Vaginal dryness treatments.
If you are one of the many people who experience vaginal dryness, the good news is that there are a lot of treatment options to help with the discomfort. These range from over the counter to prescription based by a medical provider.
Lubricants and vaginal moisturizers
The two most common over the counter remedies for vaginal dryness include lubricants and vaginal moisturizers. Lubricants just mimic the body’s natural lubrication and can be easily applied to the area around the vulva (lips) of the vagina just before you are about to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
Vaginal moisturizers, on the other hand, can be used for increased comfort overall at any time. They are typically applied 2-3 times a week and can last for up to 3 days before reapplication is needed. They both have the same action, but the difference is in timing and amount of application.
Vaginal Massagers
In addition to lubrication, massage can help increase circulation and encourage elasticity. Using your fingertips, you can press and use a circular motion on every part of your inner and outer labia to generate more blood flow to the area. Internal massage wands like the Pamper Massage Wand can also help with relaxation, blood flow and elasticity.
Prescriptions
Depending on your symptoms, your medical provider might also suggest prescriptive based treatments that enhance estrogen in the body in order to combat vaginal dryness. These can include:
Most of the research that has been done (which is not terribly robust) suggests these treatments are safe, however, there are certain conditions which would contraindicate use such as being pregnant, breastfeeding, having endometrial or breast cancer, vulvar dermatological disorders and vaginal bleeding. Additionally, side effects such as vaginal bleeding can also occur.
Professional advice and sexual awareness
Similar to other issues of sexual variance, most women who experience vaginal dryness feel too embarrassed to actually tell their doctor and ask for help. This is especially concerning because for many people, it may require simple changes to your arousal process during sexual activity, like increasing foreplay.
For more stress induced dryness, finding ways to relax and attune with your body and the experience can be helpful in engaging your mind’s capacity to become aroused and start the lubrication process. And even if it is not a simple solution, talking with your primary care provider is the perfect next step towards ruling out more serious medical conditions, so it’s important to work through any embarrassment that may come up.