Intimate Area

The vaginal tissue, just like your skin, is made up of an inner support network of collagen fibers. The production of collagen decreases over time, which is why your intimate area also experiences changes as you get older. The aging process, life events, childbirth, and other factors can affect its appearance, including the way it feels and functions.

What is vaginal laxity or looseness?

Vaginal laxity is one of the most common intimate area concerns of many women. It refers to the loss of vaginal tightness, which can be due to pregnancies or vaginal deliveries and the normal aging process. The vaginal tissues weaken and become stretched over time, which then create a feeling of looseness within the vaginal opening.

Here are the symptoms associated with vaginal laxity:

• Reduced or less vaginal sensation during intercourse
• Diminished sexual satisfaction of both partners
• Urinary incontinence
• Pain during intercourse
• Insufficient lubrication
• Decreased sexual self-esteem

What causes vaginal laxity?

A number of reasons contribute to vaginal looseness and other changes in your intimate area. These include:

• Vaginal childbirth – Natural deliveries can lead to vaginal stretching. You are more likely to experience vaginal looseness with multiple deliveries or having a large baby.
• A drop in estrogen levels – This is common during menopause. Estrogen helps maintain healthy vaginal and urethral tissues. Low levels of this hormone can make the vaginal tissues dry and less elastic, which can result in pain during intercourse.
• Aging – Muscles and tendons weaken with age, providing less support to the pelvic area and the vagina. This is why urinary incontinence also accompanies vaginal laxity.
• Trauma to the vagina – This can happen due to vaginal delivery or other event. With vaginal trauma, there may be damage in the pelvic floor area, which helps maintain the shape and position of the vagina.
• Genetics – Your genes can also influence the physical structure of your vagina. Laxity in your intimate area may also be due to inherited conditions or disorders like excess body weight and lowered collagen production.

Many women find vaginal laxity a difficult subject to bring up. Sexual satisfaction, however, is an important part of a woman’s overall sexual health, and is worthy of a dialogue.

What are the other vaginal changes women are concerned about?

Vaginal laxity is accompanied by other symptoms that can be uncomfortable and embarrassing for many women. These, along with other vaginal changes, are the main motivation for why women seek an effective vaginal rejuvenation treatment. Some of these changes include:

• Vaginal dryness
• A feeling of looseness
• Urinary stress incontinence (sudden urine leakage)
• Diminished sexual satisfaction
• Darkening or discoloration of the skin in the intimate area

How can we help?

If you’re concerned about vaginal laxity and other changes in your intimate area, we at Cutis Medical Laser Clinics are here to help. We provide nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation that can help treat or improve vaginal laxity and urinary incontinence. We also have a non-invasive skin lightening and rejuvenation procedure that can brighten intimate areas.

Your individualized treatment plan, depending on various factors such as your acceptable social downtime, your expected time frame and budget, will be explained in detail during your consultation with our Harvard trained Medical Director, Dr. Sylvia Ramirez.