TIPS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR VAGINAL HEALTH
Vaginal health should be a priority for every woman, but with full and busy lives, problems like vaginal dryness, laxity, and lubrication challenges during sex can sneak up on you. The challenges are usually due to significant transitions our bodies go through, like childbirth and menopause. Urinary tract infections (UTIs), yeast infections, and other problems occur periodically, too.
Dr. Pamela Kimbrough and her patient-focused team at Life’s Cycle help women maintain their vaginal health with educational tips during your appointments and an innovative, multitasking treatment — Viveve.
At its offices in Ardmore and Norman, Oklahoma, Life’s Cycle offers helpful treatments for both men and women that address symptoms so you can enjoy a better quality of life.
WAYS YOU CAN CARE FOR YOUR VAGINAL HEALTH
Your vagina is a marvel of good design, to be honest. In conjunction with your bladder, urethra, and other physiological components of the urinary tract, you’re able to urinate. Your vagina also enables you to bear children and enjoy sex. That said, there are things you can do to keep it thriving:
1. STEER CLEAR OF DOUCHING
In the old days, women were taught that they were somehow “unclean,” but unless you have a yeast infection or some other problem, your vagina is impressively balanced, in terms of pH and bacteria levels.
Douching actually upsets this delicate balance and can leave you vulnerable to infection. To keep your vagina clean, simply wash gently when you bath (just the outside, thank you), and you’re good.
2. DON’T BANISH ALL PUBIC HAIR
Although shaving your pubic area to look more streamlined in a bathing suit is fine, it’s not a great idea to shave the entire area. Public hair is actually protective against infection, discomfort caused by clothing, and sweat.
3. CHECK THE INGREDIENTS OF YOUR SEXUAL LUBRICANT
If you use a lubricating product during sex, take a look at the ingredients to make sure they’re all-natural and won’t harm you in any way with scents, dyes, chemicals, or parabens, which are chemicals that can upset your hormone levels.
4. WEAR THE RIGHT UNDERWEAR
Panties made from synthetic fabrics don’t allow air to circulate around your skin and vaginal area, so stick with 100% cotton, which is breathable.
5. OBSERVE SMART BATHROOM ETIQUETTE
Going to the bathroom after sex lowers your risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs), as does always wiping front to back.
6. BE STI AWARE
Getting checked and treated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) helps keep your vagina healthy, as does seeing your gynecologist if you suspect a problem, such as a yeast infection.
7. EXPLORE TREATMENT FOR VAGINAL HEALTH ISSUES
If you’re suffering with vaginal dryness during sex, urinary incontinence, or a feeling of vaginal looseness, see your doctor. Life’s Cycle offers Viveve treatments, which address all of these problems.
WHAT IS VIVEVE?
Viveve is a nonsurgical treatment for women that supports vaginal health by treating the biggest challenges women face during different life stages, including:
Urinary incontinence
Vaginal laxity
Pain during intercourse due to vaginal dryness
Decrease in sexual sensation
Viveve treatments energize and strengthen your vaginal tissues, which lowers your risk for embarrassing accidents when you laugh or sneeze (stress urinary incontenence), a need to pee that’s sudden and urgent (urge incontinence), and uncomfortable sex.
By employing powerful but gentle radiofrequency (RF) energy to stimulate collagen production — the connective tissue your body makes that gives your skin its resiliency and provides a foundation for support— Viveve treatments can help you with all the vaginal problems we mentioned above.
Collagen is actually the magical agent that breathes life into your vaginal tissue so you can enjoy being intimate with your partner again, feel more comfortable with your body, and eliminate the worry of an embarrassing urinary accident.
WHAT’S A VIVEVE TREATMENT LIKE?
Dr. Kimbrough delivers your Viveve treatment in our office with a small device that delivers the RF energy. She gently inserts it into your vagina, and most patients comment that they sense a very mild tingling, so treatment is comfortable and easy to tolerate. The treatment is non-invasive, takes only about 45 minutes, and requires no downtime. Patients can return to work or normal activities the same day.
Viveve is a treatment that Dr. Kimbrough can target easily to wherever your needed area of treatment is.
VIVEVE OFFERS PATIENTS A WIN-WIN
There’s nothing not to like about Viveve:
Safe
Just one treatment needed
Noninvasive
Treatment is quick, just 40-45 minutes
Hormone-free
Learn more about the benefits of treatment with Viveve and how it, in turn, could benefit you.
Call either of our offices to schedule a consultation, or reach out to us through our website.
