are out there that could resolve it."
Dr. Shirin believes that intimate treatments are considering a luxury is partly down to lack of availability. "Intimate treatments have not been prioritised by the NHS, so many of the procedures available to help women are only available privately, which makes them seen as luxuries that aren’t really needed.
"However, that doesn’t mean they are a luxury treatment. They are a very necessary option for those lucky enough to be able to pay for them. The improvement in quality of life reported by women who have undergone treatment is staggering."
Removing the stigma
Dr. Shirin is passionate about removing the stigma surrounding intimate treatments. "We can start by having open discussions, reminding women that issues including dryness, vaginal laxity and urinary incontinence are not things they have to put up with.
"To remove the stigma around vaginal treatments, we need to change conversations around women’s health in general. A recent report from the The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists showed that six in ten women are struggling with pelvic floor problems and are too embarrassed to seek help. That isn’t right- this is something women should be able to talk about.
"We need to make sure women are listened to and that they can talk to professionals about their symptoms and that they can use the correct language. The more we talk about vaginal treatments as a normal part of life, the easier it will slowly become to remove the stigma."
Intimate rejuvenation treatments: need to know
Not just about aesthetics, intimate treatments can help with several issues.
For incontinence: EmpowerRF
EmpowerRF combines radiofrequency and electrical muscle stimulation to help those who suffer from stress incontinence due to laxity. Post-treatment, you will experience reduced leaking during everyday activities such as sneezing or jumping
"The appearance of the vagina may also appear more youthful, with many commenting that their vagina ‘looked like it used to'," says Dr. Shirin.
"There are different elements to the treatment," explains Sarah, who had EmpowerRG. The V-tone is an anatomical-shaped applicator that goes inside the vagina. It provides intravaginal electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to rehabilitate weak pelvic floor muscles.
"You lie on the treatment couch with it inside for about half an hour. It is a strange sensation but not uncomfortable. I had a series of treatments over several weeks.
"I also had the Morpheus 8V treatment as part of EmpowerRF, which uses radiofrequency microneedling to improve laxity and helps with tightening to also address urinary frequency and urgency. It is a more uncomfortable treatment than the V-tone, but tolerable, especially as I had numbing cream for the second and third treatments."
For vaginismus: Botox
"Botox can be injected into the vagina under local anaesthesia to help with vaginismus, a medical condition that causes involuntary vaginal muscle spasm. Botox can also help vulvodynia, persistent pain in the vulva and pelvic floor issues," says Dr. Shirin.
For dryness: Hyaluronic acid filler
"Hyaluronic acid, contained in filler and found naturally in the body, can rejuvenate vaginal tissue by increasing the thickness of the vaginal walls, which can improve sexual function and dryness," says Dr. Shirin.
For total rejuvenation: Ultra Femme 360
"The Ultra Femme 360 can also be used to provide complete vaginal rejuvenation both internally and externally, including labial remodelling and vaginal tightening," says Dr. Shirin.
"It’s a fast and effective treatment for vaginal laxity, tissue quality and incontinence. By stimulating collagen growth and blood vessels and nerves we can effectively treat the symptoms that are often causing us to have less libido than we should have.
"My clients tell me that Ultra Femme restored their confidence. One woman, who was suffering with vaginal laxity after four vaginal births and also experiencing problems with her pelvic floor, said she would tell all ladies she knows to go for it.
"Some of these treatments may sound painful, but you will be given either a topical anaesthetic to numb the area or injected with anaesthetic so you will not feel it.
"Some find the intimate nature of the procedure a little daunting. If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to discuss them with your practitioner. There’s no need for embarrassment or feelings of anxiety.”
"Don’t feel embarrassed, and don’t panic or worry about anything because it’s not embarrassing. It’s your body, it’s your life. This procedure could make your life so much better."
