'Flower arrangement'. That is what my senior editors used as a euphmism for vaginal rejuvenation treatments almost two decades ago when it first made rounds with the ladies who lunch crowd, which was picked up by our editorial team for a feature. Back then I was not yet a mother, never having experienced any sort of activity (if you catch my drift) that had to do with the area of concern. I had always chalked it up as something to think about in my golden years.
Years later, I still am nowhere near my golden years but I have been pregnant and given birth thrice in a span of six years. Is it time to consider 'flower arrangement'? I grabbed the opportunity when it presented itself, especially thankful that it comes at a time when a woman's sexual health can come front and center without including her partner's thoughts and preferences. Suffice to say: I was curious enough to do this for me, and I knew it was enough reason to try a session of vaginal rejuventation.
What is vaginal rejuvenation?
Belo Medical Group calls its vaginal rejuvenation treatment the UltraFemme 360. It is a non-surgical treatment that uses a device to apply radio frequency and heat to “gently warm the tissue and stimulate blood flow and collagen production, targeting vaginal laxity and labial volume loss,” says the clinic’s website. It can last up to 45 minutes, has no downtime, is performed only by female aestheticians, and is FDA-approved.
To perform the treatment, the Belo Medicial Group uses a multipolar radio frequency machine. It is the same one it has used in the past decade to tighten skin and areas like the face, arms, and stomach, but with different attachments.
According to Cleveland Clinic, vaginal rejuvenation “is a broad term that describes various vaginal corrective procedures”, both surgical and non-surgical. “People get vaginal rejuvenation to address common issues associated with having children or menopause, including vaginal looseness, lack of lubrication and loss of sexual intimacy.”
Who can avail of the non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation? Who can’t?
The UltraFemme 360 is recommended for women who experience vulvar atrophy, incontinence, women who have given birth, and menopause. Dra. Guada Capiz, senior managing physician, says that in her experience, urinary incontinence is the top reason clients avail of the treatment. Concerns brought about by menopause are usually secondary, and this includes dryness of the skin, itchiness, and pain during intercourse due to lack of hormones.
Dr. Capiz said in her exclusive interview with Smart Parenting that some clients have availed of the treatment before their menopause years and even in between pregnancies. It is important to note that the treatment cannot be performed on a pregnant woman, but you do not have to be done with your childbearing years to see if you are qualified for the treatment. For most of the clinic’s clients, increased sexual pleasure comes as a bonus.
RELATED: Accidentally Peed in Your Panties? Incontinence During Pregnancy, Explained
Women using an IUD or birth control implants will need clearance from an OB-GYN.
What you need to do before the treatment
Once you are cleared and deemed qualified for the treatment by the clinic, the following will be required pre-treatment:
- Urinalysis
- Pregnancy test performed in the clinic pre-treatment
- Avoid sexual activity 24 hours before and after the treatment, and to shave the area pre-treatment.
You must not be feeling unwell when you undergo the treatment and women with vaginal infection, inflammation, a medical history of genital herpes and current use of anti-coagulant drugs may not receive the treatment.
The experience
Because I kept thinking it was an out-patient procedure with no downtime, I was neither nervous nor anxious as I arrived at the clinic. It felt like I was just getting any other walk-in beauty treatment I occasionally get: a facial, lash perm, or even a wax. I made no arrangements for “recovery” post treatment nor did I attempt at clearing my schedule before my appointment. I had in fact, wrapped up a two-hour online meeting as a presentor right before stepping out for my appointment.
I first spoke to Dr. Capiz for my interview but also to answer any personal questions I might have about the treatment. After my quick appointment, I was taken to the treatment room where I met my friendly female aesthetician. I changed into a robe and was asked to lie down on a bed covered in disposable pads, presumably changed upon every guest’s use. She explained what to expect with the procedure and it was then I learned how detailed the work would be.
The UltraFemme 360 is performed on a woman’s vagina and vulva for specific amounts of time. It’s eight minutes for the vagina or canal, and five minutes each for each labia majora and labia minora (left and right!), and the skin between the anus and the vaginal opening. I quickly did the math and realized I would be on the bed for over half an hour.
Since it is a radio frequency machine, a return pad—similar to a sticker patch—was attached to one of my buttocks in order to create a closed circuit between the patient and the machine before the treatment began. My aesthetician also slathered a generous amount of ultrasound gel, probably the most I have ever had on my body and for a bit of context, I’ve been pregnant thrice. She also showed me the two different attachments used for the UltraFemme 360 and I trust that once I show you the photo, you can easily identify which one is used for the vagina and which one is used on the vulva. Dr. Capiz describes the attachment as similar to what is used for an intravaginal ultrasound, “but shorter”.
We started with the canal, an eight-minute process where a probe that emits heat (40-45°C) is inserted. It alternates between emitting heat at the opening and deeply into the canal. I was informed I could ask for a break at any moment when I might feel any discomfort and I did ask to pause towards the end of my eight minutes due to slight discomfort from the heat. While eight minutes doesn’t sound like much when you’re watching your favorite TV show, it can feel long and tiring when there is an apparatus at work on the inner workings of your lady parts with only the sound of professional silence as accompaniment. In order to distract myself and get my mind off what I was doing (and to avoid awkward eye contact with my aesthetician), I pulled out my handy dandy smartphone.
A tip: You may want to prepare something to watch on your device if you want to distract yourself during the UltraFemme 360. Just make sure you have your earphones on—maybe do away with anything that may have sex scenes—and try not to turn up the volume too much in case you need to inform your aesthetician that you need a quick break.
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Once that was done, I figured: The longest, most awkward part is over. Surely, I can take any of those five five-minute sessions now. It reminded me a little of getting a Brazilian wax. The process is designed to get the “harder” or in the case of a wax, more painful experiences, out of the way first.
We then worked on the different parts of the vulva and the time spent on each one showed just how thorough the procedure is. No wonder it’s called 360, because it improves all the parts—inside and out. It aims to provide improvement in both function and aesthetic.
By the time we reached the last zone, I was looking forward to the end of the session because I had gotten a hang of the treatment and had completely shed any ounce of inhibition I still had at the beginning. My aesthetician excused herself from the room after she removed the patch, so that I could clean up (remember the ultrasound gel?) and dress up once the treatment was over. What awaited me post treatment was a refreshing drink of my choice and some reminders before heading home: No sexual activity after 24 hours, otherwise, back to normal activities post-treatment. No downtime is real!
I drove myself home, ready to jump back into editing and writing articles. What I didn’t expect after the process was needing a nap. I fell asleep for about half an hour upon arriving home—even if I was just on my back the entire time, the treatment can still exhaust you a bit. That’s another tip: Allow yourself time to rest immediately post treatment. No, I would not advise you to go back to your spreadsheets or laptop. I surely could not.
The verdict
So after all that, the question my friends often ask me is: What did it feel like after? Was there really an effect?
I was sold on the idea of trying the UltraFemme 360 at least once because I was informed that even after one session, clients claimed there were effects. The doctor I had met with pre-treatment said the same thing. I have three children and though I did not give birth naturally for any of them, I found that there are results after just one session. My husband, who conveniently forgot that I had undergone the treatment, only had a few words to share after I had reminded him that we were road-testing. “Yes, there’s a difference,” was all I got. I suppose good things don't need too many words.
I was, however, pleasantly surprised to receive a voluntary "review" a few weeks later. I was told that the said “difference” could still be observed even weeks after one treatment. On my end, I observed there was better sensitivity to touch—in a good way—post-treatment. The radiofrequency's effect of improved blood flow was not amiss. I leave to your imagination what I meant by those last two sentences. What I can imagine are the results and positive feedback for women who undergo the full recommendation of up to four sessions weekly or every two weeks.
As for urinary incontinence, I do not suffer from it but I do feel I have better bladder control when I perform kegel exercises.
I have also received questions far more awkward than the experience of the treatment itself, questions along the lines of whether or not it was pleasurable. While I had to force myself not to roll my eyes before giving my answer, it is important to note that no, that’s not how this treatment works. If anything, it was professional and very discreet.
I have not stopped recommending the UltraFemme 360 to my closest girlfriends, especially because many of my mom friends are no longer interested in having more children. While the website recommends the treatment to women undergoing menopause and women experiencing urinary incontinence, I hope there is no shame in simply wanting to undergo vaginal rejuvenation for the sake of your own sexual health and pleasure. If it will build your marriage, maybe it’s a worthy investment.
The truth about multiple childbirths and becoming 'loose'
Growing up I have heard of a ‘loose’ vagina as a means of insulting or shaming women. Often the joke is when a woman is labeled as ‘maluwag’. It can be attributed to multiple childbirths, sometimes it is attributed to multiple sexual partners. So we asked OB-GYN and Smart Parenting Board of Experts Member Maynila Domingo, MD, FPOGS, FPSMFM, FPSUOG the truth.
She tells Smart Parenting, “There is no such thing as a ‘loose’ vagina. Over time, and due to several factors (like childbirth, hormonal changes, weight changes, etc.) the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments may become weaker making the vagina feel ‘loose’. There are certain exercises that can help strengthen the pelvic floor.
Dr. Domingo adds, “We also advise to lose weight, avoid lifting heavy objects (which all contribute to weakening of the ligaments and muscles). For some patients with some degree of prolapse, or the pelvic support is significantly weakened to cause some of the pelvic organs to go down the birth canal–in Tagalog, ‘buwa’, we do some surgical repair.”
It is recommended to consider maintaining the results of the procedure after six months. Each session is P25,000 and three sessions is P60,000. UltraFemme 360 is available at Belo Greenbelt, Greenhills, and Tomas Morato.To know if you can avail of the Ultra Femme 360, schedule a consult with Belo Medical Group.
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