Vagina Shrinking
🔞 ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
Vagina Shrinking
Well | Treating the Incredible Shrinking Vagina
Treating the Incredible Shrinking Vagina
What is “vaginal atrophy,” and how can you stop it?
So, vaginal atrophy. What’s that about? I (very tentatively) asked my general practitioner about how the whole “vagina after menopause” thing works and she was basically “yeah, that’s right, it will atrophy.” So what can be done about it, if anything? Frankly, I’m a bit sad.
There are changes that happen to the vagina and vulva with menopause. We used to call this vaginal atrophy, as the tissue becomes thinner and can even shrink. However, that terminology — while technically medically accurate for some menopause-related changes — sounds dismissive and neglects the fact that these changes affect more than the vagina. We now refer to these changes as genitourinary syndrome of menopause or G.S.M. The vulvar and vaginal symptoms of G.S.M. are distressing for many women. Fortunately, they can almost always be treated.
G.S.M. is primarily caused by dropping levels of estrogen during menopause. As a result, the skin of the vulva and the vagina become thinner with a loss of elasticity. The labia minora can also reduce in size.
Common symptoms of G.S.M. include vaginal or vulvar dryness. Other symptoms can occur during sex, including loss of lubrication, an uncomfortable sandpaper-like sensation, pain, difficulties achieving orgasm and even tearing of the vagina or vulva. There is also an increased risk of urinary tract infections.
As estrogen is crucial to maintaining the bacterial colonies of the vagina, there can also be a change in the type of bacteria, which can lead some women to notice a change in their typical smell .
As many as 15 percent of women report symptoms of G.S.M. during perimenopause, which is the time around menopause when estrogen production is starting to drop. Some women can have bothersome symptoms for years before their menstrual cycle stops and others have no symptoms at all. And there is every variation in between.
Approximately 50 percent of women report symptoms of G.S.M. by three years after menopause. (Menopause has occurred when you have gone one full year without a menstrual period.)
Whether you are in perimenopause or your last period was five years ago, there are many excellent therapies for G.S.M ., so suffering with symptoms isn’t necessary. Your treatment choices will depend on your symptoms (what I like to call your “bother factor”), personal preferences and your medical history.
Some general recommendations you can try:
Use an unscented cleanser on your vulva, not soap. Soap is often drying and will only add to G.S.M.-related dryness.
If you have urinary incontinence, use incontinence pads, not menstrual pads. Menstrual pads are designed differently than incontinence pads and will keep the wetness of the urine against the skin, potentially contributing to vulvar irritation.
Use a lubricant for sexual activity. I recommend starting with a silicone-based lubricant as there is some data to suggest this is more effective at reducing pain with sexual activity for menopausal women than a water-based lubricant.
Try vaginal moisturizers for vaginal dryness. These are over-the-counter products that you use every two to three days. These products are less likely to be helpful, however, if you have more than one symptom.
Download the app MenoPro . This resource from the The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), offers a basic introduction to a variety of therapies.
Beyond these suggestions, pharmaceutical options may also be helpful. Vaginal estrogen, which is available as either estradiol or conjugated equine estrogens, are considered the gold standard to replace the estrogen your body is no longer making after menopause. They come in a wide range of formulations including creams, a vaginal ring, vaginal tablets and gel caps. Vaginal estrogen is very safe and not associated with breast cancer or stroke when used as recommended.
A newer pharmaceutical option is intravaginal DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a hormone that is converted to estradiol and testosterone in the vaginal tissues. DHEA is newer and has not been as well studied as the two types of vaginal estrogen, so it is something to consider if they have been tried first and have not been effective. Possible downsides to DHEA: It is a daily application and some find it messy.
There may be other medical explanations for the symptoms you are dealing with, so if G.S.M. is suspected, your doctor may suggest you try any medicine for at least six weeks to see if it helps. After that, if vaginal products have not alleviated the symptoms, a re-evaluation is indicated.
There is no reason to suffer with G.S.M. If your doctor is not responsive to your concerns, you can find a provider who knows more about G.S.M. via N.A.M.S .
Some health care providers and pharmacies advertise “bioidentical” hormones for use after menopause. This is a marketing term , not a medical term. “Bioidentical” has been used to describe hormones that are chemically identical to what the ovary makes or for hormones derived from a plant source. These products are often marketed as “more natural” or “safer” than pharmaceutical options, but they are not .
There are dosing and safety concerns with “bioidentical” hormones, and these formulations are not F.D.A. approved.
Dr. Jen Gunter, often called Twitter’s resident gynecologist, is teaming up with our editors to answer your questions about all things women’s health. From what’s normal for your anatomy to healthy sex and clearing up the truth behind strange wellness claims, Dr. Gunter, who also writes a column called The Cycle , promises to handle your questions with respect, forthrightness and honesty.
Best value Vagina Shrink Tighten Stick – Great deals... | 1 on AliExpress
Treating the Incredible Shrinking Vagina - The New York Times
What happens to your vagina as you age, from a shrinking vulva to...
Vaginal Shrink Cream To Get Tight Vagina Back - YouTube
Vagina shrinking | Etsy
What can I do about my plunging oestrogen levels?
MYSTIC MEG March 7: This is your week to make a real difference to your future
BRAVE FACE My dad walked out when I was 7 and took everything we owned, reveals Alex Scott
BUZZING The Range shoppers baffled by new line of sex toys - but mums can’t wait get one
SUIT YOURSELF Meghan's Suits co-star calls Royals ‘toxic’ amid Oprah interview fall-out
JAW-NORMOUS Male model showcases bizarre facial transformation after training his jaw
ON A ROLL LadBaby Mum unveils first In The Style range & it's perfect for Mother's Day
Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed here .
News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
IT'S not just your face which gathers wrinkles as the years go by, every part of your body ages.
And women can expect a few changes in their intimate areas - as our vaginas and vulvas adapt over the years.
Here are the changes you can expect to see as you get older - and they're all completely normal...
After menopause, your body produces less oestrogen - which can cause your vagina to get shorter and narrower.
“The vaginal opening can shrink, and the length of the vagina can shrink. You can also get irritation,” Dr Yael Swica told HuffPost .
Oestrogen is also to blame for a proneness to UTIs, STIs and bacterial vaginosis - which gives women a wetness and unpleasant odour down below.
This is because of a thinning of the vaginal tissue which makes it easier to catch nasty infections.
Dr Swica added: “Without oestrogen, the flora of the vagina changes and the tissue around the urethra is thinner, so we become more prone to urinary tract infections.”
Many women spends hundreds of pounds every year waxing their nether regions, but the need to do this lessens as you age.
By your 40s or 50s, your pubic hair will start thinning out and turning grey - although it's unlikely to disappear completely.
Vaginal dryness is a common symptom of menopause, which can cause pain during sex and a need to pee more than usual.
The NHS warn : "These things may make you feel less like you want to have sex."
Experts recommend using water-based lubricants before sex, vaginal moisturisers and to avoid putting any perfumed soaps or lotions near the area.
If you want to slow down some of these changes, hormone replacement therapy can help.
HRT is a treatment which uses oestrogen and progesterone to relieve menopausal symptoms.
It's widely available on the NHS, unless you have a history of blood clots, liver disease, high blood pressure or breast, ovarian or womb cancer.
If you want to know more, book an appointment with your GP.
Your vulva starts to lose its fat, elasticity and some of its colour - normally during your 50s.
“The tissue can become more pale and smoother, the labia can become less distinct, and the vulva will lose its fullness,” Dr Swica told HuffPost.
Your pelvic floor starts to weaken as you age, which brings a whole host of consequences with it.
Most of us only consider this area while pregnant - but these muscles support the bladder, uterus and bowel.
A weakening pelvic floor could cause the muscles to shift out of place, known as prolapse.
Dr Margery Gass told HuffPost between 30 and 40 per cent of women experience this to some degree.
We previously revealed all the ways skinny jeans are harming your vagina - as a doctor urges women to stop wearing them.
March 7: This is your week to make a real difference to your future
My dad walked out when I was 7 and took everything we owned, reveals Alex Scott
The Range shoppers baffled by new line of sex toys - but mums can’t wait get one
Meghan's Suits co-star calls Royals ‘toxic’ amid Oprah interview fall-out
Male model showcases bizarre facial transformation after training his jaw
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy . To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)
Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/
.jpg)
.jpg)
