Vaginal rejuvenation is a broad term that describes various vaginal corrective procedures. Due to causes ranging from childbirth and aging to genetics, your vagina and its surrounding tissues may lose elasticity and strength. This leads to several issues like incontinence (leaking urine), vaginal dryness, sagging skin and lack of sexual pleasure. Many women or people assigned female at birth look to vaginal rejuvenation to improve these conditions and restore the look and function of their vagina. There are surgical and nonsurgical options for vaginal rejuvenation.

People get vaginal rejuvenation to address common issues associated with having children or menopause, including vaginal looseness, lack of lubrication and loss of sexual intimacy. Treatment can help minimize these symptoms as well as:

• Loose skin around the vagina
• Leaking urine when jumping, sneezing or laughing
• Not being able to hold your urine
• Decreased libido
• Excess dryness
• Painful sex
• Loss of sensation and sexual satisfaction
• Lack of confidence or low self-esteem

Vaginal rejuvenation procedures can be surgical or nonsurgical. Treatment affects the vulva (the outer part of the female genitals) and the vaginal canal (where penetration occurs during sex or where you put a tampon).

Surgical methods of vaginal rejuvenation typically involve sedation or anesthesia. A gynecologic or plastic surgeon performs these procedures. Some common surgical procedures for vaginal rejuvenation are:

• Labiaplasty: Reshaping your labia or the “lips” of your vagina.
• Vaginoplasty: Tightens or repairs the vaginal canal after childbirth.
• Clitoral hood reduction: Removes extra tissue that covers the clitoris.
• Monsplasty: Removes fatty tissue from the public bone area.
• Vulvoplasty: Reshapes the vulvar area (external genitalia).
• Perineoplasty: Strengthens the perineum (space between your vaginal and anus).

Nonsurgical methods of vaginal rejuvenation are noninvasive with a short recovery time. They help tighten and tone your vaginal area without needles or surgery. Nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation involves heating the top layers of vaginal tissue. This causes the underlying tissue to create extra collagen and new, firmer tissue.

Nonsurgical treatment includes:

• CO2 laser treatment: The laser heats the upper layers of the tissue in your vagina, causing the tissue in the lower layers to make more collagen. This makes the skin firmer and tighter.
• RF (radio frequency) treatment: RF treatment uses electromagnetic waves, similar to the waves used in a microwave (but to a lesser extent). RF waves heat the vaginal tissue, encouraging blood flow and collagen production.
• RF and laser treatments are done in an office setting. Little, if any, local anesthetic is used during the procedure. You can typically continue with your day without needing any recovery time.