The newly developed vaginal lasers for rejuvenation are getting more and more common in the US and I was given the opportunity to buy one at the very onset … and did not do so.
Here’s why:
1. Only a very small subset of women should truly not use hormones, particularly vaginal application of hormones. The laser folk make no claims that lasers are superior to hormones, they are just a novel approach. You know they create micro-injuries which Induce healing mechanisms to be instigated-increasing blood flow and tissue regeneration. I’ll not deny it may work. But it is not superior to hormones.
If I’m giving just vaginal hormones, then my preference is for Vaginal DHEA cream. Second is vaginal estriol, and last is vaginal estradiol.
2. I view the development of vaginal atrophy as the “canary in the room!” A woman with such damaged tissue from hormonal deficiency has many more sites of damage. The vagina is just the obvious issue.
I view menopause as the drying up of the woman – dry eyes, dry bladder, dry brain, dry arteries, dry GI tract … and yes … dry vagina. A vaginal laser will do nothing for those other sites!! I am not into just symptomatic treatment (though symptoms do matter), I’m into addressing the root cause of the problems which is a hormonal, not a laser, deficiency!!
3. I see the vaginal lasers and those who speak for them, as a money grabs on menopausal women still inappropriately fearful of hormones. In fact, the laser mentality further embeds the fears they have deeper – for why use a laser if hormones are safe?
4. The cost for the single purpose laser was $220,000 and I think it’s now $245,000. For a low price, I’d say, use it as a jump start only and also begin hormones for true rejuvenation. A doctor would have to push it like crazy to see a return on investment! I’d hate to see doctors who own these lasers working all the time trying to convince all women to get treatments!
If you give the vagina the hormones it needs, it stays healthy. Same for all organs.
I heartily believe in physiologic hormones. Cells do as they are told and hormones do the telling. It’s that simple to me! And estrogen is the master of metabolic homeostasis! To function like a healthy woman, you need healthy hormone levels!
So now you have my take on vaginal lasers!
