THE MOST hush-hush menopause effects are the three that hit the vagina. Skin becoming drier and thinner is usually noticed first—when intercourse gets painful. “I had a patient crying,” recalls Christy Watson, founder of Body Bar MD. “Her doctor ignored her, saying, ‘You must not like your husband much.’” Also common is loosening of the pelvic floor, which leads to urinary incontinence. An FDA-cleared device, VTone, can improve elasticity by increasing blood flow and collagen as well as tighten muscles with electrostimulation. Lastly, owing to hormonal changes, color fades and the labia minora becomes bigger than the labia majora. “Many just want to look pretty again,” says Watson. To that end, she employs radiofrequency microneedling, a vaginal-specific process akin to “shrink wrapping,” as she describes it. Of course, not every treatment is right for every woman, but if you’re unhappy, investigate your options. The woman who was in tears? Watson vividly recalls what she said after treatment. “I got my marriage back.” —C.V.
