Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Treatments Unsafe, Can Cause Burns: FDA

FDA advises women to stay away from these treatments and has also warned companies to stop marketing such products.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called laser treatments used for “vaginal rejuvenation” dangerous and deceptive. It announced on Monday that it has warned several companies to stop selling laser treatments for any such rejuvenation purposes.

The agency had earlier approved the laser devices for treatment of serious conditions, like cancer, genital warts, or surgery including hysterectomies. But companies are promoting the devices for several unapproved treatments for vaginal atrophy, menopause, urinary incontinence and sexual function.

There are several clinics in India offering these “laser vaginal rejuvenation” treatments as well. They claim benefits like tightening of vagina, removing dryness, itching or other vaginal issues. However, the FDA disagrees and hadn’t approved the marketing of laser devices for any of these treatments.

Here’s the catch though. It’s not illegal for doctors to use approved devices for off-label conditions in US.

The FDA has said there isn’t enough evidence to show laser devices provide benefits like vaginal rejuvenation or tightening as claimed by these companies. They can instead be harmful for women.

The New York Times quoted Dr Scott Gottlieb, the FDA commissioner as saying:

These products have serious risks and don’t have adequate evidence to support their use for these purposes. We are deeply concerned women are being harmed.

The FDA said the full extent of the risks is unknown, but that the agency has found cases of vaginal burns, scarring, and lasting pain following the treatments. The agency has received 14 reports of adverse events related to the treatments, including burning sensations and significant pain.

So the agency advises women to stay away from these and has also warned companies to stop marketing such products.

One, there’s no loosening in your vagina to tighten unless you’ve gone through childbirth. And two, they don’t work and may instead end up harming you.

Your Vagina Doesn’t Get ‘Loose’ From Regular Sex

This is one of the most prevalent myths that has been accepted as fact. It is a complete misconception that once the vagina is stretched during sex, it remains forever stretched.

You’re not “tight” as a virgin and “loose” with frequent intercourse. The muscles in the vagina relax when aroused, and then return to normal afterwards. The vagina is a stretchable organ and it’s its job to stretch that much.

It does get torn or stretched during childbirth, because of ageing and loss of hormones. But there’s no evidence that laser treatments work in that case. For that, the only options are surgeries and cosmetic procedures, which could have their own pitfalls.