For women of all ages, access to proper and timely intimate healthcare services is vital to maintaining a sound quality of life. Physical and emotional changes occur throughout a woman’s natural life cycle, starting from the onset of puberty until after menopause, that require precise, tailor-made treatment at each step of the way.
A 2019 study conducted on 196 Saudi Arabian women aged 23-55 years on patient satisfaction post-labiaplasty showed an 89 per cent overall satisfaction rate post-op. 90 per cent of the women reported increased self-confidence and self-esteem after aesthetic intervention. The main influencing factors for women to pursue the surgery were aesthetic dissatisfaction with their labia, discomfort when wearing clothing, and painful sexual intercourse.
Similarly, a study on breast augmentation patients conducted in Norway during the same period echoed similar results, showing that motivation to opt for surgery was driven mainly by cosmetic dissatisfaction coupled with physical and practical life impairments. Emotional reasons, including low self-esteem and wanting to increase sexual attractiveness, were also reported.
With the advent of technological advancements and innovation in the medical and healthcare industry, intimate health procedures range from simple in-office procedure with little to no downtime to full transformative surgeries. Patients have the option to choose from a selection of invasive and non-invasive procedures.
Dr. Aseel Abdulrazzak, renowned Specialist OB/GYN and Aesthetic Gynaecologist at Cosme-Surge Hospital in Dubai says, “We’re seeing a rise in patients requesting aesthetic gynaecological services; ranging from simple laser procedures for hair removal for increased everyday comfort to surgical procedures such as labiaplasties and breast augmentation for those wishing to enhance themselves physically. It used to be that patients were hesitant of discussing issues related to their sexual health with their physicians, but that stigma is slowly going away. Intimate procedures used to be performed purely to correct a defect, but it is now commonplace and completely valid to want to undergo an intimate procedure just for aesthetic purposes to enhance intimate life.”
Cosmetic gynaecology covers a range of surgical and non-surgical options to transform the appearance of women’s intimate areas for a younger appearance, and to reconstruct pre-existing or new defects from childbirth or other traumas. Lasers and radio-frequency machines are utilised in intimate area rejuvenation and tightening procedures to successfully treat dryness, loose skin, hair removal, pain, itchiness, and offensive odours that hinder a satisfactory intimate life.
Dr. Aseel emphasises the positive role that aesthetic intervention plays in enhancing a woman’s intimate life and how it contributes to overall wellness. Issues faced by older women, especially close to menopause, include, intimate area dryness, skin irritation, loss of volume and asymmetric shape, while younger women tend to suffer more from aesthetic discontent.
Female intimate health encompasses a large range of both cosmetic and functional treatments and services, and is an important part of maintaining overall good health and boosting confidence. Cosmetic gynaecology is one of the fastest growing specialities globally today, and with the rise in awareness surrounding otherwise taboo subjects and continuous advances in both invasive and non-invasive procedures, is leading to improvements in quality of life of women across all walks of life.
