What Is Vaginal Laxity?
Vaginal laxity is a condition in which the muscles and tissues of the vagina have weakened. This leads to feelings of looseness and decreased sensation. It usually occurs due to aging or childbirth. It leads to stress that may cause urinary incontinence in many cases.
Studies show that 50 percent of the women who have given birth vaginally suffer from some degree vaginal laxity. Even with this statistic, you may be embarrassed to talk about it. If you think you’re experiencing vaginal laxity, your experienced gynecologist at Cohen Medical Practice (CMP) understands your feelings and advises you that this is manageable through non-surgical and surgical methods like vaginal rejuvenation.
Dr. Felix Cohen and his team at CMP understand how important it is for women to build a connection with their bodies.
Led by board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Cohen, CMP specializes in cosmetic and reproductive surgeries with vulvar and vaginal procedures that include:
What Are the Symptoms of Vaginal Laxity?
Lack of vaginal tightness is the most common symptom of vaginal laxity. Signs and symptoms vary for every woman, depending on the severity of the condition and your overall well-being, but some common symptoms include:
- Decreased sexual satisfaction
- Weakened pelvic floor
- Pelvic pain
- Feeling of heaviness
- Problems wearing tampons
If you let it go untreated, vaginal laxity worsens, leading to severe pelvic issues like urinary problems and sometimes pelvic organ prolapse. The condition affects your relationships and reduces intimacy, leading to frustration in both partners. Timely management of this condition reduces the severity of symptoms.
What Causes Vaginal Laxity?
Vaginal laxity is caused by various factors including childbirth especially in vaginal births as it stretches the vaginal muscles.
Aging, hormonal changes and obesity also can lead to vaginal laxity. Other potential risk factors include:
- Multiple vaginal deliveries
- Menopause
- Smoking
- Family history of vaginal laxity
Diagnosing vaginal laxity is important as it dictates the treatment approach. It’s diagnosed through different methods, such as a pelvic exam, medical history and pelvic floor tests. Following an accurate diagnosis of your issues, your CMP doctor then advises you on the next best course of treatment.
How Can I Treat Vaginal Laxity?
Your surgeon decides on treatment based on the severity of your symptoms and your preference. Initially, your surgeon recommends pelvic floor exercise, called Kegel exercises, which strengthen the muscles and improves vaginal tightness over time.
Non-surgical options available include:
- Laser vaginal rejuvenation. It stimulates collagen production that tightens vaginal issues.
- Radiofrequency therapy. This delivers energy to the vaginal tissue to promote tissue regeneration and firmness.
- Tightening creams. This temporarily tightens vaginal muscles.
Sometimes, your physician may recommend lifestyle changes, including managing your weight and avoiding heavy lifting to reduce strain on the pelvic area.
But if your symptoms are severe and these options may not be working for you, then your CMP surgeon recommends surgical options, such as:
- Vaginoplasty. It tightens the vaginal muscles and tissues, with recovery taking about four to six weeks.
- Perineoplasty. This is designed to repair and tighten the perineum, and also takes about four to six weeks for complete recovery.
- Labiaplasty. It’s primarily cosmetic and helps by reshaping the labia and tightening it in the process, taking about three to four weeks to recover fully.
- Pelvic floor reconstructionn. This procedure rebuilds the pelvic floor muscles and tissues, which addresses vaginal laxity issues as well.
How Does Vaginal Laxity Affect Women’s Lives?
Women experiencing vaginal laxity face several issues, most commonly sexual dissatisfaction. This could affect your sexual confidence, causing you to feel disconnected and self-conscious about your body, which leads to further feelings of inadequacy and frustration.
This change causes emotional stress, leading to physical symptoms like pain during exercise and stress-related headaches. To avoid these feelings, your CMP doctors ensure that you’re educated about vaginal laxity and its manageability.
Prevent side effects of untreated vaginal laxity with actions such as:
- Having regular consultations with your gynecologist as well as your therapist
- Pushing aside embarrassment to take advantage of your CMP doctor’s help
- Having an open communication with your partner
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight
Can I Prevent Vaginal Laxity?
Many factors that contribute to vaginal laxity are unavoidable, but on the other hand, there are steps you can take to minimize the effects of vaginal laxity. Regularly, do Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor and keep vaginal muscles tone.
Other preventive measures include:
- Managing your weight
- Practicing good posture
- Avoiding heavy lifting
- Managing coughs and constipation
- Avoiding smoking
- Discussing all gynecological options with your doctor
Contact Dr. Felix Cohen at Cohen Medical Practice today to get your confidence and comfort back.
Build a relationship with your OB GYN in Midtown NYC who also offers the gamut of gynecological services, including: