Crows feet. A less taut chin. Saggy eyelids. Our face is what the world sees and what we tend to focus on as we age. But the vagina undergoes just as many changes through the years. From the moment a woman starts puberty until menopause, the vagina continues to change.
A Slimmer Vagina
The end of puberty signals the end of vaginal growth. In other words, your organs have stopped growing. During your 20s, the labia majora, or those outer lips that surround that area down there, will start to slim down. It’s just a part of the aging process, as you essentially lose all that “baby fat” the genitals also slim down.
Getting Ready for Baby
While the average age that women in the United States give birth to their first child is about 26, the number of women having children in their 30s is skyrocketing. So, while the age at which the birth of a child is varied, the effect pregnancy and childbirth have on the vagina is essentially the same.
Pregnancy hormones can cause darkening of the labia minora, which are the inner “lips” that surround the clitoris and vaginal opening. In addition, women who have vaginal births, particularly multiple vaginal births, may deal with vaginal laxity, a condition that occurs when those muscles don’t bounce back to their previous state.
As Egg Supply Declines
During the early 40s, most women are still ovulating and getting their monthly cycles. Still, changes are brewing. As their egg supply starts to decrease, cycles tend to be shorter and eventually taper off around 50 or so.
Arrival of Menopause
Menopause can cause a whole host of issues down there as estrogen levels drop. From dryness and looseness to urinary stress incontinence and even burning during sex, the aging vagina deals with a lot of not-so-pleasant issues.
Vaginal Rejuvenation at Any Age
Many women are turning to vaginal rejuvenation to alleviate many of the issues associated with both childbirth and aging. Women can choose from either vaginoplasty or labiaplasty, two procedures which tighten the vaginal muscles and get rid of excess skin.
To learn more about these procedures, along with several other minimally invasive treatment options, contact Doctor Ghozland’s office for a free consultation.