Ultimate Intimate Makeover
This 45-year-old woman, no longer interested in sex, will try anything to feel and look attractive, including going through a procedure totally unknown to her. “I feel brand-new all over,” she declared after.
A 62-year- old housewife, wanting to do something for herself, underwent the same procedure. “I should have done it earlier,” she said, feeling empowered.
A 52-year-old real estate broker was experiencing discomfort due to recurrent vaginal discharge. After the procedure, she revealed, “I took charge of my overall well-being with this intimate makeover.”
A 42-year-old businesswoman from Zamboanga wanted relief from vaginal looseness causing mild, leaky urination. “My husband was pleased I underwent the procedure. Our nights are reminiscent of our honeymoon days.”
A 38-year- old business executive decided on the procedure after having three children. “I did it for myself,” she said. “My husband is happy because I’m happy, I feel good all over and will recommend this to every woman.”
Those are just a few of the women who have benefitted from aesthetic gynecology, the surgery of the most intimate part of a woman. “Simply put, it is the science of the most intimate makeover®”, says Dr. Annebelle D. Aherrera, an obstetrician and gynecologist who has been practising for the last 30 years. In the last decade, she has been specializing in aesthetic gynecology and performed the procedure on the happy women above.
“This provides women healthy alternatives that liberate them with the knowledge and the choice when it comes to their vaginal health and overall feminine well-being, making them look good, feel good and feel sexually confident inside and out,” Dr. Aherrera explains.
Dr. Aherrera with Dr. Red Alinsod in Laguna Beach, CA
Two Faces
This lady doctor, who has delivered over 3,000 babies to date, noted that a woman has two faces. “One up and one down below,” she points out, adding that many women go to great lengths to make their face look younger than their age without realizing that their face below likewise needs attention.
Going into specifics, she describes the face down below in relation to our real face, “Your cheeks would be likened to your outer lips labia majora; the crease between cheek and base of the nose would be the inner lips or labia minora; the bridge of the nose would be the clitoris and going midline down the mouth would be the vagina; the chin would be the perineum, the space between the anus and vagina; and the anus right underneath the chin.
“Aesthetic gynecology is an emerging field in the country,” she continues. “What was once an unspoken word or taboo is now openly discussed among women as they experience changes after pregnancy and childbirth or simply from the process of aging.” She adds that it is time to reach out and further increase self-awareness to address feminine forms of intimate dysfunction.
“It is our ultimate goal to redefine the overall concept of feminine wellness,” Dr. Aherrera explains.
Dr. Aherrera with Dr. David Matlock in Beverly Hills, CA
Vaginal Rejuvenation
At the outset, Dr. Aherrera stresses that vaginal aesthetic rejuvenation is not a procedure. The term has been coined and introduced in the market as “laser vaginal rejuvenation®,” trademarked by Dr. David Matlock, an obstetrician and gynecologist who founded the Laser Vaginal Institute of America in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.
She trained under him in 2007 and introduced it upon coming home within the year, with the support of the Makati Medical Center Aesthetic Unit. “This is a bloodless procedure based on the principle of plastic surgery, bearing in mind a symmetry resulting in achieving the form, function and pleasing appearance of the affected area,” she discloses.
The doctor shares that such procedure called V RESTORE or vaginal restoration as a safe, painless, and effective solution to a variety of intimate dysfunctions brought about by the natural process of aging that results in vaginal dryness and loss of vaginal tone; as well as functional impairment resulting in the involuntary passage of urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing, or straining; and vaginal laxity or looseness brought about by pregnancy and childbirth.
The doctor adds that aesthetic imperfections resulting in hypertrophy of the labia minora or smaller inner lips (could be congenital in nature), sagging vulvar labia skin, and discoloration, can likewise be rectified.
She explains further that many women also request for this procedure for non-functional reasons like “a gaping vaginal introitus; discomfort secondary to irritation from excessive vaginal discharges; and poor control of pelvic floor musculature.”
What she offers, she remarks, is a 90-minute out-patient surgical procedure. “The technique involves using a laser pencil that cuts, dissects and tightens muscles of the upper bottom and outwards structure of the vulva. Tub baths, gymnasium and aerobic exercise are not allowed after surgery and there should be no sexual contact for six to eight weeks.
The Designer Laser Vaginoplasty® is another term trademarked by Dr. Matlock that describes procedures for irregular genital structures.
Non-invasive Way
For women who may not need surgical intervention but may have dysfunction brought about by the natural process of aging, Thermiva® is recommended.
This is a temperature-controlled radiofrequency (RF) equipment used for the first non-invasive, non-surgical vaginal restoration procedure approved by the Food and Drugs Administration of the United States that helps revive and restore loose sagging labial skin, loose vaginal wall, dry vulva and dry vagina, loose mucosa, loss of sensitivity and fascial support. This treatment is a healthy alternative for women who suffer not only from functional and aesthetic impairments but from the process of aging.
Dr. Aherrera said that this was developed and pioneered in as early as 2007 by Dr. Red Alinsod, a renowned Filipino urogynecologist from Laguna Beach, California, founder and director of the Alinsod Institute of Aesthetic Vulvovaginal Surgery. She trained under him in early 2017.
This “procedure” takes a span of 20 to 30 minutes– consisting of 10 to 15 minutes for the vulvar area, and 15 to 20 minutes in the vaginal area. It is performed in three sessions, one month apart, and with a yearly maintenance therapy. Radiofrequency uses the Science of heat that is delivered deep into the tissues using a delicately designed S-shaped hand piece to massage around the affected area. Additionally, the vaginal mucosa thickens and tightens resulting in improved moisture and no more leaky urine.
Since there are no side effects and no downtime after treatment, resumption of normal activities including sexual intercourse is allowed. However, the “procedure” is not for pregnant women as well as for those with vaginal infections and implants.
Requirements
These procedures have important requirements prior to undergoing them.
For the surgical procedure, a comprehensive consultation is required. Patients are screened and educated to come up with an informed decision and an operative plan to meet their individual needs.
They are likewise informed of risks and complications and a medical clearance is required.
Advocacy
As an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Aherrera says that they are trained and qualified to perform these procedures while repairing episiotomies for vaginal and vulvar lacerations from vaginal births to provide the correct form and appearance. Additionally, they perform vaginal pelvic floor procedures to correct functional impairment.
“The new innovative techniques and procedures I have discussed are great improvements from those I have learned almost 30 years ago,” she reveals, giving full credit to her renowned doctors for her acquired knowledge and skill. She likewise confides that these procedures are performed by only a handful of gynecologists in the country who were formally and fully trained by pioneering doctors abroad.
In line with this new technology that addresses the needs of today’s women, Dr. Aherrera recently initiated her Advocacy for Feminine Wellness. “This speaks of my undying desire and passion to uplift women of all ages and encompassing all intricacies and concerns from each segment in their life cycle from infancy, youth, puberty, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, premenopausal and post menopausal phases.”
