Q: What are the pros and cons of Viveve?

Pros Viveve addresses both vaginal laxity and bladder leakage from stress incontinence (for example, urinary leakage when you sneeze), which can significantly improve your quality of life. By tightening the vaginal canal and increasing moisture, it enhances sexual sensation and orgasms, while reducing painful intercourse. The procedure is relatively quick and painless, with no downtime. Any side effects (such as swelling) are mild and usually resolve quickly. You'll only need a single treatment to get results. Cons Results will not be as dramatic as those achieved through surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures, such as a vaginoplasty or perineoplasty , which can be better options for women with more severe vaginal looseness. You’ll need follow-up procedures every year or two to maintain your results. RealSelf Tip: Intimate procedures like Viveve do require the provider to be hands-on for the full treatment, so it’s important to choose a doctor with whom you feel especially at ease.

Question 1

What is a Viveve treatment?

Accepted Answer

Viveve is a noninvasive vaginal rejuvenation treatment. This in-office procedure tightens vaginal tissues, increases moisture, and treats stress urinary incontinence. It can also be used externally to improve the appearance of the labia majora.

The 30 to 60-minute treatment uses heat produced by monopolar radiofrequency (CMRF) energy, with a cooling cryogen tip for comfort. This deep heating of the tissue stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin in the delicate surface tissue of the vaginal wall. Over time, this firms and rejuvenates the tissue while increasing natural moisture. It can even help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

“Viveve can increase feelings of vaginal tightness and improve sexual satisfaction for most women. As a practicing OB/GYN, I cannot say how exciting it is to be able to provide patients with a nonsurgical treatment with such wide-ranging benefits,” says Glendale, California–based provider Dr. Selena Lantry. “The treatment itself is not painful, and results can last longer than a year.”

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of Viveve?

Accepted Answer

Pros

Viveve addresses both vaginal laxity and bladder leakage from stress incontinence (for example, urinary leakage when you sneeze), which can significantly improve your quality of life.
By tightening the vaginal canal and increasing moisture, it enhances sexual sensation and orgasms, while reducing painful intercourse.
The procedure is relatively quick and painless, with no downtime.
Any side effects (such as swelling) are mild and usually resolve quickly.
You'll only need a single treatment to get results.

Cons

Results will not be as dramatic as those achieved through surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures, such as a vaginoplasty or perineoplasty, which can be better options for women with more severe vaginal looseness.
You’ll need follow-up procedures every year or two to maintain your results.

RealSelf Tip: Intimate procedures like Viveve do require the provider to be hands-on for the full treatment, so it’s important to choose a doctor with whom you feel especially at ease.

Question 3

How much does Viveve cost?

Accepted Answer

The price you pay will depend on your provider's experience level and office location.

Viveve is considered an elective procedure, so it's not covered by insurance.

Question 4

Viveve before and after pictures

Accepted Answer

The Viveve photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Question 5

How does Viveve work?

Accepted Answer

The Viveve system is a single-session treatment, lasting under an hour. Because the medical device has a surface-cooling cryogen tip to keep you comfortable, it doesn’t require numbing or anesthesia.

You’ll lie on your back while your provider inserts a handpiece—a thin probe approximately the size of a toothbrush head, with a radiofrequency energy–emitting tip—into your vagina and gently moves it back and forth, methodically treating every tissue area.

The handpiece can also treat the vaginal opening and outer labia. The device emits pulses of monopolar radiofrequency energy, and its gentle volumetric heating penetrates up to 5 mm of the tissue. Most patients experience only a warming sensation.

It’s an intimate procedure, so you’ll want to make sure you’re very comfortable with your provider.

There’s no downtime, and you can resume normal activities immediately—although you'll need to avoid sexual intercourse for 48 hours. Any side effects like redness, swelling, or a tingling sensation should be mild and resolve quickly.

Question 6

How long does Viveve last?

Accepted Answer

Results from this treatment are both immediate and progressive, thanks to the ongoing natural collagen growth in the soft tissue, and should last a year or more.

You’ll need annual follow-up treatments to maintain your results.

Patients say they notice an increase in nerve sensitivity and muscle contractions, along with increased vaginal lubrication and reduction of urinary leakage from an overactive bladder, which improves their daily lives.

Question 7

Is Viveve safe and FDA-approved?

Accepted Answer

The Viveve device has been cleared by the FDA, though like other nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments, it has not been specifically cleared for the purpose of vaginal tightening and improving urinary incontinence.

Early clinical trials (funded by its manufacturer) show “a significant improvement in arousal, lubrication and orgasm” for up to a year after treatment.

Another clinical study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2018 showed that women who had a Viveve treatment were three times more likely to have no vaginal laxity at the six-month mark, as opposed to the untreated group. The majority of participants (93%) also reported significant and sustained improvement in sexual function after one treatment.

No major side effects or complications have been reported.

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Karina Giglio

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Karina Giglio

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