Intimate Wellness
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Los Gatos, Danville and San Jose
Intimate wellness relates to restoring and supporting sexual health and well-being. Many health concerns can lead to physical changes or loss of sexual response. For women, these changes are not typically obvious during a general gynecologic exam, nor are they conditions women feel comfortable talking about, yet they may have a significant impact on their quality of life. For men, fluctuations in libido and issues with maintaining an erection can directly affect their self-esteem with their partners, leading to a difficult cycle of negative emotions surrounding sex. Intimate wellness treatments are catered to patients’ specific needs and are designed to aid in both the physical and mental enjoyment of intimacy.
If you have recently been experiencing issues in this aspect of your life, there is no need to feel embarrassed. The professionals at Swan Medical can introduce vitality and enthusiasm into your intimate life with bioidentical hormone optimization, PT-141, platelet-rich plasma, vaginal rejuvenation therapies, and various cosmetic treatments to promote body confidence in the bedroom. Our practice is headed by an expert team of licensed healthcare providers.
You can schedule an appointment to address your concerns today by calling our office at (925) 905-9922 or inquiring online, and a staff member will help you get started.
Contents
Factors That Affect Intimate Wellness
Intimate wellness is a multifaceted issue that can dramatically affect other areas of your life. Several health factors can interfere with your sexual well-being, especially the disruptive hormonal fluctuations that occur during midlife and later years. Women go through perimenopause, a period of about 4 to 8 years before menopause- the end of female reproductive years. During this time, insomnia, weight gain, mood swings, low sex drive, “brain fog”, and a range of other symptoms can plague a woman’s life and make sex unenjoyable and uncomfortable.
Men can experience a similar range of effects during andropause due to a dramatic drop in testosterone levels. Loss of libido can be more evident with a lost ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Just like women, life events and mental health changes can compound these issues, but it is always important to consider hormonal factors as well. Studies show that as many as 7% of all men within the age range between 30 and 69 years of age may have hypogonadism, a type of testosterone deficiency condition. Since it often goes unreported or is deemed a different problem, the statistics could be much higher than what the research reflects. (1) Younger patients can experience dissatisfaction with their sexual functioning and enjoyment; many may have psychosomatic stress related to performance or lack of confidence.
Treatment Options
At Swan Medical, our goal is to take a holistic approach to your sexual health to ensure you can feel like your most optimal self once again. Intimate moments should be a source of happiness and bonding with your partner, not a source of stress. We understand that treating low libido and other sexual issues involves considering both the physical and mental aspects at play and creating a treatment plan that works.
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
Your Swan Medical provider can attain a baseline understanding of your hormonal deficiencies using information from a simple blood test. Next, they can prescribe a customized bio-identical hormone replacement therapy protocol. This treatment utilizes molecularly identical forms of estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone with a dosage in pellet form. Men with low T and women coping with the challenges of perimenopause and menopause are the best candidates for BHRT with pellet therapy. To insert the pellet- a rice-sized implant- Dr. Castillo will make a tiny incision near your buttock and insert one or more just under the skin. With pellets, you can effectively avoid the rollercoaster effects of other types of hormone therapy from injections, topicals, and pills. Instead, the body will take the pellet/s in small amounts until they completely dissolve in a few months.
Vaginal Rejuvenation
Swan Medical offers three non-invasive vaginal rejuvenation treatments to restore better-quality blood flow, lubrication, and elasticity to the vaginal canal. ThermiVa applies radiofrequency (RF) based energy made of low-level electromagnetism, a type of controlled thermal energy. Upon making contact with the vaginal lining, it provokes new blood vessel growth and tissue regeneration with an influx of collagen. With every treatment, the vaginal tissues become more youthful and firm, restoring the elastic qualities of the vaginal canal and vulva.
DiVa operates with two light wavelengths, making it a hybrid fractional laser (HFL)- a device that emits light in pixelated patterns on the tissues. Treatments with DiVa are comfortable with the application of numbing cream, only take a few minutes, and promote collagen production in a similar fashion to RF-based ThermiVa. With this type of laser resurfacing, women can expect to notice an improvement in their vaginal lubrication and even a reduction in urinary incontinence symptoms. MonaLisa Touch is another type of laser- a CO2 laser- designated to treat atrophic vaginitis, the vaginal thinning and drying that occurs after estrogen levels drop before and during menopause. (2)
Lichen Sclerosus Treatment
With the hormonal changes of menopause, a condition called lichen sclerosus can sometimes develop around the vulva and anus. It is characterized by white discoloration and thinning skin, causing pain and irritation. Men can also experience this rare skin issue as well, but it is more common in women. There is no cure, but Swan Medical’s approach involves a combination of treatments to encourage natural tissue remodeling in place of the affected skin. This comprehensive approach includes fractional laser treatment for skin resurfacing and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, equipped with over 1500 bioactive proteins– including growth factors- that serve as messengers for tissue restoration processes. (3) One such protein is fibroblast growth factor, the molecule that generates cells that create collagen and elastin.
PRP technology is at the forefront of regenerative medicine, a branch of study that examines how clinicians can apply a patient’s own tissues to trigger healing in another area of the body. To administer PRP, your Swan Medical provider will first collect a blood sample and use an isolation process to harvest its platelets and the accompanying growth factors. They will then apply it to the affected areas as a topical serum.
Cosmetic Surgeries and Therapies
Cosmetic surgeries and therapies can not only help you feel better about your body in intimate situations but removing redundant skin can assist with sexual satisfaction as well. Swan Medical offers labiaplasty to reshape elongated labia that cause unwanted tugging and discomfort and clitoral hood reduction to help increase sensitivity. Other procedures like perineoplasty and vaginoplasty are designed to fix injured muscles to improve tightness.
Sexual Health
We offer sexual health treatments for both men and women to revitalize libido. If you are a woman with arousal issues, your clinician may prescribe the O-Shot, a PRP-based injection that gathers bioactive growth factors to restore functionality, high-quality blood flow, and nerve sensitivity to the clitoris and g-spot. Another PRP injection is the P-Shot (Priapus Shot®), specifically designed to help men attain and keep erections. Treatments made of bremelanotide, a type of peptide, can also revitilize arousal for men. It can serve as a treatment for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, indicating that it can assist with mental arousal as well as physical enhancement of sexual sensation. (4)
Personal Consultation
During your consultation at Swan Medical, our proivders will ask you about the type of intimate rejuvenation you feel might be best for you. They understand that sexual needs can vary depending on gender, age, experience with childbirth, and many other lifestyle and health factors. If necessary, they may perform a physical examination of your intimate areas to identify any root causes of your issues. they will conduct a thorough assessment of your reported signs and symptoms and make treatment recommendations, ensuring that you comprehend the level of commitment required for each. they will make sure to go over any necessary steps for preparation, the nature of the treatment/ procedure, and when you can expect to reap the results. If you have any additional questions or concerns, they will be sure to outline the pros and cons of your chosen treatment and provide you with thorough answers.
To get in touch with our practice dedicated to the most innovative approaches to intimate wellness, call our Los Gatos and Danville locations, servicing the San Fransisco Bay are at (925) 905-9922 or request a consultation using our contact form. Our providers also take complimentary phone consultations for your convenience. Regardless of your sexual health concerns, our providers and staff will treat you with the care and professionalism you deserve.
Cost of Intimate Wellness Treatments in San Jose
The cost of your intimate wellness treatment will depend on the treatment/procedure of your choice and how long you wish to undergo your treatment. Our providers will provide you with an accurate cost estimate during your consultation to help you make a well-informed decision for your health. If you are interested in the various other treatments we offer at Swan Medical, feel free to take a look at our blog and ask our staff if you have any further questions. We look forward to helping you find the sexual wellness you desire.
References
- Singh, Parminder. “Andropause: Current Concepts.” Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 17, no. 9, 2013, p. 621, https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.123552.
- Ghanbari Z, Sohbati S, Eftekhar T, et al. Fractional CO2 Laser for Treatment of Vulvovaginal Atrophy: A Short Time Follow-up. Journal of Family & Reproductive Health. 2020;14(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v14i2.4347
- Pavlovic V, Ciric M, Jovanovic V, Stojanovic P. Platelet Rich Plasma: a short overview of certain bioactive components. Open Medicine. 2016;11(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1515/med-2016-0048
- Kingsberg SA, Clayton AH, Portman D, et al. Bremelanotide for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2019;134(5):899-908. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/aog.0000000000003500
