Starting about the age of 30, your body begins to lose collagen, one of the most common proteins in your body. Responsible for volume and moisture reserves for your skin, it’s frequently the target of facial treatments to restore younger-looking skin. Collagen also supports tissue elsewhere in your body, and it may be part of the issue behind symptoms of vaginal atrophy that sometimes affects women near or after menopause.
If you suffer from symptoms such as vaginal dryness, itching, and burning, or if you’re suffering from minor urinary problems, it could be due in part to loss of collagen in the lining of the vagina. John Paciuc, MD frequently recommends MonaLisa Touch® treatments to his patients experiencing these and other symptoms. Are you a candidate for this simple and pain-free procedure? Here are five reasons MonaLisa Touch may be right for you.
1. Uncomfortable or painful intercourse
With the decrease in estrogen production following menopause, as well as the depletion of collagen, your vaginal walls may become dry, thin, and easily irritated. This may lead to problems when you have sex. Where previously your body lubricated naturally with arousal, you may now notice you remain dry even when you’re in the mood. After MonaLisa Touch treatments, natural lubrication comes back, and your vaginal walls are no longer as delicate and easily irritated.
2. Vaginal laxity
The same changes that make your vagina more sensitive can also change the shape and diameter of your vaginal canal. The MonaLisa Touch system uses light energy from a fractional CO2 laser to warm existing tissue, causing your body to produce new collagen. In turn, your vaginal canal recovers some of its lost volume, returning to a more youthful condition.
3. Sexual vitality
With the changes to your vagina, it’s natural for your interest in sex to fade. The recovery of your vaginal mucosal production after MonaLisa Touch treatments eases the concerns that may interfere with your arousal.
4. Urinary incontinence
Loss of bladder control may not seem to connect with vaginal issues, but atrophic vaginitis is part of a condition known as the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, or GSM. MonaLisa Touch may help reduce some instances of stress incontinence as your entire genital region benefits from treatment.
5. Urinary and vaginal infections
The fragile, thin surface layer of your vagina may be more susceptible to infection as you age, likely due to micro tears in the lining. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) may be more common too. Your risk of infection could fall after completing your MonaLisa Touch treatment plan.
A MonaLisa Touch treatment session isn’t painful. If you feel anything at all, it’s a gentle vibration with perhaps a mild sensation of warmth. A course of treatment typically runs for three sessions spaced about six weeks apart, with maintenance visits scheduled a year later.
Find out more about MonaLisa Touch and how it might help you by calling the office of John Paciuc, MD at 212-737-3356 or sending us a message online.