Women’s health has the potential to be a sizable and rewarding portion of an aesthetic physician’s practice, according to Tess Mauricio, M.D., who presented during The Aesthetic Visionaries session at The Aesthetic Show in Las Vegas.
“Studies show that over 50% of women will suffer urinary incontinence during their lifetime, especially around menopause, and which is worsened by obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Mauricio, a dermatologist and founder of M Beauty Clinic in Beverly Hills and San Diego, California.
Similarly, dyspareunia, which is painful sexual intercourse, affects up to 50% of women.
“The majority of our patients are still women, who come in for us to help them with their wrinkles, their aging and sagging skin and their unwanted fat,” Dr. Mauricio said. “But part of the conversation should be about these other medical issues because there are amazing nonsurgical ways to truly help our patients. We can now provide our patients with a holistic inside and outside treatment regimen to improve their quality of life.”
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment of the vaginal area, popularly known as the O-Shot, is able to treat both incontinence and dyspareunia.
“PRP has growth factors that can restore the mucosa and help renew the tissues,” Dr. Mauricio said.
PRP can be injected in key areas of the vagina to help turn back the hands of time in the aging process.
Likewise, lasers used for skin resurfacing to create new collagen and to reverse the aging process of the skin can be used intravaginally and on the external part of the vagina to spur new collagen and tighten laxity for better pelvic support and renewal of the mucosa, “which can help with dryness and pain,” said Dr. Mauricio.
Dr. Mauricio’s laser of choice is the CO2RE Intima (Syneron). She is also part of the VConfidence network of providers to help create awareness for these important procedures.
“I encourage my patients to schedule a combination treatment of laser and the PRP, which we call the VTimeMachine,” Dr. Mauricio said. “We find that even with a single visit, patients can experience pretty amazing results. However, some patients will need a second treatment at about eight weeks out and most patients will require a yearly maintenance.”
The in-office VTime Machine under local anesthesia takes about 30 minutes, with minimal downtime.
Noticeable effects normally occur within one month and can take up to six months for the full result.
“We have had patients who have gone from not being able to have sex to basically feeling they can enjoy sex again,” Dr. Mauricio said. “We have also had patients with urinary incontinence who have tried everything medically available to them, but now find they have better control.”