Women know they’ll have hot flashes and mood swings when they reach menopause, but most aren’t prepared for the vaginal changes that cause dryness, itching, and painful intercourse. The doctors at Urological Associates can help women overcome these problems with an innovative laser, the MonaLisa Touch®. It’s specially designed to improve your vaginal health with just three treatments that only last five minutes each. To learn more about the MonaLisa Touch, call the office in Charlottesville, Virginia, or book an appointment online.
request an appointmentWhat is the MonaLisa Touch?
The MonaLisa Touch is a laser that safely and effectively treats the postmenopausal changes that take place in the tissues lining your vagina. There are two key reasons why this laser is so effective.
First, it’s a fractional laser, which means it takes a single beam of laser energy and divides it into many microbeams of light. As a result, the laser treats tiny areas of tissue while leaving the surrounding tissues untouched. This technique treats enough to trigger a therapeutic effect, yet the remaining healthy tissues promote faster healing.
The MonaLisa Touch also reaches a precise depth below the surface and emits heat at the controlled temperature needed to trigger cellular changes.
What problems are treated with the MonaLisa Touch?
Estrogen is an important hormone when it comes to maintaining the health of your vagina. When levels of estrogen decline due to menopause, surgical removal of your ovaries, or any other reason, the vaginal lining becomes dry, thin, and less elastic. Additionally, blood flow and lubrication decrease.
This condition, called vaginal atrophy, causes symptoms such as:
- Vaginal dryness
- Painful intercourse
- Genital itching
- Bleeding after intercourse
You’re also more likely to develop urinary incontinence after menopause because estrogen also keeps your urinary tract tissues healthy.
How does the MonaLisa Touch work?
Your doctor inserts the narrow MonaLisa Touch into the vagina, where the device sends laser energy into the vaginal tissues. As the laser reaches structures below the surface, the heat triggers the production of blood vessels, collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
The increase in collagen rebuilds strength, elastin restores resilience, and hyaluronic acid boosts hydration. As a result, vaginal tissues become healthier and your symptoms of vaginal atrophy are diminished.
What should I expect during and after my MonaLisa Touch treatment?
One session only takes five minutes, and the procedure is so gentle that it doesn’t require any anesthesia. Although you won’t need to take downtime, you may have some mild discomfort or swelling after your MonaLisa Touch procedure. These side effects only last a few days.
When will I see results?
Most patients notice an improvement after the first treatment, but the full procedure calls for three treatments spaced over an 18-week period. When your three treatments are finished, you’ll only need an annual maintenance session.
You don’t need to put up with painful intercourse and vaginal dryness after menopause. Call Urological Associates or book an appointment online.