Intimate Area Lightening

For a long time, intimate aesthetics meant procedures such as vaginoplasty, vulvoplasty, labiaplasty, outer labia augmentation and pubic area contouring. Intimate area lightening has now joined them, focusing on a concern that bothers many women: darkening of the genital area and surrounding skin.

Darkening can have internal and external causes. Internal causes include hormonal changes during puberty, childbirth, breastfeeding and menopause, and darkening is more common in women with deeper skin tones. The main external cause is irritation: all forms of hair removal, from waxing to laser, friction from tight clothing and picking at ingrown hairs or spots can trigger it. Some contraceptive pills and diets may also play a part.

Conditions such as Addison's disease, Cushing's syndrome, diabetes, porphyria, heavy smoking and some chronic illnesses can also cause darkening, so any underlying condition must be ruled out first. Where the cause is hormonal change or external irritation, the discolouration can be lightened considerably with this method.

The treatment uses medium-depth TCA-based chemical peels developed specifically for this area. A single in-clinic application is followed by a month of home care. The peel helps treat existing pigmentation and reorganise the pigment cells in the area. It can be used not only on the outer labia but also on the groin and pubic area.

The procedure is not painful and, because the area is covered, it can be done all year round. If the trigger continues, for example ongoing hair removal, and the darkening returns, the treatment can be repeated after a year.

The treatment cannot be performed in the following cases:

• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• A dermatological condition in the area
• Certain skin conditions, such as UV sensitivity
• Allergy to the product used
• Infection in the area
• Neoplastic (cancerous) lesions
• Autoimmune conditions