Which changes in the intimate area may prompt aesthetic treatment ?
Loss of labia majora volume, changes in skin quality or asymmetry may prompt a request for intimate treatment.
With age, the fatty tissue of the labia majora may decrease. The labia majora then become thinner and the labia minora may be more visible.
Menopause also causes tissue changes associated with declining oestrogen levels. The skin and mucous membranes may become thinner, drier and more fragile.
These changes are physiological. Treatment is considered when they cause the patient discomfort, rather than because they constitute an abnormality.
Can aesthetic treatment improve intimate comfort ?
Intimate aesthetic medicine treatments can improve some discomfort when it is associated with a change in the intimate area.
Loss of labia majora volume may, for example, reduce protection of the internal vulval structures and cause discomfort. Restoring this volume can then improve comfort.
However, burning, persistent irritation or pain during intercourse may have another cause, including hormonal deficiency, infection, vulval dermatosis or a gynaecological condition.
The cause of discomfort must therefore be identified before aesthetic medicine treatment is proposed.
Can intimate treatment improve sexual function ?
No intimate aesthetic medicine treatment can guarantee improved desire, pleasure or orgasm.
Improved comfort or body image may have a positive effect for some women, but sexual function depends on many factors that aesthetic treatment does not change.
Pain during intercourse, vaginal dryness or reduced sensitivity must be assessed specifically.
Improved sexual function should therefore not be presented as an expected or guaranteed result of intimate aesthetic treatment.
Can intimate treatments “rejuvenate” the intimate area ?
The term “intimate rejuvenation” is imprecise : treatment does not rejuvenate the vulva or vagina as a whole. It corrects a specific problem.
An injection can restore labia majora volume. Treatment addressing skin quality can act on certain tissue changes. Hormonal management may be indicated for certain menopausal symptoms.
These treatments have different mechanisms and indications.
It is therefore more precise to speak of volume restoration, improved tissue quality or treatment of an identified symptom than of “intimate rejuvenation”.
When is intimate aesthetic medicine treatment actually indicated ?
Intimate aesthetic medicine treatment is indicated when an identifiable anatomical change, such as loss of labia majora volume or asymmetry, can actually be corrected by the proposed treatment.
A hyaluronic acid injection can restore labia majora volume when they have lost fatty tissue, but cannot reduce the size of the labia minora and does not treat vaginal dryness caused by hormonal changes.
Pain, burning, itching, bleeding, unusual discharge or a lesion require medical assessment before any aesthetic treatment to investigate their cause.
In Geneva, the consultation determines whether the request concerns an indication that can be treated through intimate aesthetic medicine or whether gynaecological care is necessary.
Article written by Dr Valeria Romano
Dr Valeria Romano supports each patient with a comprehensive approach to the aesthetics of the face, body and intimate areas, and to skin and hair quality. Every treatment is based on a personalised medical assessment.
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