Vaginal dryness means your vagina does not make enough fluid to stay wet and comfortable. You make less fluid when estrogen levels go down during perimenopause, menopause, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Dryness leads to itching, burning, pain, bleeding during sex, pain when peeing after sex, and some vaginal infections.
What Causes Dryness?
Falling estrogen because of aging, pregnancy/nursing, ovary removal surgery, cancer treatment, autoimmune disease, medications, stress, dehydration, irritating products, and health issues can all reduce lubrication. Not getting turned on enough before sex can also lead to dryness discomfort even if you are young and healthy.
Relieving Dryness without Medications
Trying lifestyle changes and over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers like LivRing often helps ease discomfort of mild dryness. Useful tips include:
- Stay Hydrated: Drink at least 8 cups of water daily, herbal tea, real fruit juice without added sugar, bone broth, electrolyte drinks. Cut out alcohol and caffeine which dehydrate. Eat water-filled fruits/veggies too.
- Eat More Healthy Fats: Cook with olive oil instead of vegetable oil, snack on nuts/seeds, eat avocados. Healthy fats reduce inflammation internally and externally. Even rubbing coconut oil outside can temporarily soothe.
- Take Probiotic Supplements: Probiotics like Lactobacillus restore healthy vaginal bacteria balance to prevent irritating infections. Eat probiotic yogurt and fermented foods too.
- Avoid Irritants: Use only fragrance-free pads, cleansers, wipes, laundry soap. No bubble bath. Shaving can cause red bumps – try waxing/trimming instead.
- Apply Vitamin E Oil: Pierce vitamin E capsule and smooth oil over tender areas at bedtime externally. It hydrates skin overnight.
- Use Soothing Herbs: Pure aloe gel, coconut oil, vitamin E help externally first. Calendula cream supplements moisture without hormones.
- Try Vaginal Moisturizers: Over the counter, non-hormonal vaginal moisturizers feel thicker and coat deeper than lubricants, relieving chronically dry tissue overnight when used regularly.
- Use Lubricants: Apply water-based lubricant liberally during sex to prevent painful friction when aroused fluid still falls short.
- Ask About Prescription Options: If OTC measures fail after several months, ask a doctor about special compounded vaginal supplements/vitamins/platelet-rich plasma or very low-dose estrogen applications to use locally.
- Explore Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: Pelvic therapy using gentle internal vaginal dilators progressively relaxes tense muscles, releases scar tissue, and improves sexual response and natural lubrication over time.
- Pursue Gentle Whole Health Approaches: Acupuncture, nutritional counseling, herbal remedies, mindfulness meditation, psychotherapy for any anxiety/depression/trauma and sufficient sleep also help promote natural lubrication capability from inside out.
Can Vaginal Health be Restored Without Hormones?
Many women successfully manage mild to moderate vaginal dryness through gentle at-home remedies, OTC moisturizers and natural pelvic floor physical therapy with no need of prescription estrogen long-term. Paying attention to whole body health also boosts self-lubrication. But enduring severe dryness causing bleeding or infection might finally need localized estrogen prescribed by your women’s health practitioner in minimal doses.
Conclusion
While vaginal dryness can be an uncomfortable and frustrating condition, there are many effective ways to find relief without prescription medications. Making lifestyle changes like staying hydrated, improving your diet, and avoiding irritants, along with using over-the-counter moisturizers and lubricants means many women can successfully manage mild-to-moderate dryness. Additional remedies like vitamin E oil, herbal supplements, pelvic floor physical therapy, and mind-body practices can also help restore healthy lubrication.
The key is to be patient and take a multi-pronged approach, nurturing your vaginal and overall health from multiple angles. While some cases of severe dryness may ultimately require localized estrogen therapy prescribed by a doctor, prioritizing gentle, holistic self-care gives you the best chance at achieving comfortable, hormone-free hydration. Don’t hesitate to work closely with your gynecologist to find the right combination of at-home remedies and medical support for relieving your personal dryness symptoms.
