How weight loss affects your intimate area

When we talk about weight loss, we often focus on changes we can see, such as clothes fitting differently, a slimmer waist or a changing face.

But there is one area that far fewer people talk about: the genitals.

Because yes, significant or rapid weight loss can in some cases affect the appearance of the vulva, your hormones and your mucous membranes.

So, what changes can occur?

The vulva can actually change when you lose weight

Just as in the rest of the body, there is fatty tissue in the genital area. The mons pubis and the labia majora contain fatty tissue in particular.

Significant weight loss can therefore also change the genitals. Research on people who have undergone substantial weight loss has described, among other things, changes in the fatty tissue and skin around the mons pubis and labia majora.

Quite simply, this can mean that the vulva looks or feels different than before.

Significant weight loss can affect your hormones

It is not weight loss itself that automatically causes hormonal changes. But if the body receives too little energy for an extended period in relation to how much it uses, hormone production can be affected.

In people who menstruate, a significant energy deficit can, among other things, affect the interaction between the brain and the ovaries. In some cases, menstruation may become irregular or stop, and oestrogen levels may fall.

This is mainly associated with a significant or prolonged energy deficit - not with all weight loss.

Lower oestrogen can cause drier mucous membranes

This is where the mucous membranes come in.

Oestrogen plays an important role in vaginal moisture, elasticity and the thickness of the mucous membrane. When oestrogen levels fall, the mucous membranes can therefore become thinner and drier.

This can cause symptoms such as:

• dryness in the genital area
• irritation or burning
• less natural moisture
• discomfort or pain during sex

The same mechanism is a common cause of dry mucous membranes during, for example, menopause and breastfeeding.

This does not mean that weight loss itself causes dry mucous membranes. But if significant or rapid weight loss also affects your hormonal balance, it may be a possible indirect explanation for newly occurring dryness.

Does your genital area suddenly feel drier?

Dry mucous membranes can occur at any age and have many different causes. Regardless of why the dryness occurs, you do not simply have to accept the discomfort.

VagiVital AktivGel is a hormone-free vaginal gel developed for dry mucous membranes. The gel moisturises the mucous membrane and is used for symptoms such as dryness, irritation, itching and discomfort during intimate contact.

In clinical studies of VagiVital AktivGel, 79% of participants experienced an improvement in their most bothersome symptom.

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Remember

If you lose a significant amount of weight and also experience missed or irregular periods, newly occurring genital symptoms or other symptoms, it is a good idea to speak to a healthcare professional. Dry mucous membranes can have many different causes.

Sources

Endocrine Society. Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: Clinical Practice Guideline.
https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/hypothalamic-amenorrhea
The guideline describes, among other things, the relationship between energy deficiency, weight changes and effects on the hormonal axis. (Endocrine Society)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Experiencing Vaginal Dryness? Here’s What You Need to Know.
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/experiencing-vaginal-dryness-heres-what-you-need-to-know
Describes the importance of oestrogen for vaginal moisture, elasticity and mucous membrane thickness, as well as how lower oestrogen levels can contribute to dryness and irritation.
Alter GJ. Pubic contouring after massive weight loss in men and women. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2012.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23018703/
Describes anatomical changes in the area around the mons pubis and labia majora after substantial weight loss.
Ozturk S, et al. Dimensions, Ratios, Volumes, and Weights of the Fatty Parts of the Vulva (Mons Pubis and Labia Majora). Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2023.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37067361/
The study describes the volume and distribution of fatty tissue in the mons pubis and labia majora.