It’s high time women start talking honestly about the state of their vaginas, and more specifically, how they feel about vaginal appearance and tightness. Modern women know the benefits of empowerment include pursuing every health and aesthetic goal they have, including vaginal rejuvenation. At Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR we believe that one of the best vaginal rejuvenation treatments is ThermiVa.
What Does ThermiVa Help With?
What is thermiva?That is the first question many patients ask about when they are looking for options in vaginal rejuvenation. Broadly speaking, a vaginal rejuvenation treatment is any cosmetic or medical treatment that restores the appearance and structure of the vagina. Vaginal rejuvenation can refer to surgery such as a labiaplasty, treatments such as hormone therapy, and non-surgical treatments like ThermiVa.
Vaginal rejuvenation treatments like this one can address a variety of feminine concerns, including:
- Vaginal laxity
- Female sexual dysfunction
- Urinary incontinence
- Vaginal dryness
- Recovery from childbirth
How Does ThermiVa Work?
This is a non-surgical, non-invasive, and non-ablative radiofrequency treatment. You can compare this treatment to skin tightening treatments for other areas of the body, with the exception that this treatment can also be used to address internal laxity in the vaginal canal. The key to this treatment lies in the radiofrequency technique and the special design of the handpiece.
Radiofrequency
Radiofrequency is one of the most popular techniques used in cosmetic treatments. Radiofrequency is a reliable method of treatment that can both tighten and resurface skin, meaning it is a versatile technique that can address multiple issues at one time. Cosmetic treatments using radiofrequency are considered natural because they do not require any injections of synthetic solutions. Instead, radiofrequency treatments work by using gentle heat to stimulate the production of collagen deep within the sub-dermal layers.
Handpiece
The handpiece used for this treatment has been designed with female comfort in mind. About .5 inches in width, the handpiece is about the width of a small size tampon, which means that most women should not feel any discomfort during the treatment. The end of the handpiece contains the radiofrequency technology, which is coated in plastic to protect against thermal damage. Additionally, the temperature emitted by the handpiece is fully customizable for patient comfort and the specific needs of the patient.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Common Is Vaginal Laxity?
Vaginal laxity is a medical condition that is common to women of all ages. Vaginal laxity refers to loosened tissues of the vaginal canal and the outer labia, such as a stretched or misshapen labia and relaxed, weakened muscles in the vagina. A recent study indicates that about 75% of women worldwide have been affected by vaginal laxity and other conditions that are closely related to it, such as urinary incontinence.
What Causes Vaginal Laxity?
Common medical conditions tend to have common causal factors. In the case of vaginal laxity, credit for the condition falls firmly on three common culprits:
Age
Vaginal laxity is often a direct result of the natural aging process. As we age, we lose our ability to rapidly produce collagen, a naturally occurring protein within the skin that provides the skin with structural support and volume. When the production of collagen slows, our skin becomes thinner and weaker, which ultimately means that our skin loses its elasticity, or the natural resiliency of skin to stretch back and forth.
Hormones
Vaginal laxity can also be caused by hormonal imbalance. This is particularly true for menopausal women, who are undergoing a radical hormonal change that impacts the state of their entire bodies, from mood swings to dryness of the skin. Hormones regulate all of our bodily processes, including the overall tightness of vaginal muscles.
Childbirth
Childbirth is also a leading cause of vaginal laxity. Natural childbirth involves an extreme stretching of the vaginal canal and surrounding vaginal tissues, which sometimes means that regaining the tightness of the vagina after childbirth is not possible. Childbirth is the most common cause of vaginal laxity in women under the age of 40.
Does Vaginal Laxity Correct Itself?
Under certain circumstances, such as childbirth, it is possible that the laxity of the vagina will return to a near-normal tightness. However, for the majority of women, vaginal laxity is a one-way street that can only be corrected by deliberate intervention.
How Common Is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is incredibly common in women. In fact, women are more likely to have issues with urinary incontinence than men. It is estimated that at least 10% of women under age 60 have urinary incontinence, while 35% of post-menopausal women suffer incontinence. Urinary incontinence refers to an inability to hold urine, which can include an overactive bladder.
What Causes Urinary Incontinence?
What causes such an embarrassing condition that women have virtually no control over? There are two main factors that are associated with urinary incontinence that are common to both younger women and older women. These factors include:
Hormones
Hormones associated with menopause are often the cause for urinary incontinence. This is because the hormones that regulate bladder control are closely tied to the hormones that regulate other female processes. Urinary incontinence caused by hormones has a direct link to lower levels of estrogen, which is why hormone therapy is one of the more common treatments for incontinence.
Childbirth
Childbirth is the second most common cause of urinary incontinence, which can be attributed to the immediate hormone imbalance following childbirth as well as minor damage to the nerves and tissues of the vagina that are associated with interpreting bladder signals. As many as 4 in 10 women suffer urinary incontinence after childbirth, a condition that does not always solve itself in the months recovering from childbirth.
How Common Is Female Sexual Dysfunction?
Female sexual dysfunction refers to any issues related to sexual interest and performance. In women, sexual dysfunction refers to a lack of libido, vaginal dryness, pain during sex, and an inability to reach orgasm. Female sexual dysfunction is more common than most women think. In fact, about 40% of sexually active women over the age of 18 experience sexual dysfunction to some degree.
What Causes Female Sexual Dysfunction?
Female sexual dysfunction is still an issue many women are embarrassed to speak about. However, there are a couple of common causes that can explain why sexual dysfunction occurs, including:
Hormones
Hormones are a leading cause of sexual dysfunction, particularly hormonal imbalances associated with pregnancy and menopause. Hormones directly impact levels of sexual interest and the ability for the body to produce natural lubrication, which can cause pain during intercourse.
Lack of Sensitivity
Low sensitivity in the nerves of the vagina–something that is caused by aging or damage to the nerves caused by childbirth–is also a common cause of female sexual dysfunction. Women who have lowered sensation or a lack of sensitivity in the vagina have a much more difficult time becoming aroused and reaching orgasm.
Is ThermiVa Better Than Other Vaginal Rejuvenation Treatments?
Determining which vaginal rejuvenation treatment is better than the other is something that can only be decided by the patient and their exact needs. We can help you weigh the pros and cons of each treatment against your expectations for vaginal rejuvenation.
Is This Treatment Safe?
This treatment is as safe as any other radiofrequency treatment. This treatment has been approved by the FDA since 2018 for the treatment of vaginal laxity, urinary incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. This treatment is also considered safe because it is not a surgery and involves no risk of an allergic reaction.
When Can You See Results?
While results for this treatment vary from patient to patient, the majority of patients experience results within 14 days of treatment. Depending on your age and the degree of your vaginal concerns, patients can enjoy results as soon as 7 to 10 days following treatment.
How Long Do Results Last?
The results of this treatment get better with time and with repeated treatment. On average, results of this treatment last for about 12 months at a time, making it one of the longest-lasting, non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments available to patients. Most patients have regularly scheduled annual treatments to maintain results at least once a year.
Can You Extend Results?
The best way to extend the results of this treatment is to avoid pregnancy, or at the very least vaginal childbirth. A vaginal birth will undo the results of this treatment, so it is best to wait until you no longer plan to be pregnant or make a birth plan that does not involve vaginal birth. Some women also combine this treatment with hormone therapy to enhance and extend the effectiveness of results.
What Are the Benefits of ThermiVa?
Aside from long-lasting results and the breadth of what this treatment helps with, there are several other benefits that prospective patients find appealing. The main benefits of this treatment include:
Painless
This treatment is painless for the patient. The most a patient will feel during the treatment is a mild heating or tingling sensation while the handpiece is being used. This treatment is painless because the temperature can be tailored to your exact needs and comfort, which helps avoid any thermal damage to tissue.
Immediate
The results of this treatment are nearly immediate. While some vaginal rejuvenation treatments take several months to show results, the results for this treatment are obvious within 7 to 14 days following treatment, making it one of the most immediate vaginal rejuvenation treatments available to patients.
No Downtime
There is no downtime associated with this treatment. Patients are free to return to all normal daily activities with the exception of intercourse, which should be avoided for at least 24 hours. And as this is a treatment at the office that does not require sedation, patients are also able to drive themselves home after treatment.
Good Candidates
Women of all ages who express dissatisfaction with the structure or appearance of the vagina are potential candidates for this treatment. Qualified candidates are determined by a consultation, which will include an assessment of the condition of the vagina, and who have passed a regular OB/GYN examination without any issues. You may be a good candidate for this treatment if you want to:
- Correct vaginal laxity
- Improve sexual interest
- Reduce vaginal dryness
- Diminish urinary incontinence
- Ease symptoms of sexual dysfunction
Rethink Vaginal Rejuvenation With ThermiVa!
Is ThermiVa covered by insurance? The treatment is not covered by insurance, it is noted that most insurances do not pay for current pharmaceutical treatments either. However, the procedure is comparably priced to the out-of-pocket cost of one year of hormone therapy. It’s time to empower yourself and start talking openly about the state of your vagina. No woman has to live with embarrassment about the structure or function of her most intimate areas. If you’re ready to rethink vaginal rejuvenation with ThermiVa, call Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR to schedule your initial consultation.