Although some types of non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation are effective, pain-free, and can be continued at home after initial consultation with a specialized healthcare provider, other types can cause discomfort and require professional administration, while results vary, and ongoing clinic treatments are necessary for best results.
What Is Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation?
Non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation involves treatments, exercises, or procedures to improve vaginal tightness, function, sexual pleasure, and overall comfort without surgery.
Symptoms that often encourage women to consider non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation typically include vaginal laxity or looseness, vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, and reduced sensations or pleasure during intercourse. These types of symptoms can occur due to childbirth, weight fluctuations, menopause, pelvic surgeries, or radiation treatments.
Deciding which non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatment is best for you largely depends on your symptoms, wallet, pain threshold, and the amount of time you are willing to invest in your vaginal health.
Which Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation Options Work?
When vaginal looseness, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, pain during sex, or a lack of sexual pleasure occurs, non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation can help restore vaginal function, tone, and pleasure.
The following treatment options are well-established, safe, and proven effective through extensive research. They are typically pain-free aside from some muscle fatigue and can be performed at home following initial instruction.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
When suffering from symptoms of vaginal laxity, consulting a pelvic physical therapist is the best place to start. Often, the right pelvic floor exercises can improve the strength and coordination of the pelvic muscles, tissues, ligaments, and tendons, thus providing better support for a healthy and functioning vagina.
While pelvic physical therapy is typically painless, overexertion or performing exercises incorrectly could cause discomfort. It’s therefore recommended to schedule an initial consultation with a pelvic physical therapist for guidance, continue your treatment at home, and plan a follow-up appointment or two to track your progress.
If you can’t find a pelvic physical therapist in your area, don’t have the time for an appointment during regular hours, or feel too embarrassed to speak about vaginal laxity to a healthcare provider in your community, Intimate Rose offers online pelvic physical therapy that includes a free assessment, video-call instruction, and follow-ups for advancement.
Kegel Weights
Kegels are exercises that involve voluntary, repeated, and controlled contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. Performing them correctly can not only help retighten the vagina after childbirth or menopause, but can also ease bladder leaks, alleviate pelvic prolapse, encourage natural lubrication to relieve vaginal dryness, and improve sexual sensation & pleasure.
Just as you add weights to strengthen muscles in your arms or legs, you can also add weights to your Kegel exercises for stronger pelvic floor muscles.
Sold in sets of increasing heaviness to help you perform Kegels correctly and effectively, Kegel Weights are shaped like a weighted tampon. Although beginners can experience minor muscle fatigue, Kegel weights are a pain-free form of non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation. They are easily inserted into the vagina with the help of a water-based lubricant, and the attached cord makes for easy removal.
Once inserted, the pelvic floor muscles contract to hold the Kegel Weight in place, while users perform Kegel exercises, squats, lunges, take a shower, or do light household chores. Using Kegel weights for 5-15 minutes every other day provides benefits within 4-6 weeks, and continuing 2-3 times per week afterward will sustain your pelvic floor health well into your elder years.
Made with a body-safe, medical-grade silicone outer coating that feels velvety soft against the vaginal walls, our silicone Kegel Weights are the #1 recommendation by pelvic physical therapists and pelvic health experts worldwide.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
EMS devices provide gentle electrical currents to stimulate and tone weak pelvic floor muscles, and regular use has been found to strengthen the pelvic floor. However, to improve vaginal laxity, bladder leaks, and sexual sensation, EMS is typically combined with pelvic physical therapy and pelvic floor exercises like Kegels. Similar to any muscle training, ongoing maintenance is recommended to sustain results. Home EMS kits are also available but should only be used for continued care and after guidance from a pelvic PT.
Pain-wise, EMS currents feel like mild muscle contractions or an inner tingling. Although it can feel a bit strange, pain is not usual, and the current intensity can be adjusted. However, EMS should be avoided if you have a pacemaker, epilepsy, or previously diagnosed pelvic conditions.
Which Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation Treatments Don’t Work?
Several contemporary non-surgical treatments are now available for vaginal rejuvenation, which some medical experts refer to as marketing rather than medical options. While the following may work for some women, expectations should be realistic when considering that results are often unachievable within the recommended timeframe, additional treatment sessions become costly, longevity varies, and continued maintenance is required.
In contrast to using Kegel weights or pelvic floor exercises, these treatments require professional administration and cannot be carried out at home.
Radiofrequency (RF) Treatments
RF devices provide controlled heat to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the vaginal and vulvar tissues. It is implied that doing so can help enhance blood flow, tone, and tighten the vaginal walls, as well as boost the production of natural lubrication; however, research is in the early stages.
RF Treatments are believed to help improve vaginal looseness and mild urinary incontinence with minimal discomfort; however, multiple sessions are required, efficacy can vary, and client feedback calls out the need for annual maintenance.
The procedure can produce a tingling sensation, redness, swelling, and temporary discomfort, all of which typically subside within days. If not performed correctly by a trained professional, vaginal RF can cause burns and tissue damage.
Vaginal Laser Treatment
Laser treatments utilize light energy to create micro-injuries in the vaginal skin. Although research is limited on its efficacy, laser treatment is purported to promote the production of collagen and elastin, improve elasticity, vaginal tightness, and bladder leaks, while alleviating vaginal dryness, vulvar irritation, and discomfort during intercourse.
A minimum of 3 sessions is usually recommended; however, according to client feedback, results are not guaranteed, additional appointments are often required, and continued annual maintenance is necessary to maintain results. Pain-wise, the sensation is likened to a slight internal sunburn, and temporary skin irritation is known to occur after sessions.
As of now, laser treatment is recommended for addressing internal vaginal rejuvenation (vaginal dryness and laxity), while micro needling is advised to rejuvenate the external vulvar skin.
Micro Needling
Micro needling involves puncturing the vulvar skin with tiny needles. Similar to laser treatment, it creates micro-injuries to boost the production of collagen and elastin, which helps recover skin elasticity and enhance tissue repair to relieve vulvar dryness and discomfort.
According to emerging evidence, a minimum of 4 sessions is advised, but its efficacy varies between individuals, and more are normally required for desired results. Micro needling is often combined with vaginal laser treatment and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which can prove costly, considering most non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures are not covered by insurance.
The treatment typically causes a prickling sensation and moderate discomfort, throbbing, or soreness that lasts for a few days after each session.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
PRP therapy involves extracting blood from a patient, concentrating the platelets, and then injecting them into the vaginal tissues. Injected platelets are believed to encourage tissue regeneration, improve blood flow, and enhance cell repair.
While PRP is not quite proven as effective, emerging evidence shows that it may help boost vaginal tissue health, improve natural lubrication, ease mild urinary incontinence, and restore sexual sensation.
PRP specialists recommend 2-3 PRP treatments, approximately 4-6 weeks apart, to give vaginal tissues time to heal and regenerate between sessions. A follow-up treatment is advised every 12-18 months. While the injection may be uncomfortable for some, PRP is a painless procedure.
What Causes Vaginal Looseness?
When giving birth, the vaginal, perineal, and pelvic floor tissues and muscles must stretch beyond their usual limits to make room for the baby to pass through the vaginal canal. As a result, the postpartum vagina can feel looser, wider, softer, or more open for many women.
Although the body is naturally capable of recovering after childbirth, for many, the pelvic floor and vagina don’t fully recover, particularly if the pelvic floor is not re-strengthened with postpartum Kegel exercises.
During their 30s, women also experience a decline in the production of two structural proteins known as collagen and elastin. In addition to playing a vital role in supporting and strengthening the skin and connective tissues, collagen also supports the tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
Elastin, on the other hand, provides elasticity and flexibility, allowing each of the above to stretch when required and spring back to its original form afterward.
Decreased collagen and elastin production results in less support for the skin and connective tissues throughout the body, including the vagina and the pelvic floor. For some women, this may signal the first signs of vaginal looseness, while for others, it simply contributes to vaginal laxity caused by childbirth.
Additionally, weight fluctuations, pelvic surgeries, or injuries can weaken the pelvic floor and vaginal muscles in women who may not have given birth.
Furthermore, perimenopause, which typically begins in the mid-40s or early 50s, signals a gradual decline in the production of estrogen and progesterone as the female reproductive system closes down. Among its various roles in the body, estrogen helps maintain vaginal skin elasticity, natural lubrication, and overall vaginal health.
As perimenopause progresses and estrogen production continues to decrease, vaginal laxity and vaginal dryness (atrophy) can become more prevalent, as well as urinary incontinence, pain during sex (dyspareunia), or a lack of sensation during sex.
Why is the Pelvic Floor Vital for Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation?
Due to the support provided to the vagina by the pelvic floor muscles, re-strengthening a weak pelvic floor is one of the most important and effective treatments for vaginal rejuvenation. It not only supports the vagina, but also pelvic organs like the bladder and bowel to prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. Strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles are also necessary for sexual sensation, satisfaction, and pleasure.
Clinical trials have shown, for instance, that although two groups of women recognized improvements in vaginal laxity after 30 days of radiofrequency treatment (RF) for one group and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) for the other, sustained results were better in the PFMT group after six months.
Essentially, a healthy and strong pelvic floor is so fundamental to vaginal rejuvenation that other non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments will not provide long-term results if the pelvic floor is not addressed.
Conclusion
Non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments like Kegel Weights, pelvic physical therapy, and vaginal dilators have been proven safe, effective, and cost-effective, with ongoing care easily done at home. However, evidence confirming the success of costly contemporary procedures such as radiofrequency, vaginal laser treatments, micro needling, and PRP is limited and varied.
When seeking help with vaginal laxity, urinary incontinence, lack of sexual sensation, vaginal dryness, or pain during sex, it’s important to thoroughly investigate the benefits, limitations, safety, and recovery time of non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments to ensure you get the best results.
Consulting with the provider and clarifying how often follow-up maintenance will be required is also wise, particularly when treatment sessions are expensive.
References
Cleveland Clinic – Vaginal Rejuvenation - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17761-energy-based-treatments-and-vaginal-rejuvenation
National Library of Medicine - Pelvic floor muscle training vs radiofrequency for women with vaginal laxity: randomized clinical trial - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972663/
The Pelvic Hub – Kegel Weights: Complete Guide - https://www.thepelvichub.com/blogs/health/kegel-weights-complete-guide
Middlesex MD – Types of Vaginal Dilators - https://middlesexmd.com/blogs/pelvic-health/types-of-vaginal-dilators?
National Library of Medicine - Vaginal rejuvenation using energy-based devices - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5418869/
National Library of Medicine - Platelet-rich plasma administration to the lower anterior vaginal wall to improve female sexuality satisfaction - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7090261/