diVa Vaginal Laser: A Step-By-Step Guide

Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in women’s health and feminine wellness treatments.  Whether it be changes from childbirth, age-related changes, dryness, laxity, bladder leaks, or discomfort, the diVa Vaginal Laser is a leading treatment option for women. It is time we continue this important conversation and shine a light on the importance of women’s health treatments.

By: Kristin Gaskins, NP

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What is the diva vaginal laser?

DiVa is a hybrid fractional laser from Sciton.  It uses both ablative and non-ablative laser wavelengths to create a controlled tissue injury.  This helps to stimulate collagen remodeling and tissue rejuvenation. 

Some earlier technologies used for vaginal rejuvenation were CO2 lasers, non-fractional lasers, or radiofrequency devices.  These technologies often treated the vaginal tissue more aggressively and in a one-dimensional way: delivering strong surface-level heat or deeper non-ablative heating without precision.  This often resulted in longer downtime, more discomfort for the patient, and less control over the distribution of energy during the treatment. 

As mentioned above, diVa is a hybrid laser that utilizes two types of laser energy that fire at the exact same time, in the exact same spot.  One laser gently resurfaces and renews the vaginal lining, and the other heats the deeper layers of vaginal tissue to stimulate collagen, improve elasticity, and improve blood flow. Because diVa is fractional, it treats microscopic columns of tissue instead of the entire surface all at once.  This allows for a more targeted treatment with faster healing and very minimal downtime. 

What to Expect Before Your Appointment

We always recommend scheduling a consultation prior to scheduling the treatment. This will allow our medical provider to review your medical history, discuss your current symptoms, as well as your goals for the treatment.  You will then be given pre-procedure recommendations, including timing of the treatment and medication considerations.  The provider will also discuss the additional use of PRP to augment your results, depending on your exact concerns. 

Step 1: Arrival and Preparation

When you arrive for your treatment, you will be greeted by our front desk staff. They will review your chart to ensure all paperwork and consent forms have been completed.  If you are of child-bearing age, you may be asked to provide a urine sample for a pregnancy test. You will then be taken back to the private room. We have blankets and a pillow to make you as comfortable as possible. You will get undressed from the waist down. The medical provider will then return to place the topical numbing cream.  This will be placed both internally into the vagina, as well as externally on the outer genital area.  This will stay in place for approximately twenty minutes prior to the procedure.  If you are also getting PRP for vaginal rejuvenation, your blood will be drawn and processed during this time. 

Step 2: The Internal Treatment

After about twenty minutes of numbing, we will begin the procedure.  First, a speculum will be inserted, and large cotton swabs will be used to clean the numbing cream from the vaginal vault.  A new diVa dilator is placed on the handpiece before treatment begins.  There will be three different passes used during the treatment. In total, this takes less than 10 minutes.  The laser fires into the vaginal tissue 360 degrees as the handpiece slowly corkscrews out.  Patients may feel a slight knocking sensation, mild pressure, and a little warmth, but pain should be minimal.  As the laser fires into the tissue, it will cause collagen remodeling, which results in more collagen, thickened mucosa, and improved moisture and tone. 

Step 3: PRP for Vaginal Rejuvenation (Optional Based on Goals)

PRP can be utilized in conjunction with diVa to further enhance results. When used, PRP is injected into the vaginal area, as well as behind the clitoris. This encourages new blood vessel formation, improved collagen stimulation, and increased sensitivity. 

Step 4: Immediate Aftercare and What You’ll Feel

After completion of the treatment, it is normal to feel mild warmth, increased sensitivity, and light spotting.  Typically, this only lasts for a few hours; however, the light spotting may go on for the first 24 hours or so.  It is important that patients follow all post-care instructions to avoid complications.  These include avoiding inserting anything into the vagina (tampon, vaginal cup, intercourse) for at least 3 days; avoiding hot tubs, swelling, or baths for 3 days; and only gently cleansing the outside of the vulvar area with warm water.  

Step 5: Progress, Results, and Follow-Up Treatments

Typically, we recommend three treatments spaced about 4-6 weeks apart. It can take almost 8-12 weeks to see results as the process of building new collagen takes time.  It is important to remember this and not get discouraged.  Full results are typically seen about 3-6 months after completing the initial series.  Moving forward, we recommend patients get a maintenance treatment about every 9-12 months.  

Benefits You Can Expect

Once collagen remodeling has occurred, you can expect to see better lubrication, improved sexual comfort, stronger pelvic support, less vaginal laxity, as well a reduction in urinary incontinence.  This can provide an overall sense of restored confidence.  Results may vary from patient to patient, but overall, there is a high satisfaction rate among most women. 

Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Wellness

It is never too late to prioritize pelvic and sexual health. Symptoms like urinary incontinence, laxity, painful intercourse, and dryness are common but treatable.  If you are interested in learning more or seeing if you are a good candidate for these treatments, schedule a consultation here at Atalo today!