RAPID CITY, S.D. — Uncomfortable subjects are the bread and butter of the healthcare field.
Urinary and vaginal rejuvenation procedures aim to help reverse the adverse effects women face as the body naturally ages or after pregnancy and childbirth. Common things include urinary incontinence, pelvic floor muscle loss and dryness, which have long been seen as things that women simply have to live with.
Nic Yost, a nurse practitioner who owns and operates Beautymed in Rapid City stands by the idea that a person’s quality of life should be given higher priority.
“That’s why I bring people in for a free consult, to let them know that we have so many options now to feel better and I don’t think you should ever have to accept that you’re not going to feel well,” Yost says. “I think with a consult I get them very comfortable with me, and that it’s really important that this is not a treatment that is about vanity. This is truly a quality of life issue.”
Subjects like dryness, discomfort and sex may not be comfortable topics of discussion, but Yost is committed to discussing life’s uncomfortable realities with patients. Oftentimes, these changes come about after a woman goes through menopause. Such a major change can leave women feeling different, almost like they’re in a stranger’s body.
Rejuvenation procedures seek to return the body to a more comfortable state — pelvic muscles regain strength and dryness is relieved. Painful intimate experiences can be a common occurrence, but they do not have to be. Women who undergo rejuvenation can not only experience a vast improvement in their intimate relationships, but often feel more like themselves.
The treatment offered by Yost uses the only FDA-approved device that works to heal damage to a woman’s vagina and urinary tract. The device uses radio-frequency to apply heat deep into the skin, repairing damage in a painless session. The FDA has approved the Votiva device used by Yost to treat vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, urinary incontinence and pain during sex.
Depending on the severity of the symptom being treated, it can take anywhere from one to three sessions to see the full benefits of the procedure. The true advantage of the treatment is not only how painless it is, but the recovery time involved in some sessions can be next to nothing.
Yost’s patients are quick to express their gratitude, messaging her when, for the first time in years, they experience hours without experiencing urinary incontinence. Patients are also thankful for the impact the procedure has on their personal relationships, sometimes saying that the treatment saved their marriage.