I Got My Vagina Tightened

Love thy vagina, love thy self.

Although I've never fielded any complaints in the vagina department, I'm a mom who gave birth vaginally — twice. Shortly after giving birth for the first time, I suffered from vaginal dryness, which, thankfully, didn't last too long, and I had incontinence issues, which also eventually went away. But I still never really felt like everything down there totally went back to normal.

Given the growing trend of vaginal rejuvenation — the American Society of Plastic Surgeons cites it as one of the fastest growing plastic surgery trends — I decided to try out a laser vaginal tightening procedure. Why not let Elizabeth Eden, OB/GYN at VSPOT MediSpain Manhattan work her magic on my favorite body part?

VSPOT MediSpa's tightening (or "rejuvenation") procedure is called the FemiLift, and it's an FDA-approved non-invasive laser designed to strengthen and tighten the vaginal walls, and address vaginal dryness that can result from low estrogen, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause, and various medications. It can even help with incontinence (because you shouldn't have to live in fear of peeing your pants every time you laugh too hard over cocktails). And, perhaps most notably, it's supposed to make sex feel incredible.

The laser works by creating painless tiny tears in the vaginal canal that prompt the body to build up new collagen and blood vessels. As the body heals, Eden explains, its causes all of the above benefits thanks to more supple, stronger vaginal tissue and improved lubrication. (Ahem, cue the insane sex.)

The FemiLift has been offered in Europe for several years and is fairly new to the states, but VSPOT founder Cindy Barshop, a former cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City, says it's only a matter of time before American women consider going to sexual health and wellness centers an integral part of their lifestyle regimens.

"In 10 years, there will be one on every corner," Barshop predicts, adding that the average FemiLift clientele ranges from women in her early thirties who have recently given birth to women going through menopause who refuse to sacrifice their sexual pleasure to hormonal changes.

After our initial consultation, during which Eden and Barshop thoroughly explained the ins and outs of what to expect during the 10-minute treatment (I was grateful to hear the word "painless" repeated several times), it was show time. I was escorted to an examining room complete with a gynecologist's chair with stirrups, the laser machine, and a rack of women's fashion magazines. I removed my shoes, pants, and underwear and draped a paper tissue over my privates, though after having spent the last half hour discussing vaginas and clitorises like they were must-see shows on Netflix, all traces of shame had vanished. Our conversation abated my nerves a bit, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to having terrifying thoughts of a laser scorching my vagina to a burnt crisp.

When Eden returned to the room, she briefly examined my vagina to make sure everything looked OK down there — it's highly recommended that you visit your gynecologist before a FemiLift, just to be safe — and promised she would narrate every move throughout the treatment. She began by introducing me to my new laser friend, a device that would be inserted into my vagina and that I can only describe as the most charismatic and glam dildo I've ever seen.

She slipped a wand-type apparatus over the machine, which feature 360-degree rotation. It's less gross than one might imagine because not only is it never used again on another patient, it's given to the patient in a sterile tube to take home so she can bring it back with her to her next FemiLift procedure. I opted to keep mine at the clinic and they'll hold on to it until my next procedure.

Eden coated it with lubricant, and explained that, because my vaginal canal measured about three inches (which is normal; most women's vaginas are between 2-4 inches in length), she would insert the wand so that the laser could focus on three points in my vagina — the point farthest away from my vaginal opening, right in the center, and close to the vaginal opening. While resting at each point, the device would rotate eight times and deliver an energy frequency. She would perform this routine three times and increase the energy frequency with each round.

Having a foreign device inserted into your vagina as you sit inside a clinic is few people's idea of a fun Monday, but the procedure was as painless as had been promised — it felt like a heavy-flow tampon was being continuously implanted into my body, even as Eden turned up the frequency. Having something rotate against your vaginal walls might make you feel like a rotisserie chicken, but it's still about 10 times more comfortable than your average pap smear. It was over before I knew it! Eden reminded me that I might experience some discharge and should avoid having sex for four days, but that I could otherwise resume all normal activities.

Immediately following the procedure, I took myself out for dinner alone to celebrate my new vagina. There's something sexy about treating yourself to a procedure designed to enhance your pleasure and I automatically felt more turned on and ready to jump all over my husband, even though I still had to wait a few days until I was in the clear. I experienced zero side effects or pain the next few days, but I noticed a reduction in my need to urinate while performing my usual HIIT workout. It's too soon to tell if the laser caused this effect, but I'll take it.

Oh, and the sex...well, the most noticeable thing about sex a few days after the FemiLift procedure was that I became very lubricated fast — I'm talking before we were even halfway into foreplay. That alone made sex intensely pleasurable from the get-go. As for whether I felt tighter, I didn't notice a difference, but ,again, I was told it usually takes up to three procedures to feel a firmer grip on your partner's penis. My husband's response: "It felt amazing."

That said, every patient's response to the FemiLift is different, but most notice results after three treatments spaced out between 4-6 weeks — and I'll certainly return for the full course to see what happens.

Quasi-resolved bladder issues and great sex aside, the most important takeaway for me after undergoing the laser wasn't that a tighter vagina is key to a woman's happiness — because it's not. My husband and I work hard to keep our sex life healthy and hot, and I don't believe we have to change our bodies to feel good about ourselves. But there's no shame in showing your vagina a little love — and if procedures like these result in better sex, more powerful orgasms, and pee-less workouts, all the better.

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