The strange case of ... the vanishing labia minora

[2JFDIYOLO]

I'd seen several random things recently on Insta by women worried because they'd heard the labia minora can shrink and disappear after menopause.

I'd never heard of it. At 62 I'm through and out the other side and I've read a LOT of lists of peri and meno delights and recognised loads of them.

This has to be one of those windups, like women doing videos on shedding skin like lizards to freak men out ... Surely ...? I thought.

This is silly, I thought. I'll have a feel ...

Anyway. They used to be two different sizes, with the left having a rounder frilly edge.

Not any more ...

Both have definitely got smaller and the frilly bit has ... gone.

Anyone ...?

😳

Dermol is safe as a wash product @2JFDIYOLO . I've been using it for years as anything else flares up my LS.
I prefer bamboo loo roll aswell.
I'm concerned about using over the counter creams etc as I couldn't be prescribed hrt due to breast cancer in the family.
I guess I'll need to speak to the GP (when they're next not working from home 🤷🏻‍♀️)

@TheKeeperOfTissues oestrogen applied only to the vagina is safe I believe, it doesn’t end up circulating around the body.

I use dermol to wash with too and so do my daughters. Always have. Anything else makes them sting.

But why? What problem would it cause to just let nature take its course? Not being goady, genuinely interested.

Well your labia increase at puberty and reverts back at menopause- very crude description.
I wonder what happens when women have had their labia trimmed for aesthetics?

Have you missed the posts where people talk about how uncomfortable they are? Vaginal atrophy causes itching and utis as well as issues with sex.

@Namechangedforgoodreasons one thing I heard on podcast I mentioned is doctor can't perform a smear test if you are closed up. Also pain can be horrible.

At risk of sounding pedantic (sorry- but in case anyone is reading) it's not 1% estrogen.

It's 0.1mgs estriol per application. (1mg per gram)

@2JFDIYOLO You can buy Ovesse over the counter if you're post menopausal https://www.ovesse.co.uk/

Cheaper with a prescription but if you can't see your GP soon.

@Namechangedforgoodreasons have you read the posts? UTIs, soreness, itching, painful sex, loss of orgasms.

Fair enough if you suffer those problems, it just seems ridiculous to me to worry about the labia minora shrinking if there’s no other issue.

@Namechangedforgoodreasons The link I've just left for Ovesse (treatment) has a good explanation.

Does regular sex help with symptoms? I know most women post 50 aren’t going like bunnies but 3 or 4 times a week must help keep things in working order?

But there usually are other symptoms and the sooner they are treated the better. A lot of women don't realise that various symptoms are caused by this condition.

There are cases of older women where their vaginas have completely fused (closed up) because of shrinkage. It gets to a point where reversal can be impossible or very difficult.

3 or 4 times a week? bitter laughter

sex is fucking agony with vaginal atrophy and honestly even when it all sorted, it’s not the same especially as for many women menopause also causes a loss of libido

It's the missing labia minora that are causing the issues like dryness etc. They protect the urethra and the opening of the vagina. Please don't label people ridiculous for worrying about quite a significant problem they could suffer in menopause.

@Namechangedforgoodreasons Suffer yourself with a spot of vaginal atrophy and then come back and we will talk.

That sounds like a bunny!

Great...I can now add vaginal atrophy and labia shrinkage to my list of things to worry about 😂 off to check....

Ooof, just read those links and apparently if you've ever had blood clots you can't use it. I knew I couldn't have normal HRT but thought I might be able to have this.

Does anyone know of anything else that might help a bit please?

For anyone interested, topical vaginal creams etc can be used for life (and should be) right to your 90s. Not for sex necessarily but for overall genital health.

@Worldgonecrazy T Cox did say sex can help with the closing up issue and if you are not having sex use a dilator with lube (guess a vibrator would do). But am not sure if vaginal atrophy is the same as the closing up issue. If you listen to the podcast they discuss it towards the end.

Ignore.

I've posted this loads of times but it's worth knowing that the leaflet and info about vaginal treatments are not relevant.

It's the licensing 'law' what anything with estrogen in has to have those 'risks' listed but they don't apply to vaginal treatments.

UK specialists have been banging on for years trying to get this changed.
You might also be able to use full HRT anyway as the transdermal types are safe re. clots- it's just tablets that are risk.

Oestrogen actually reduces the risk of clots and CVD.

If you're talking about Who Gives a Crap (I hate the name!) you will find that a roll lasts a lot longer than standard paper and probably 3-4 times longer than the quilted stuff. I honestly think it doesn't end up being much more expensive, if at all. It is so much nicer to use as well.

I use vagifem pessaries every day. Any less than that and my symptoms are horrendous. Atrophy has been by far the worst menopause symptom I’ve had. I’m also on HRT.

I think I know the answer to this but ...they won't grow back will they?!

I assume the vaginal cream a gp would prescribe will just stop things getting worse and make things feel more comfortable down there?

They should improve. Estrogen stimulates growth of various tissues which is why some women develop big boobs on HRT.