Considering MonaLisa Touch®? We Answer All Your Questions

Here at Women’s Healthcare of Princeton, we’re proud to be one of the first medical practices in the United States to offer MonaLisa Touch laser therapy treatment. MonaLisa Touch is an innovative, nonsurgical treatment that regenerates vaginal tissues and helps relieve a variety of vaginal health issues.

Are you wondering whether MonaLisa Touch treatment is right for you? Do you have questions about this treatment? If so, Dr. Maria Sophocles, an expert on MonaLisa Touch and one of the most experienced MonaLisa Touch providers in the country, provides answers to all of your questions below.

What is MonaLisa Touch?

MonaLisa Touch is a medical procedure that delivers a type of therapy known as fractional CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser energy to soft tissues, such as the tissue in your vagina. This gentle laser treatment can regenerate your vaginal tissue safely and effectively. It provides you with a hormone-free, medication-free solution to a range of pelvic health conditions.

What conditions can MonaLisa Touch treat?

As you age and as your estrogen levels go down after menopause, your vaginal tissue can atrophy. That means your vaginal tissue becomes drier and thinner than it was when you were younger. It may also become inflamed, causing burning, itching, discomfort, and even bleeding.

Because of vaginal atrophy, you may experience:

• Painful penetration and intercourse
• Vaginal discomfort or bleeding
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Stress urinary incontinence (leaking urine when you sneeze, laugh, or cough)
• Lichen sclerosus (a common postmenopausal skin condition)
• Chronic urinary tract infections

Treatment with MonaLisa Touch can help reverse conditions related to menopause-related vaginal atrophy. And for younger women, it can help tighten up stretched vaginal tissue (known as vaginal laxity) that can result after childbirth.

What happens during a MonaLisa Touch treatment?

Your treatment with MonaLisa Touch occurs in our office and requires no anesthesia. During your treatment, Dr. Sophocles inserts a small probe into your vagina. The probe delivers gentle laser energy to your vaginal tissues. Your treatment lasts only about five minutes.

The laser energy delivered by MonaLisa Touch stimulates your vagina to form new blood vessels and increase the production of collagen and elastin, two proteins that contribute strength and elasticity to your vaginal tissues.

Most women can return to their normal routine soon after having MonaLisa Touch treatment, although Dr. Sophocles may recommend that you refrain from sexual intercourse for two or three days.

Why choose MonaLisa Touch over other treatments?

If you have problems related to vaginal atrophy, you may find relief from vaginal moisturizers, vaginal lubricants, or vaginal or oral estrogen. But products inserted into your vagina cause a mess, and many women prefer not to take or use estrogen.

Treatment with MonaLisa Touch provides you with an alternative to lubricants and estrogen. Its mild laser energy boosts healthy tissue growth.

How many treatments will I need?

Most women receive three treatments spaced about six weeks apart. You may require treatment touch-ups once a year.

Does MonaLisa Touch treatment cause side effects?

Most women tolerate their treatments very well. However, some experience minor, temporary side effects such as mild vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, tenderness, itching, or burning.

Is MonaLisa Touch the right choice for me?

At the Women’s Healthcare of Princeton we have a team of compassionate, experienced women’s care experts that can help you decide whether treatment with MonaLisa Touch is right for you. If you live in or around Princeton, New Jersey, and are tired of coping with vaginal health concerns, call us for an appointment or book your visit online today.