What’s broadly described as the “vaginal wellness” industry has not enjoyed a very stellar reputation. Years of terrible messaging rooted in false notions of “feminine hygiene” have made it widely scorned by doctors, scientists, academics and most importantly, everyday women. It seems, however, that after decades of badly designed products and treatments that were at best ineffective and at worst, downright harmful, we may be finally turning a corner.
There is still, to be sure, room for improvement. Women certainly don’t need to balance the pH of their vaginas with special washes. Your uterus does not need to be cleansed, or steamed, or re-calibrated with a jade egg or whatever other nonsense Gwyneth Paltrow’s website, Goop, is suggesting for it.
But we are absolutely in favour of safely formulated products and treatments that address the unique concerns of women: vaginal lubricants designed specifically for female pleasure, products that make hair removal more comfortable (if hair removal is your thing!), post-sex wipes that you use because they feel good. By highlighting the unique needs of women, and their vaginas, we can destigmatize the vagina and start providing it with the positive attention and care that women want for it.
By stigmatizing the vagina as a dirty word or as a body part that is “icky” or uncomfortable to talk about, we fail to attend to the myriad real sexual health issues facing women. For example, you may be stunned to know that 3 out of 4 women experience pain during intercourse at some point in their lives. Likewise, many women experience a significant decrease in sexual pleasure after pregnancy and childbirth, in addition to other issues such as urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, inability to orgasm, and weakening of the vaginal wall.
These issues can affect all women, but are especially prevalent among women who have given birth and who are coming up to or who have entered menopause. The new vaginal wellness industry is doing a better job at talking about these issues, as well as seeking out safe solutions for women.
One such solution is what is known colloquially as “the o-shot”. It is a medical, vaginal treatment to improve sexual sensation and reduce vaginal dryness by injecting the clitoris, the vaginal opening and the vaginal wall with a combination of PRP (platelet rich plasma) and PRF (platelet rich fibrin). It can also be injected around the urethra to help with incontinence. Because this treatment can help to rejuvenate dry and dehydrated tissue it may be considered an alternative to labiaplasty.
How does the “O” Shot work?
PRP/PRF works by extracting the platelet rich plasma and fibrin from your blood and then injecting it into your skin and tissue to deliver all those growth factors and stem cells to the treated area.
When we are treating the labia, clitoris and vagina we inject small amounts of PRP/PRF via needle or cannula to help boost sexual sensation, improve incontinence, increase vaginal lubrication, and when used in combination with RF technology, tighten the vaginal wall. Your doctor will focus on your areas of concern, and deliver a targeted treatment that is right for you.
What happens during the “O” Shot procedure?
After your doctor has reviewed your medical history and clears you for treatment, they will numb the treatment area with numbing cream before applying a local anesthetic. Your doctor will then draw a few vials of blood from your arm, and place them in a centrifuge to separate out the platelet rich plasma and fibrin. The platelets and fibrins are transferred to separate needles and/or cannulas and then injected into the areas you and your doctor are hoping to target.
The entire procedure, start to finish, takes about 30 minutes, with the actual injecting taking up only 10-15 minutes. The majority of the treatment is painless—a few pokes may be slightly uncomfortable but most patients report no pain during treatment.
What can I expect after my vaginal PRP/PRF treatment?
Immediately following your treatment you will not feel much, as the area is still numb. Once the numbing wears off you may feel slightly swollen, but this will quickly subside. The vagina is a very vascular area and heals quickly.
We ask that you refrain from having sex for 5 days following treatment but can resume all your normal activities the day after treatment. It will take about one month to start feeling results, and you may need one additional treatment in 2 months. After that, once yearly maintenance is recommended.
How much does the “O” Shot cost?
The “O” Shot costs $1,200 per treatment.
If you’re interested in learning more we encourage you to book a complimentary consultation with Dr. Goyal at our Mississauga clinic, which is permitted to stay open performing medical treatments.
