The Empress Nookie Series: This is Not Your Mother's Va-jay-jay...
Vaginal rejuvenation has come a long way, baby.
Fellow Empresses,
Can you imagine waking up in the 60s after having a baby and your doctor’s there, smiling beatifically down at you, and saying, “Congratulations, you've got a beautiful baby daughter, and we’ve stitched you up just right! Your husband will never know you're not a virgin!”
Hello??? Wouldn't you just want to scream? I mean, how would you like it, Mr. Doctor-Guy, if you woke up and I told you, “Congratulations, you’ve been magically uncircumcised! And you get to go through all that foreskin snipping AGAIN for the pleasure of someone else?” I don't think many dudes would go for it.
It was called “The Husband Stitch” and it’s what counted as “vaginal rejuvenation” back in the 50s and 60s after childbirth... along with dutifully doing your Kegels. Yes, it was a Betty Draper nightmare. No WONDER she smoked like a Pittsburgh incinerator.
Now, I was like a number of women, dutifully doing my Kegels after having my children and as I entered peri/menopause, and I viewed vaginal rejuvenation as something strictly surgical and well... a bit scary. I didn’t want people sewing down there. It just seemed so ouchie and counterintuitive to anything that should be happening in that region, right? I mean, I have a very vivid imagination, and I can build things up into the scariest of all possible scenarios with… infections, stitches, and total difficulty peeing... So when I found out about the JOYLUX vFit and red-light therapy for vaginal rejuvenation and revascularization, and the fact that you could do it at home, that it functioned very much like a vibrator, and that it was FDA-approved, I thought OK, THIS might need to be in THE EMPRESS arsenal. (I’ll note that this is not a sponsored post, this is just us out here doing our homework.)
Here's how it works:
Scientists believe mitochondria, in their excited state, release ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NO (Nitric Oxide). Increased ATP helps build collagen and repair tissue. Increased NO helps improve blood flow, which in turn, helps the necessary nutrients and oxygen travel throughout our body, and improve sensation.
You can do a dive deep into the science with one of JOYLUX’S favorite published studies on red light therapy if you’re curious. Since its discovery, red light therapy is now being used in a variety of health applications—from wound healing to a reduction of pain and inflammation post-surgery, as well as in vaginal/perineal recovery after childbirth.
As I said, it works like a vibrator. Turn on your vFit device and apply the special gel to the tip. Insert vaginally until the light window is completely covered. Sit back and relax... maybe listen to a podcast? Do 10-12 minutes, 3 times per week for 6-8 weeks, then 1-2 times per week thereafter to maintain results. Here’s what it looks like:
The skinny: Women reported overwhelmingly better lubrication during sex, dramatically improved sensation, reduced UTIs, and, in a number of cases, a total end to menopausal incontinence and bladder leakage. A win, if there ever was one. Just think of the money saved on Poise pads. (You're welcome, earth.)
Why is this so important? Because you're still you and you deserve to feel like it.
You don't want to feel dry and dusty and old. You deserve to feel sexy and hot and lush! Without feeling cringey. You deserve some autonomy in the process of getting there and a sense of control and not necessarily always having to be at the mercy of intimidating medical orthodoxy. And without someone needle-pointing your va-jay-jay. You deserve to take it step-by-step, in a way that you are comfortable, so that you can feel again and so that sex can feel good again, and you deserve all the tools, all the weapons in your Empress arsenal, whether it's the JOYLUX vFit to help restore your hoozie, or Vag of Honor from STRIPES to keep you moisturized down there on a daily basis or maybe it's vaginal estrogen if you're a good candidate for it. It may also be about figuring out the right lube that’s water-based and doesn't leave you feeling irritated or with any unwanted residue.
But talk to your doctor… The point is you deserve to know and have access to all of the resources so that you can have a rich, full sexual life during peri/menopause—that’s what THE EMPRESS Nookie Series is all about this month—exploring what's out there, from tools to treatments to tinctures. So, stick with us, there's much more to come!
Until next time.
Yours in Grandeur,
p.s. If you are so inclined, follow us on IG for flash content & upcoming giveaways. We’re at https://www.instagram.com/the.empress.age/ and we’d love to see you there!
*As an Amazon Associate, The Empress may earn from certain purchases, at no cost to you.
Very interesting. A lot of stuff I never knew. Thanks!