There is trick to getting Vulvodynia to totally resolve. One must have a treatment formula that will allow the vulvar skin, particularity located in the vestibule, to totally turn over several times under perfect non-irritated conditions. It seems all gynecologists in the world have been taught and believe, except for the experts at FGI, that vulvodynia is a condition of the vulvar skin and nerves. In truth, that’s secondary to the real etiology. But the vulvar skin, especially the vestibule is where the pain emanates from. Treating the skin and/or the nerves is only bandaid therapy covering over where the stimulus acts. However, to have an effective treatment, it must protect the vulvar skin from irritants until the skin has turned over 5-6 times. In the forth thru sixth time when the skin turns over, the cells lying next to the nerves are no longer irritated and no longer stimulate the nerves.

The vulvar/vestibular skin is constantly turning over. The newly forming cells start at the bottom of the skin known as the basement membrane and gradually push their way to the top layer as they maturate. When they reach the top, they detach and break away to join the vaginal secretions, making room for newer cells growing up from below. It takes roughly one month for new cells to get all the way to the top layer, meaning the vestibular skin you have now will be totally replaced in 4 weeks!

The turnover or shedding of maturated cells provides vaginal secretions with a high nutrient content for lactobacilli. The turnover varies from a few in number to a larger number of cells over a given time frame. This exposes more or less immature cells to external/internal stimulants. This is why as FGI treatment proceeds, symptomatically it is common to have a few good days followed by some bad days, then a good week or two followed by a few bad weeks and so forth. The more new cells exposed to irritants, the more sensitive the vestibule feels. After approximately 4-6 turnovers, the sensitized skin cells are fully replaced by non-sensitized cells which no longer stimulate the nerves and then the symptoms finally resolve for good, until another “vaginal insult” occurs. However, the longer the vulvar skin does not get influenced by external irritants or vaginal insults, the more reserve the skin develops. After 1 year of being asymptomatic, the vulvar skin can withstand normal insults like exposure to harsh hair shampoo, saliva, perspiration, fragrance, vigorous intercourse, brief hormonal changes, etc. Once most FGI clients are out 3-5 years, they often nearly forget their horrible years with vulvodynia. Unfortunately, most women do get occasional extreme exposure to irritant or significant hormonal change which causes a relapse every 5-10 years or so. Fortunately, the experts at FGI know how to adjust their protocol based on VFA testing and the condition remits quite quickly again for years more symptom free living.