Everything You Need to Know About Vaginal Fillers: A Comprehensive Guide

Vaginal fillers are materials used for non-surgical aesthetic correction of roomy and saggy vaginas with wrinkled and loose vaginal lips. These injectable agents help rejuvenate and restore a youthful appearance by effacement of wrinkles, repleting volume and recontouring intimate body parts.

Why are Vaginal Fillers Used?

Aging, childbirth, weight loss, hormonal imbalances and cancer treatments are some of the factors that decrease the elasticity of the vaginal walls and labial skin, causing labial sagging and flappy vagina. Decreasing levels of estrogen also play a role in women approaching menopause. This affects sexual intimacy due to physical discomfort during intercourse and also has adverse mental effects in terms of negative body image. Thankfully there are many options available for regaining that youthful appearance, and using vaginal fillers is one of them.

Types of Dermal Fillers Used For Vaginal Rejuvenation

There are several types of vaginal fillers available. Which agent suits your condition the best is decided by your aesthetic practitioner after anatomical considerations and detailed consultation. This involves determining the best agents in terms of invasiveness, time of the procedure and post-procedure recovery time.  Some commonly used ones are discussed below with their popular brand names.

It is important to note that most of these are used off-label for labial and vaginal aesthetic procedures and are not FDA-approved for these indications.

Cost of The Procedure

The cost of vaginal fillers varies depending on the expertise and geographical location of the practitioner. Also, the type and extent of the procedure in terms of time and effort it requires and the amount of volumizing agent used determines the final cost.

In the case of fat grafting, the client’s own fat is used, so the filler cost will be negated from overall expenses.

Consultation With the Aesthetic Practitioner

• You must schedule a pre-procedure visit with a board-qualified and experienced aesthetic practitioner who will examine you and then discuss your expectations and the extent to which different fillers work.
• In fat grafting cases, the donor site from which the fat will be taken is examined for suitability. You will be counselled regarding the preferred donor site, i.e., inner thigh and incision site, i.e., groin crease and the number of stitches, usually two only. You will also be counselled about the available options and procedures, incision size and site for taking autologous fat and the recovery process in detail. 
• Before the procedure, you may be asked to discontinue certain medications like anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Smokers would be asked to stop smoking at least 6 weeks prior to surgery. Pre-procedure photographs may be taken to compare with the after-procedure results.
• An appointment for the procedure is scheduled after addressing all these issues.

Important Precautions

• Stop smoking and using narcotics at least 6 weeks prior to the procedure as they decrease blood flow to the skin, increasing the chances of skin necrosis
• Stop using anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, as they increase the chances of bleeding and hematoma formation.
• Stop using herbal medications as they are blood thinners.

The Procedure

Depending upon your pre-procedure consultation, your aesthetic provider performs the procedure. Following are the common procedures carried out.

1.  Labial augmentation

• You may be asked to take a bath and shave your labia before coming for the procedure.
• You will be positioned in a lithotomy position, and the areas where the fillers are to be applied will be marked
• A topical numbing agent will be applied to reduce pain from the puncture of the filler needle. 
• The provider will then inject small amounts of dermal fillers into the targeted areas of labia majora and minora to plump and contour the vaginal lips. 
• The procedure typically takes 30 minutes to complete, and there is usually no downtime required afterward.
• You may be provided with an ice pack or topical numbing agent to reduce discomfort after the procedure
• If you opt for autologous fat, then your procedure will be done under local anesthesia with light sedation. You will be asked to come for the procedure nil by mouth for at least 6 hours prior to it. After making an incision in a hidden crease, fat is harvested with a vacuum-assisted syringe, prepared and then injected through a small fat injection cannula.

2. G-shot

The G-spot is a highly erogenous area on the anterior vaginal wall that helps in sexual arousal. The G-Shot improves sexual gratification, and there are claims about it being effective in treating stress incontinence by supporting the urethra.

• A pelvic exam is done to locate it, followed by local anesthetic application
• The dermal filler is then injected into the identified spot
• You may be asked to wear a tampon for a few hours to minimize bleeding from the puncture site
• You can resume daily activities immediately; however, you may be advised to refrain from sexual activity for a few days
• Vaginal fillers may also be administered along the length of both anterior and posterior vaginal walls to increase their thickness, thus creating a firmer and tighter vaginal canal.

Post-Procedure Care

• Redness, swelling, bruising and slight discomfort for the initial few days post-procedure are common and should not cause concern
• Those who undergo autologous fat injection will have slight pain at the donor incision site; the dressing will remain there for a few days and on the 7^th post-op day, the stitches will be removed and the wound will be left open
• If severe pain and swelling do not subside or if skin discolouration occurs, contact your provider
• It is better to avoid sexual intercourse and tampon use for a few days to decrease migration chances of the filler.

Potential Risks & Complications of Vaginal Fillers

In addition to the above-mentioned common side effects, the following risks, although rare, are associated with vaginal fillers

• Bleeding at the injection site
• Vascular compromise if the filler is compressing a blood vessel 
• Infection at the injection site
• Asymmetry due to over or under-correction
• Filler migration to adjacent non-target areas

• Nodule formation due to excessive superficial placement of the filler or inappropriate dilution of the agent.
• Granulomas formation due to delayed immunological response
• Cyst formation in case of fat grafting.
• Damage to the skin resulting in possible scarring
• Dyspareunia (painful sex)

In all such cases, contact your provider for further evaluation and treatment.

Results Of Vaginal Fillers

Patients undergoing vaginal rejuvenation using vaginal fillers have reported the following results of the procedure

• Fuller and plumper labia majora
• Less protruding labia minora
• Increased vaginal tightness
• Improved vaginal sensitivity
• Reduced symptoms of stress urinary incontinence
• Enhanced sexual gratification
• Restored symmetry 
• Improved lubrication of the vagina
• Less pain during intercourse

Please note the results depend on the type of fillers used, the extent of the procedure as well as the expertise of the provider. Maintaining overall good health and taking care of your skin with appropriate products is advisable.

Contraindications For Vaginal Fillers

Your aesthetic consultant will advise you against the use of vaginal fillers if you have any of the following conditions:

• History of allergic reactions to the components of filler injections
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Infection or inflammation at the injection site
• Malignant tumours of the vulva and vagina

Further Options for Vaginal Rejuvenation

Women who are not satisfied with the results of vaginal fillers, do not want to inject fillers or have scarred vaginas may consider alternate procedures that are either minimally invasive or laser invasive:

1. Labiaplasty
2. Vaginoplasty
3. Vaginal Tightening Surgery
4. Femilift

Top-Rated Vaginal Rejuvenation Clinic in New Jersey

Alinea Labiaplasty & Vaginoplasty NJ is the leading clinic in minimally invasive and non-invasive vaginal rejuvenation procedures in New Jersey. Schedule a personal consultation today to determine which approach best suits your vaginal aesthetic and functional goals.