Transcription
We do laser treatments on our faces. For skin elasticity, whitening, pigmentation, to make it firm and for beauty, many people do it, and similarly, this laser can be done on the vagina. Real lasers include CO2 lasers and Er:YAG lasers. Usually, in addition to these, procedures using radiofrequency or ultrasound are performed, but even though they are not strictly lasers, all procedures that are performed like lasers are generally called vaginal lasers. Our faces are usually made of keratinized epithelial cells. So, after the procedure, some dead skin cells fall off, and because they are very sensitive to heat, there is quite a bit of pain. On the other hand, the vagina is covered with smooth mucous membranes. Therefore, the mucous membrane tissue is relatively less sensitive to heat. So, vaginal lasers have the advantage of being able to be performed without much pain. Usually, lasers, especially vaginal lasers, can be performed at various depths and with various energies on the vaginal mucosa, the layer below the mucosa, and even the muscle layer. Therefore, it is very important to know which laser to use, at what depth, and for what purpose. Vaginal lasers ultimately use various energies to regenerate collagen in the vagina, induce new blood vessel formation to improve blood flow, and thus create a healthier vagina that is more elastic and adequately moist. As a result, they show various effects. First, vaginal tightening or appropriate improvement of vaginal laxity can be achieved. Second, vaginal dryness and painful intercourse can be reduced. It is also effective in reducing atrophic vaginitis. Moreover, since it is a procedure that makes the vagina healthy, it is a good procedure for preventing vaginal health issues and vaginal aging. Not only that, but the vagina supports the bladder. Therefore, it also helps to some extent in preventing and treating various diseases that occur in the bladder. Representative examples include cystitis, urgency, or the feeling of incomplete urination after urinating, and it can also alleviate various urological symptoms, which is also the role of vaginal lasers. It would be good if everyone could receive vaginal laser treatment, but there are definitely people for whom the effect is relatively less. Therefore, for such people, let's think again about whether I really need to get a vaginal laser. I spoke a bit strongly with that in mind. First, young women in their 20s whose vaginal mucosa is thick and elastic. This vaginal laser, you know, it's true that it prevents vaginal aging, makes the vagina elastic, and makes it healthy. Sometimes, young women in their 20s come to the hospital for consultations about vaginal lasers. Most of them say, "Doctor, it hurts when I have intercourse," and they choose vaginal lasers for painful intercourse or vaginal dryness, or to treat recurrent vaginitis. However, very occasionally, some people come without thinking, saying, "Doctor, I heard it's really good for the vagina for sexual satisfaction, so I came to get it." If you are already in a very good condition, even if you get a laser, there may not be much improvement. It is actually effective for women in their 30s and 40s who have some degree of aging. Of course, there are occasional cases in their 20s where vaginal laxity is severe and the vaginal mucosa is thin, but for those whose vaginal mucosa is firm, there is no vaginal laxity, and everything is very good. I hope you will think about whether you really need to get a vaginal laser. Also, young women sometimes come to get lasers for painful intercourse or vaginal dryness, but upon examination, it is more common for symptoms to arise due to various vaginitis, including Candida vaginitis, rather than thinning of the vaginal mucosa due to atrophy. Therefore, instead of blindly coming for a laser when simple vaginitis treatment would suffice, I hope you will not do that. For that reason, it would be good to consult with a specialist first about the condition of your vagina, your vaginal pressure, the condition of your vaginal mucosa, and whether your vagina is healthy, and then choose a laser. Next, second. This is a case where young women complain of thinning vaginal mucosa and vaginal dryness after excessive dieting. When dieting intensely, body fat decreases too much, and if there is too rapid weight loss, some women may experience irregular periods or amenorrhea. In such cases, vaginal dryness due to hormonal changes can be the main cause. When female hormones, estrogen, decrease, this can occur not only in states of hormonal imbalance but also after childbirth, after menopause, or when taking oral hormones. If you have amenorrhea and hormonal imbalance after dieting and complain of vaginal dryness, it is generally common for it to return to normal by eating well and managing a healthy weight, so I hope you will not come to the hospital blindly seeking vaginal laser treatment. It is true that some lasers can cause slight pain, but most vaginal lasers are not very painful. However, for those who are too afraid to do it, I don't think they are suitable candidates. Also, not only pain, but while some lasers finish quickly in 5 to 10 minutes, procedures like Vivace can take 1 to 1.5 hours in an uncomfortable position with legs spread apart. In such cases, if you experience back pain or leg discomfort, you can take a short break and continue, so you don't need to worry too much about that. Fourth, if you want to have intercourse immediately after the vaginal laser and cannot wait even a little bit. This may not be a suitable candidate. Of course, among vaginal procedures, there are procedures like radiofrequency or ultrasound that can be performed on the same day without much issue, but lasers like CO2 lasers and Er:YAG lasers actually create wounds on the vaginal mucosa, and collagen remodeling occurs during the healing process. Therefore, it is difficult to have intercourse on the same day. Even if you do, it's not like there will be a major problem, but if you have a wound and rub it, it doesn't heal well, right? So, if you want to have intercourse on the same day, it's best to avoid it. Of course, compared to fillers or surgery, the time from the procedure to intercourse can be significantly shortened with vaginal lasers. However, if you want to do it today, you should consider it. Those who think that the effect of vaginal lasers should appear quickly and be very good are also relatively unsuitable candidates. Of course, there is an immediate effect after vaginal laser treatment because immature collagen is generated, but the full effect, the effect due to collagen regeneration, appears from 3 to 4 weeks after the procedure. Also, we are not injecting artificial collagen. Collagen needs to be generated in your body, so the effect can vary greatly depending on the patient's age, hormonal status, previous vaginal elasticity, regeneration ability, and the partner's response. Furthermore, the partner's response is a very subjective measure. Therefore, it is difficult to expect uniformly good responses from everyone. While it has many good advantages, such as making the vagina elastic, if you have excessive expectations, thinking "this one thing will solve everything," your satisfaction after the procedure may be somewhat lower. Vaginal lasers are procedures that make the vagina elastic and healthy by promoting collagen production. If you strongly desire significant vaginal reduction, it may be better to consider safe vaginal fillers approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety or surgery if the laxity is severe, rather than vaginal lasers. However, the effects of vaginal lasers vary greatly from person to person and can differ depending on the type of laser and the practitioner. Therefore, it is good to consider these points. In cases of severe vaginal laxity, vaginal laser alone may have a limited effect. Surgery is considered the best for vaginal reduction, but surgery is not suitable for everyone. Complications, sequelae, less effective than expected, and numbness are all factors to consider, so surgery does not always result in satisfactory outcomes. However, if you have severe vaginal laxity and doctors recommend surgery, but you are afraid of surgery, worried about side effects, and lack the courage to do it, some people are cautiously treated with a combination of stronger energy effects like Vivace or vaginal fillers. Some people want permanent effects from Vivace or vaginal lasers. We all age. Even after the best laser treatment and complete collagen production, elasticity and other good effects will inevitably decrease over time due to our aging process. Therefore, vaginal lasers are generally performed as repeated procedures. Depending on the type of laser, some procedures require repeated sessions at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks, while other lasers provide sufficient satisfaction with a single treatment once a year. First, during pregnancy. It is generally recommended that pregnant women do not undergo vaginal laser treatment. Second, if you are currently undergoing chemotherapy. For example, if you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, you are not a suitable candidate at this time. Third, if you are infected with a sexually transmitted disease, it is recommended to postpone laser treatment until after it is treated. Especially in the same vein, if you have genital warts, i.e., sexually transmitted warts, or if you frequently experience herpes outbreaks. In such cases, it is recommended to have it done after treatment is completed. If you do not currently have a herpes outbreak but experience frequent recurrences, antiviral medication may be prescribed preventatively during vaginal laser treatment. Fourth, if you have serious internal medical conditions that affect wound healing, you are not a suitable candidate. Also, if you have chronic vulvar pain, also known as vulvodynia, you are not a suitable candidate. Vaginal lasers are very safe procedures that can be performed comfortably while lying down without pain. There are almost no side effects. However, equally important as choosing the right laser is considering who performs the laser, with what energy, and on which area, and how skilled the doctor is. While people spend a lot of time choosing lasers, they seem to pay less attention to how to receive the procedure and what is fundamentally suitable for them. Therefore, it would be more helpful to increase the effectiveness by consulting with a specialist to identify what is lacking in your vagina and what your needs are, and then receiving the procedure with appropriate power from a skilled physician.