Vaginal Rejuvenation

Reclaiming the goddess

Average Stay

1 week

Duration of Hospital Stay

1 day

Duration of Operation

1 hour

Type of Anesthesia

General Anesthesia

Recovery Time

2 weeks

What is vaginal rejuvenation?

Vaginal rejuvenation is an umbrella term for procedures done to tighten the vaginal canal and opening, increase lubrication, and improve the appearance of the labia. They’re usually done to correct issues caused by pregnancy, aging, and even cancer treatment. In addition to improving sexual satisfaction, vaginal rejuvenation can reduce or eliminate urinary stress incontinence, a very common concern for women.

While some doctors say true vaginal rejuvenation focuses on the vaginal canal and opening, others consider labiaplasty, which removes excess tissue from the inner vaginal lips, a kind of vaginal rejuvenation.

Typically, nonsurgical procedures use energy from lasers or radiofrequency to heat vaginal tissue and boost blood flow and collagen production. Over time, this makes the tissue thicker, smoother, and more elastic. Downtime is usually minimal with these procedures, which address vaginal laxity, dryness, and urinary continence. On the other hand, they usually require a series of treatments over several months.

Surgical vaginal rejuvenation produces more dramatic tightening of the vaginal canal, with recovery that requires up to six weeks of limited activity.

Ultimately, it’s the patient’s symptoms and anatomic damage that determine whether one is a better candidate for surgery or a nonsurgical approach.

Surgical vaginal rejuvenation

Surgical vaginal rejuvenation might be a good choice if you have:

Vaginal looseness. A surgeon can tighten the entrance to the vagina with a perineoplasty and the floor of the vagina with a vaginoplasty.
Urinary leakage. The bladder and urethra can be secured with an anterior repair, to prevent leaks.
Excess labia tissue. A labiaplasty removes redundant tissue from the vaginal lips, typically to make the inner lips (the labia minora) level with the outer lips (the labia majora).

Vaginoplasty is a one- to two-hour surgical procedure to tighten the vaginal canal and opening. For most women with severe vaginal relaxation, surgical tightening is the only way to achieve their functional and aesthetic goals. Most women want to regain the vaginal tightness they enjoyed prior to childbirth, for improved sexual gratification and stronger muscle tone.

The procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Your surgeon trims a V-shaped wedge from the tissue in your vagina, then uses sutures to cinch the tissue and underlying pelvic-floor (aka levator) muscles. Additional surface stitches tighten the vaginal opening, and any excess skin gets removed.

You can expect three to five days of downtime, and the area may be swollen and sore for up to two weeks. You’ll also need to avoid vigorous exercise, tampons, and sex for eight weeks.

If your vagina feels a bit “overtight” after surgery, you may need to work with special dilators for several weeks or longer before you can comfortably resume intercourse. Though the aging process will continue and muscles and tissue will lose strength and tightness, you can expect results to be long-lasting.

Perineoplasty is usually done to support the perineum, the area between the vagina and the anus, after childbirth. A vaginal/perineal tear from childbirth can create an unusually open vaginal orifice that can lead to irritation from tight clothing, self-consciousness, and diminished sexual enjoyment. Perineoplasty is a 30-minute surgical procedure that tightens the vaginal opening and the perineum.

This procedure is often done under local anesthesia. Your doctor removes a V-shaped portion of tissue from the back wall of the vagina to the anal area. Stitches are used to pull the muscles tighter, excess tissue is removed, and incisions are sutured closed. You should be up and around after a week.

If you’ve given birth vaginally, be aware that this procedure won’t be sufficient to tighten the vagina. It will only tighten the vaginal opening.

Labiaplasty can improve both the aesthetics and function of the vaginal lips. For some women, excess labia minora tissue causes friction and even pain during exercise, sex, and other activities. Removing it can reduce discomfort and boost confidence.

The procedure can be done under local anesthesia, and it typically takes less than two hours. Your surgeon will probably use one of these techniques:

The trim method involves one incision along the labia minora’s edge, to evenly remove excess tissue.

With the wedge method, your surgeon makes shorter incisions, removes a V-shaped wedge of tissue, and stitches the remaining tissue together.

The results of the wedge technique can look more natural, but some women prefer the trim method to remove the more deeply pigmented outer edge tissue.

Once the stitches dissolve, any scars are typically hidden by the folds of the remaining labial tissue.

Nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation

Nonsurgical options include laser and radiofrequency energy devices like ThermiVa, MonaLisa Touch, Geneveve, Ultra Femme, FemTouch, diVa vaginal therapy, and Votiva. Their methods differ, but all of these devices have demonstrated benefits for symptoms of looseness, dryness, and leakage.

If you’re looking for increased sensation, consider PRP injections (platelet-rich plasma, derived from your own blood). While the female sexual response is complex, women who report decreased sensation and problems achieving orgasm may benefit from PRP injections to the clitoris and G-spot.

ThermiVa is a radiofrequency treatment that can address a multitude of symptoms, including vaginal dryness, bladder leakage, painful intercourse, and recurrent vaginitis. Many times, it can also improve sexual function and satisfaction.

During the treatment, the ThermiVa wand delivers targeted energy that gently heats tissues both inside and outside the vagina, to provoke a regenerative healing response—the skin becomes tighter, more hydrated, and responsive to sensation.

Multiple sessions are required, and full results will be most noticeable after a few months. Expect annual follow-ups to maintain the benefits.

MonaLisa Touch is a fractional CO2 laser designed to change the underlying health of the tissue so that women in menopause can feel normal again. This treatment isn’t intended to have a tightening effect (though you may notice a subtle enhancement); it targets vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and urinary incontinence. The laser makes controlled micro-injuries along the vaginal wall, to encourage a boost in blood flow, as well as an increase in collagen and elastin production, to heal and thicken the tissue.

Your doctor may suggest you use a numbing cream for the actual procedure, then the wand-shaped laser delivers energy pulses to specific treatment areas—which patients say feel like bursts of vibrations.

The pulses are calculated to a specific depth and width, depending on the areas being treated (usually, both the internal vaginal canal skin and outer vulva skin). A typical Mona Lisa Touch treatment involves 5–10 minutes of active lasering.
You’ll need three or four treatments but will likely notice an improvement within a few weeks after the initial session.

FemiLift also uses a fractional CO2 laser to rejuvenate the vaginal canal and eradicate symptoms like dryness, pain during sex, and irritation. The laser creates micro-injuries that trigger the body’s natural healing response, helping to thicken vaginal tissue, improve muscle tone, increase lubrication, and restore elasticity. Because the laser strengthens the vaginal walls, the treatment also helps with urinary incontinence.

There are a variety of indications for FemiLift. If the doctor were to select one, it's the effect we see in women with postmenopausal atrophy of the vagina. Without exception, women treated in our office for this condition have reported improved lubrication.

Your doctor inserts a tubular probe into your vagina, rotating it 360 degrees to deliver bursts of heat into your vaginal tissues. Downtime is minimal, but you’ll need to avoid using tampons and having vaginal sex for five days as you heal.

You’ll likely need a series of three treatments (spaced about three weeks apart), each lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Plan on one annual treatment, to maintain results.