Vaginal Rejuvenation

We’re a strange nation. We celebrate the ‘perfect’ model look while, at the same time, vilifying those who indulge in cosmetic treatments for areas of the body less obvious. Facial aesthetics – Botox, dermal fillers and the like – along with more invasive treatments, such as boob jobs and butt lifts and so on are now very much mainstream procedures.

These treatments are increasingly within many people’s financial reach and are an everyday part of the makeover process, alongside hair restyling, eyebrow tinting, pedicures, manicures and facials.

Creating a better, enhanced version of us is on the tick list for many Brits. A recent survey revealed women alone spend on average £70k-plus on their appearance in their lifetime, with £33k-plus on their face alone.

Women happily invest in their looks and this includes minor cosmetic procedures to help look and feel good, with 23% saying they would consider cosmetic surgery to help maintain a youthful appearance and 67% looking for non-invasive treatments.

With tweaks and enhancements on less obvious parts of our bodies very much the ‘next big thing’, nowhere has proved more controversial than vaginal rejuvenation.

The trend for celebrities to share their most intimate cosmetic procedures on Instagram, YouTube and in TV interviews – TOWIE’s Gemma Collins, Sinitta, and Danniella Westbook to name but a few – has not only raised eyebrows, it’s spiked interest as well.

The media frenzy that surrounds vaginal rejuvenation procedures is, to say the least, a little off target.

While the surgery itself is growing in popularity, some news outlets would have us believe it’s all about achieving a ‘porn star’ look of so-called ‘perfection’ for many women.

The reality is that it is often be more to do with comfort and function than any aesthetic desire to ‘tidy up’ down there.

The psychological, medical and functional reasons for vaginal rejuvenation tend to get conveniently forgotten in the race for a headline-grabbing story.

Comparethetreatment expert, plastic surgeon Angelica Kavouni, supports this. She says: 'For most women, it is an issue of comfort. It's not about body image; it has more to do with quality of life.’

So, what are the reasons for seeking vaginal surgery?

They can include:

Chafing

Discomfort during sex

Awkwardness playing sport – swimming or cycling, for example

Restrictions with tight-fitting or revealing clothes

Restraints re: intimate relationships.

As with any treatments, plastic surgeons advise that we think carefully about the implications of surgery and the reasons why we are seeking it.

But, vaginal rejuvenation procedures are no longer restricted to facing the knife.

Here, we run through the options for that intimate and rejuvenating ‘lift’…

Labiaplasty

A fairly new procedure, like Marmite, surgeons either love it or hate it but the stigma surrounding this elective surgery is beginning to cease.

Mostly, the controversy is in the ‘why’ patients choose to undergo a labiaplasty. If it is to perfect the aesthetics, then is this acceptable when there is no such thing as a ‘normal looking’ vagina?

Additionally, age matters – and plastic surgeons are keen to educate us on what to expect our intimate parts to look like – for example, the inner lips of a vagina can become more prominent than the outer lips throughout adolescence and in our younger years.

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that more than 95,000 women worldwide underwent the procedure in 2015.

The treatment trims lips to improve comfort and confidence with ageing and childbirth can lead to problems and defects with enlarged or elongated labia.

When combined with vaginoplasty, this procedure may also be known as vaginal rejuvenation.

Labia puffing

This non-surgical labiaplasty involves injecting fat from other areas of the body (inner thighs or stomach) to boost volume, remove creases and adds elasticity to improve defects caused by ageing, dehydration, lack of oestrogen, therefore creating a softer appearance.

vSculpt

Launched as an aid to poor bladder control, this ‘wand’ regenerates vaginal tissue, thereby strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, improving sensation and alleviating painful sex.

The combination of light energy from red and infrared light-emitting diodes, thermal heat and therapeutic vibration rebuilds collagen to tighten tissue.

This at-home medical device was only launched in the UK this month in a bid to ‘help women take control of their health’.

It has a stack of evidence to support its efficacy and promised results if used 10 minutes every other day for 45 days.

ThermiVa

Seen on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, this non-surgical procedure uses radio frequency energy emitted from a probe that gently heats tissue to rejuvenate collagen. It makes for a tighter vagina – hence its rather incongruous nickname – a ‘vaginal facelift’.

You will need two to three treatments (30-45 minutes a piece) and the results last a year.

Remember, female genitalia comes in all different shapes and sizes but, if you are looking to enhance yours for whatever reason, why not browse our treatment options or speak to one of our experts.
Ask our Expert Angelica Kavouni a question