Many women experience changes to their vaginal and pelvic health after childbirth, during menopause, or simply with age. Urinary leakage, vaginal dryness, reduced sensation, and tissue laxity are common concerns that affect quality of life, comfort, and confidence. Yet most women suffer in silence because these topics rarely come up in everyday conversation.
Vaginal rejuvenation covers a range of treatments designed to address exactly these concerns. The options today are safer, more effective, and more accessible than ever before, but making the right choice starts with being informed.
Crabapple Medical Center in Alpharetta, Georgia offers VOTIVA, a non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatment for urinary stress incontinence and related concerns. This guide walks you through what to expect, who is a good candidate, and what to ask before moving forward.
Why Women Seek Vaginal Rejuvenation
Understanding why women consider vaginal rejuvenation begins with understanding how the body changes over time. These are not cosmetic vanities. They are genuine physiological changes that deserve thoughtful medical attention.
Childbirth and Pelvic Floor Changes
Vaginal delivery, particularly with large babies, prolonged pushing, or tearing, places significant strain on the pelvic floor muscles and vaginal tissues. Many women notice changes in vaginal tone, reduced sensation during intimacy, or weakened pelvic support after delivery. Some women experience these changes immediately after birth. Others notice them gradually over months or years. The pelvic floor is a complex system, and childbirth is one of the most significant stressors it can face.
Menopause and Hormonal Decline
As estrogen levels fall during perimenopause and menopause, vaginal tissues undergo what is medically known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause, or GSM. This condition causes vaginal thinning, dryness, reduced lubrication, and changes in pH that can lead to discomfort during daily life and intimacy. Many women in menopause also experience increased urinary urgency and frequency as the tissues that support bladder function change.
Urinary Stress Incontinence
Urinary stress incontinence refers to the involuntary leakage of urine during physical activity that increases abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, or lifting. It is extremely common, particularly among women who have given birth or who are in or past menopause, and it is one of the primary reasons women seek vaginal rejuvenation treatment. Despite its prevalence, many women suffer in silence rather than seeking help because of embarrassment. This is a medical condition with effective treatment options, and there is no reason to live with it.
Changes in Sensation and Intimacy
Reduced vaginal tone and hormonal changes can affect sensation during intimacy, which in turn affects confidence, relationships, and overall wellbeing. This is a legitimate health concern, not a superficial one, and it deserves to be addressed as part of comprehensive women’s healthcare.
What Vaginal Rejuvenation Actually Means?
Vaginal rejuvenation is an umbrella term that covers several types of treatments targeting vaginal and vulvar health. These treatments fall into two broad categories: non-surgical and surgical.
Non-Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation
Non-surgical options are the most widely chosen because they involve no incisions, no general anesthesia, minimal discomfort, and little to no recovery time. They use energy-based technologies to stimulate collagen production, improve tissue tone, restore lubrication, and strengthen pelvic floor support. The most established technologies include radiofrequency and laser-based treatments.
VOTIVA by InMode is a radiofrequency-based platform that delivers controlled thermal energy to vaginal and vulvar tissues. The heat stimulates collagen remodeling and tissue tightening, improving tone, lubrication, and pelvic floor function. VOTIVA is cleared for use in addressing urinary stress incontinence and vaginal laxity and is one of the most studied non-surgical options available.
Laser-based treatments such as MonaLisa Touch and FemiLift use fractional CO2 laser energy to stimulate tissue regeneration and collagen production. These devices are used in similar applications to radiofrequency and have a growing body of clinical evidence supporting their use in menopausal vaginal changes.
Surgical Vaginal Rejuvenation
Surgical options include procedures such as vaginoplasty, which tightens the vaginal canal through tissue removal and suturing, and labiaplasty, which reshapes the labia minora or majora for functional or aesthetic reasons. These procedures are performed under anesthesia and carry recovery periods of several weeks. They are appropriate for specific indications and are typically pursued after conservative and non-surgical options have been considered or when the degree of change requires surgical correction.
This blog focuses primarily on non-surgical options since they are the most accessible, carry the lowest risk profile, and address the concerns most women bring to their physician.
Understanding VOTIVA at Crabapple Medical Center
Crabapple Medical Center offers VOTIVA as part of its women’s care services for patients dealing with urinary stress incontinence and related vaginal health concerns. Here is what women should know about this treatment.
How VOTIVA Works
VOTIVA uses two applicators. The FormaV applicator delivers uniform radiofrequency energy to internal vaginal tissues, promoting collagen remodeling and tissue tightening from the inside. The Morpheus8V applicator delivers fractional radiofrequency energy combined with microneedling to treat external vulvar tissues, improving texture, tone, and sensitivity.
The radiofrequency energy generates gentle heat at a carefully controlled depth within the tissue. This heat triggers the body’s natural wound healing response, which includes the production of new collagen and elastin fibers. Over the weeks following treatment, tissues become firmer, better supported, and more resilient. Lubrication often improves as glandular activity is stimulated. For women with urinary stress incontinence, the improved support to the urethral and bladder neck tissues often results in reduced leakage episodes.
What a VOTIVA Session Feels Like
Most women describe the VOTIVA treatment as a warm sensation that is comfortable and well-tolerated. A session typically takes between 30 and 45 minutes. No anesthesia is required, though a topical numbing agent may be applied beforehand for comfort. Patients are able to return to normal daily activities immediately after the session. Most treatment protocols involve a series of three sessions spaced approximately four weeks apart, followed by maintenance sessions annually.
Ready to Talk About Your Options?
If you are experiencing urinary leakage, vaginal dryness, or changes in comfort and confidence, you do not have to navigate it alone. Crabapple Medical Center offers compassionate women’s health consultations where your concerns are heard, evaluated thoroughly, and met with honest, personalized recommendations.
What to Think About Before Pursuing Treatment
Before scheduling a vaginal rejuvenation consultation, there are several things worth reflecting on and discussing with your physician.
Identify Your Primary Concern
Are you dealing primarily with urinary leakage, vaginal dryness, changes in sensation, or tissue laxity? Being clear about your primary concern helps your physician recommend the most appropriate treatment. Some symptoms are better addressed through hormonal therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, or lifestyle changes, and your physician should discuss all options with you rather than immediately recommending a device-based procedure.
Understand Realistic Outcomes
Non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments produce gradual, natural-looking improvements rather than dramatic immediate changes. Most patients see meaningful improvement after a series of treatments with continued enhancement over the following months as collagen remodeling progresses. Going into treatment with realistic expectations leads to greater satisfaction.
Ask About Your Physician’s Experience
Vaginal rejuvenation treatments should always be performed by or under the direct supervision of a qualified physician who has training in women’s health and the specific technology being used. Ask how many patients your provider has treated, what results are typical, and what side effects or complications are possible.
Consider All Your Options
A responsible physician will not recommend a procedure as your only option. Pelvic floor physical therapy is highly effective for many women with stress incontinence and laxity concerns. Hormonal therapy addresses vaginal atrophy related to menopause in many patients. Lifestyle modifications including bladder training, fluid management, and pelvic exercises also play a role. A complete evaluation at Crabapple Medical Center will ensure you understand all available paths before deciding on treatment.
Review the Cost and Maintenance
Non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments are typically not covered by insurance, though treatments specifically for urinary incontinence may have partial coverage depending on your plan. Discuss cost and the recommended maintenance schedule with your physician before committing so there are no surprises.
VOTIVA for Urinary Stress Incontinence
If stress incontinence is affecting your daily life, VOTIVA at Crabapple Medical Center may be the solution you have been looking for. This non-surgical, in-office treatment delivers real results with no downtime and no surgery.
Why Choose Crabapple Medical Center for Women’s Health in Alpharetta
Crabapple Medical Center provides a full range of women’s health services in a warm, private, and judgment-free environment. From Pap smears and birth control counseling to urinary stress incontinence treatment and menopausal symptom management, CMC supports women at every stage of life with the same compassion and clinical thoroughness.
For women considering vaginal rejuvenation, Crabapple Medical Center offers VOTIVA as a proven, physician-supervised non-surgical treatment option. Every patient receives an individualized evaluation before any treatment recommendation is made, because at CMC the goal is always your health and wellbeing, not simply performing a procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VOTIVA and what does it treat?
VOTIVA is a radiofrequency-based treatment by In Mode that delivers controlled thermal energy to vaginal and vulvar tissues. It is used to address urinary stress incontinence, vaginal laxity, reduced sensation, and vaginal dryness associated with hormonal changes and aging.
Is vaginal rejuvenation painful?
Most women describe VOTIVA treatments as producing a warm sensation that is comfortable and well-tolerated. Topical numbing may be applied beforehand if preferred. There is no significant pain during or after the procedure, and patients return to normal daily activities immediately.
How many VOTIVA sessions are needed?
Most treatment protocols involve a series of three sessions spaced approximately four weeks apart. Many patients notice improvement after their first session, with continued enhancement over the following months as collagen production progresses. Annual maintenance sessions are typically recommended to sustain results.
What is the difference between VOTIVA and laser vaginal rejuvenation?
VOTIVA uses radiofrequency energy to heat and remodel vaginal and vulvar tissues, while laser-based treatments such as MonaLisa Touch use fractional CO2 laser energy for similar tissue effects. Both approaches stimulate collagen production and are used for comparable indications. Your physician can discuss which option may be most appropriate for your specific concerns.
Can vaginal rejuvenation help with menopause-related symptoms?
Yes. Many women seek vaginal rejuvenation specifically because of genitourinary changes during menopause, including vaginal dryness, tissue thinning, and urinary symptoms. VOTIVA can complement other menopausal management strategies including hormonal therapy and lifestyle adjustments.