How aging affects the vagina

Aging is not always an easy process for every woman and this is because the body experiences a lot of changes in various degrees which varies according to each individual. And like other parts of the body, the vagina also goes through changes as it ages. Once you get close to menopause, its parts don’t look or function in the same they did when you were younger. It is common to experience dryness, drooping and a lack of lubrication at this stage of life.

While these changes are natural, their effects on your bathroom habits and sex life may not be welcome. Some of the changes include:

Dryness: The hormone estrogen keeps the tissues of your vagina healthily plump and moist but estrogen levels drop around the time of menopause, those sensitive tissues are left high and dry. Dryness is one of the more distressing symptoms of menopause. It can make sex uncomfortable or even painful. Use a lubricant to reduce friction. And have sex regularly to keep up the moisture you still have.

Less hair: Hair goes through natural cycles where it grows for a period of time and then falls out. As your hair gets older, its growth cycle shortens. At the same time, a drop in estrogen makes testosterone your body’s dominant hormone. Testosterone fuels hair loss and when more hair falls out than your body can replace, you will start to see areas of thinning. It happens on your scalp and it happens on your vagina too.

Drooping: The muscles of your pelvic floor act like a sling that supports your uterus, bladder, rectum and the top of your vagina. Childbirth and menopause weaken these muscles, which can make the organs in your pelvis droop. This is called prolapse. Sometimes an organ falls all the way into the vagina and creates a bulge. Devices and medical procedures can give your pelvic organs a lift and treat prolapse.

Loose labia: Skin tone gets worse because of the age-related loss of elastin and collagen; proteins that once kept it taut. That’s true for the skin on your face as well as your labia, the folds on either side of your vagina. Sagging is less obvious when it’s inside your pants, but if it bothers you, there are surgical procedures to plump and firm up your labia.

Shrinkage: The loss of estrogen around the time of menopause makes the once-stretchy tissues of the vagina thinner and less elastic. It seems like a case of “use it or lose it.” If you don’t have sex often enough, your vagina can get shorter and narrower. So when you do have sex, it will hurt. Maintaining a healthy sex life will keep your vagina loose and limber.

Going grey: You may expect the hair on your head to go grey as the years pass, but finding your first grey hair down there can come as a big shock; your pubic hair turns grey for the same reason that the hair on your head does. As you age, the pigment cells inside each hair follicle die and stop producing the chemical melanin that gives your hair its colour. As melanin production slows, your pubic hair turns grey or white.

Sex makes you sore:  You will feel the loss of estrogen when you try to make love. Dryness plus thinning of tissues in the vagina add up to painful penetration. Over time, the delicate tissues can tear and bleed.

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