All Ways of Vaginal Change during Menopause

During menopause, heat flashes, night sweats and mood swings often attract attention, but the “changes” also cause problems under the belt.

“Estrogen is our superpower, and the instability of this important hormone negatively affects the vulva and vagina during menopause,” explains the author and certified Dr. OB/Gyn.

The post talks with two experts to break down what menopause can do – heck – from sparse to dry, to pieces of ladies that look completely different from before.

What is menopause?

Menopause occurs in three different behaviors. The first stage, the perimenopause, usually begins in the late 1940s and can last for several years. It is characterized by irregular periods, hormone fluctuations, and the onset of many familiar symptoms.

The second stage, menopause, was achieved in a period of 12 consecutive months, and the third stage of menopause began after a whole year or a year, and lasted for the rest of the woman’s life.

“During the whole year, annoying genital symptoms begin, but they are not so destructive until menopause officially begins,” Ross said.

Don’t tell Cardi B: WAP is gone

“The main reason for genital changes during menopause is the decline in estrogen,” said Dr. Anat Sapan, a board-certified OB/Gyn and menopause expert.

During this transition period, estrogen levels may drop as much as 90%, resulting in many unpleasant side effects.

“In low or non-existent estrogen, the blood flows in vulva and vaginal tissues lead to dryness, contraction of vaginal openings, and less natural lubrication, resulting in pain, itching, irritation, burning, burning and painful penetration,” Ross said.

The vaginal tissue also becomes thinner and less elastic, which further leads to discomfort for daily activities and negatively affects sexual health.

Don’t watch it’s so robbed

They say it is the importance of the inside – but the external vulva has also undergone some changes.

“Menopausality changes the appearance of the vulva,” Sapan said. “The labia minora usually become thinner and may contract, or in some cases seem to disappear completely because tissue volume decreases with estrogen loss.”

The distribution of fat also changes, which can create a sagging appearance – in fact, some women are now even injecting fillers into their labia to “blow” them.

She added: “The clitoris may retract, sometimes exposing the clitoris of the glans more prominently.”

Additionally, pubic hair becomes thinner and grayer.

According to Sapan, these symptoms are usually tied to the term menopause (GSM), affecting 50% to 70% of postmenopausal women.

Microbiome and imbalanced VA-Jay-Jay

It seems that the body changes are not enough, and menopause also destroys the vaginal microbiome.

“Life and balance in the vagina go hand in hand,” Ross said. “The vagina is usually acidic. This sounds frightening, but it is the preferred pH balance and is perfect for many protective organisms, living happily while protecting the vagina from infection.”

However, as menopausal estrogen levels declined, the vaginal microbiome was hit and the amount of protective bacteria in Lactobacillus decreased. This transition triggers a change in vaginal pH, from a healthy acidic range to an alkaline pH.

The new environment attracts harmful pathogens, which Ross says can increase women’s risk of yeast and bacterial infections.

You may piss

Menopause also causes losses to your pelvic floor, which plays a crucial role in supporting the uterus, bladder, and intestines.

When menopause strikes, hormone changes and aging can weaken them, causing serious problems in their strength and function.

“Loss of estrogen during menopause negatively affects healthy blood flow and lubrication of muscles and tissues in the pelvic floor,” Ross said.

“As a result, weakening of the pelvic floor muscles leads to urinary incontinence, bladder dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, poor pelvic floor strength and sexual problems,” she added.

Studies have shown that 25 to 50% of postmenopausal women deal with some form of urinary incontinence or involuntary leakage. According to Ross, this common problem often leads many women to rely on protective pads, a solution that can inadvertently increase the risk of vulva dryness and irritation.

What is now?

While many changes to the appearance cannot be completely avoided, Ross says they can be minimized.

“Healthy feminine hygiene care – proper cleaning, moisturizing and moisturizing – protects the vulva and vagina from dryness, itching, irritation, infection, breakthroughs, and other causes of mature aging,” she said.

For problems such as thinning tissue and dryness, Sapan recommends using vaginal moisturizers and lubricants to reduce symptomatic relief.

“Prescription therapy includes non-hormonal prescriptions, Ostner, oral or vaginal estrogen cream, tablets and esterin, which have proven to be the best results,” Ross said.

For those who want to avoid prescriptions, Sapan recommends advanced options such as radiofrequency therapy or fractional CO2 laser treatments to stimulate collagen production and rejuvenate.

If you experience pain during the penetration, Ross says the vaginal dilator may help stretch the vaginal opening.

To help balance your vaginal pH, Sapan recommends trying topical estrogen therapy, which can help support the regeneration of Lactobacillus bacteria.

“Probiotic supplements containing specific lactic acid bacteria strains can complement these methods by directly reintroducing beneficial bacteria to help normalize the vaginal environment,” she noted.

If you are dealing with changes in the pelvic floor, physical therapy can help improve muscle coordination and strength.

“While Kegel exercises are often recommended, professional assessments are valuable because some women experience hyperosmotic (too tight) rather than pelvic floor dysfunction, requiring different treatments,” Sapan said.