“I thought urinary incontinence was something I had to put up with,” 46-year-old Mary tells HELLO!. “I was single for almost 11 years after losing my husband, so I kept the problem to myself until I went to my doctor, who recommended I do pelvic floor exercises, which didn’t help at all.
“The doctor’s dismissive response made me not seek further help because I was led to believe that incontinence was part and parcel of being a woman. However, my life was greatly affected by it.
“I hated that my underwear was wet and uncomfortable and I was paranoid that other people could smell the urine. It really hit my confidence and I didn’t feel like a sexy woman anymore. I didn’t even want to try to go on dates because of my problem.”
Mary is not alone in her belief that incontinence and intimate health problems are something we have to put up with, said women’s health expert Dr. Sarah Jenkins. The W4 door explains. “As a former GP, I saw hundreds of women become incontinent and get gas and I was led to believe that this is what they should expect.
“I saw a woman last week in her fifties who has six children and her incontinence was so bad she won’t go anywhere because she’s afraid people will think she smells. Her whole life is affected and she wasn’t.” I’m not aware of any treatments that will help,” Dr. Sarah continues.
Mary added: “I couldn’t believe there was a cure for my problem as I always thought it was normal after leaking urine from children.”
It was cases like this that led Dr. Sarah to focus exclusively on women’s health, offering a variety of treatments to help with incontinence, as well as vaginal laxity and atrophy. “I don’t want women’s lives to be limited by them wondering, ‘How is my vagina going to feel today?'” says Dr. Sarah.
As well as working hard to help women understand the variety of intimate treatments that can help with incontinence, vaginal atrophy and dryness, Dr Sarah also wants to dispel the belief that intimate treatments are there for cosmetic reasons .
Intimate revitalization treatments: what you need to know
Not just for aesthetics, intimate treatments can help with many issues.
For incontinence: EmpowerRF
EmpowerRF combines radio frequency and electrical muscle stimulation to help those suffering from flaccid stress incontinence. After treatment, you will experience reduced leakage during daily activities such as sneezing or jumping
“The appearance of the vagina can also appear more youthful, with many commenting that their vagina ‘looked like it used to,'” says women’s health expert Dr. Shirin Lakhani.
“There are different elements to the treatment,” explains Sarah, who had EmpowerRF to help with her pelvic floor. “An anatomically shaped applicator goes into the vagina and delivers intravaginal electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to restore weak pelvic floor muscles. You lie on the therapy couch with it in for half an hour. “It’s a strange sensation but not uncomfortable. I did a series of treatments over several weeks,” says Sarah.
Morpheus 8V is also part of EmpowerRF. It uses radio frequency microneedling to improve laxity and helps tighten to treat urinary frequency and urgency. “It’s a more uncomfortable treatment than V-tone, but tolerable, especially as I had numbing cream for the second and third treatments,” says Sarah.
© Kate SharpFor the vagina: Botox
“Botox can be injected into the vagina under local anesthesia to help with vaginosis, a medical condition that causes involuntary vaginal muscle spasm. Botox can also help with vulvar dysplasia, persistent vulvar pain, and pelvic floor problems,” she says. Dr. Shirin.
For dryness: Hyaluronic acid filler
“Hyaluronic acid, contained in the filler and found naturally in the body, can rejuvenate the vaginal tissue by increasing the thickness of the vaginal walls, which can improve sexual function and dryness,” says Dr. Shirin.
© GettyFor total rejuvenation: Ultra Femme 360
“Ultra Femme 360 can also be used to provide complete vaginal rejuvenation both internally and externally, including labia reshaping and vaginal tightening,” says Dr. Shirin.
“It is a fast and effective treatment for vaginal relaxation, tissue quality and incontinence. By stimulating collagen growth and blood vessels and nerves we can effectively treat the symptoms that often cause us to have less libido than we should.
“My clients tell me that Ultra Femme has restored their confidence. One woman, who suffered from vaginal relaxation after four vaginal deliveries and also had problems with her pelvic floor, said she will tell all the ladies she knows to they are doing it.
“Some of these treatments may sound painful, but you’ll either be given a local anesthetic to numb the area or an anesthetic will be injected so you won’t feel it.
“Some find the familiarity of the procedure a bit intimidating. If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to discuss them with your doctor. There is no need for embarrassment or feelings of anxiety.”
“Don’t feel embarrassed or panic or worry about anything because it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s your body, it’s your life. This procedure could make your life so much better.”
He introduced us to the concept of vulva filler. Unlike facial fillers, which are used primarily for cosmetic purposes, vulvar fillers can be used to treat vaginal atrophy, which Davina McCall suffered from.
READING: Why we really need to talk about vaginal health
Dr Sarah explains that vaginal atrophy happens when our estrogen drops, meaning we stop producing as much collagen and elastin, and our skin starts to thin and dry out, making it easier to break.
“The outer layer of our skin is no longer as thick and thick, so bacteria gets in and can cause UTIs, thrush and discomfort,” she explained.
© Getty“Our vulva normally has comfortable fat pads on the labia majora, which keep everything full and plump and stop your labia from rubbing and chafing, but as we get older they get smaller and we get sore.”
This is where vulvar fillers come in. The filler draws moisture to the areas to make it comfortable and soft again, providing the natural lubrication that is lost as we age.
READING: What a women’s health expert wants you to know about vaginal prolapse
Vulvar fillers can also change the appearance of the area, but Dr. Sarah is quick to assure that intimate treatments are rarely guided by aesthetics. “This is not based on aesthetics and it is not to please men sexually,” she enthuses.
That said, Mary, who underwent Morpheus8V to tone her pelvic floor, shared: “After my treatment, I was back to my confident self, so much so that I started going out again and even had sex without worrying about getting wet. myself”.
On how her life has improved, Mary added: “I can go on long trips and enjoy life again without worrying about wetting myself. I feel like I did before kids and even my sensitivity has improved.”
We hope that the work of Dr. Sarah destigmatizing personal health treatments will help more women seek help.
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