Remedy Painful Sex After Menopause with MonaLisa Touch®
It’s not surprising that a significant number of women experience chronic vaginal dryness for the first time during middle age. Along with hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and low energy, vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms of menopause.
But while other symptoms usually disappear once the transition into menopause is complete, bothersome vaginal symptoms tend to stick around — and may even progress — unless they’re addressed.
For up to 60% of postmenopausal women, ongoing vaginal dryness is actually a sign of vaginal atrophy, an estrogen-related inflammatory condition that leaves vaginal tissues drier, thinner, less elastic, and more fragile than normal.
If you’re experiencing any degree of vaginal atrophy, chances are sexual intimacy has become more painful than pleasurable. Luckily, you no longer have to take hormone supplements or use messy lubricants to overcome postmenopausal vaginal dryness and painful intercourse.
Here at The Well for Health in Davidson, North Carolina, we’re pleased to offer MonaLisa Touch laser therapy, a groundbreaking treatment that restores vaginal elasticity, moisture, and function in three quick and easy sessions. Here’s what you should know.
Painful sex and vaginal dryness
Sexual intimacy is supposed to be an enjoyable experience that brings you and your partner closer together. But when sex becomes painful, it can have a major impact on your life and your relationship.
An estimated three in four women experience frequent pain during sex (called dyspareunia) at some point in their lives, often the following menopause. Some women only experience pain during penetration, while others experience deep pain with each thrust. In some cases, throbbing or burning pain sensations emerge slowly and continue long after intercourse has ended.
Although a variety of factors can contribute to the development of dyspareunia, the problem is most common during and after menopause, when reproductive hormone imbalances are more likely to interfere with your body’s sexual response, weaken your vaginal tissues, and decrease your normal lubrication.
Traditional treatment options
For decades, women’s health experts have turned to water-based lubricants or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help postmenopausal women overcome painful sex and other irritating symptoms of vaginal atrophy.
But even though lubricants can be a quick and simple solution when you want to maintain intimacy, having to apply them every time you want to have sex can also leave you and your partner feeling a little less spontaneous.
HRT, especially in the form of low-dose topical vaginal estrogen, can also be an effective option for certain women. Unfortunately, HRT is a short-term solution that isn’t medically appropriate for all women.
Laser therapy — the ideal solution
If you’re ready to put an end to painful intercourse for good, look no further than MonaLisa Touch laser therapy. MonaLisa Touch uses fractional CO2 laser technology to renew and revitalize the delicate tissues that line your vaginal canal. During the quick in-office treatment, we use a slim probe to ease the laser into your vagina, where it emits gentle pulses of energy that create painless micro-perforations in the surrounding tissues.
These microscopic perforations stimulate your body’s internal healing mechanisms, prompting ongoing tissue repair through cell renewal as well as collagen and elastin production. On top of completely revitalizing your vaginal tissues, MonaLisa Touch laser therapy also rejuvenates the vaginal mucosa, re-establishes normal lubrication, and restores proper function.
Nearly 90% of women affected by estrogen-related vaginal dryness and sexual pain are happy with the results of MonaLisa Touch treatments. For most women, it only takes three treatments to reverse the effects of vaginal atrophy, restore normal functionality, and return to pain-free sexual intimacy.
So what are you waiting for?
You don’t have to let unavoidable hormonal changes upset your sex life. Call our office today to find out how MonaLisa Touch laser therapy can restore your vaginal health and your sexual vitality. Or simply click the “request appointment” button to schedule your visit.