‘Tightens your vagina! Restores the elasticity! Feel like a virgin again!’
These are the claims that tons of vaginal tightening creams and gels available online make. Is this finally the answer to feeling ‘wanted and sexy again’? Is this the magic potion that will make women feel ‘18 again’?
No... just no. Step away the moment you read any of this on a bottle of vaginal cream online.
One, there’s no loosening in your vagina to tighten unless you’ve gone through childbirth. And two, they don’t work and may instead end up harming you.
Doctors we spoke to say the benefits of these creams are non-existent. Dr Rishma Pai, Consultant Gynaecologist at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital and Jaslok Hospital, explains why.
There’s No Magic Potion for Vaginal Tightening, But These Creams Can Harm You
E-commerce websites are filled with these creams and gels because when there's shame to be felt and money to be spent, there’ll be a product to be sold.
First of all, there is no loosening of vagina from normal sexual intercourse. And it is only after childbirth that vaginas get torn or stretched. There’s no cream that works to fix that, says Dr Pai. There aren’t really any studies to prove this but that’s what their medical expertise says.
There’s no magical medication that can tighten vaginas after childbirth. The vagina is a stretchable organ and when it stretches during childbirth it doesn’t really snap back. And there’s no cream that can be applied to tighten the muscles and make it come back to place.Dr Rishma Pai, Gynaecologist
It’s one thing when a product doesn’t even remotely live up to its claims, but it’s another if it ends up harming you. Though she hasn’t personally seen any such cases, Dr Pai says that these creams can easily have side effects.
A lot of times, applying these creams could end up causing itching, irritation or trigger some reaction. And if there’s some strong substance in it, it could be even worse.
Now, one may say some of these creams claim to be “100% natural”. Dr Pai has a bone to pick with that.
What do you mean by ‘natural’? Essentially, every drug/product comes from a plant. The drug penicillin also comes from a plant and then can be called natural. ‘Natural’ is a buzzword for advertisers to use and lure people.Dr Rishma Pai
When you tap into the societal expectations of always being ‘young and sexy’ by advertising far-fetched claims, people fall for it. Some of these also aim to “redefine the term women empowerment.” Yay?
This pussy-shaming doesn’t end there. There are vaginal whitening creams, vaginal washes to keep away odour, “designer vaginas” and the list goes on. Your vagina isn’t supposed to smell or look like a bed of roses, ladies. So, relax and laugh at the creative ads of these creams.
Your Vagina Doesn’t Get ‘Loose’ From Regular Sex
This is one of the most prevalent myths that has been accepted as fact. It is a complete misconception that once the vajayjay is stretched during sex, it remains forever stretched.
You’re not “tight” as a virgin and “loose” with frequent intercourse. The muscles in the vagina relax when aroused, and then return to normal afterwards. The vagina is a stretchable organ and it’s its job to stretch that much.
It does get torn or stretched during childbirth, because of ageing and loss of hormones. But no cream can tighten that. For that, the only options are surgeries and cosmetic procedures, which could have their own pitfalls.
Dr Pai says the only cream that she would recommend to someone would be estrogen creams, which can be absorbed by the muscles and trigger some kind of blood circulation. This could temporarily make you feel like there’s more stimulation and improve libido, adds Dr Pai.
Bottom line – don’t put anything on your body until you know exactly what’s in it and how it can benefit you.
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