Hyaluronic Acid On My What?!?
You know what’s fascinating about our work? The more we learn, the more we realize there is to know.
And every once in a while we stumble upon a random fun fact. Here’s one.
The first film to use the word vagina in the screenplay was a Disney movie.
More context:
Disney teamed up with Kotex in 1946 for a 10 minute film titled “The Story of Menstruation”. It was an educational film. You can watch it on Youtube if you’re brave enough to see the 1940s messaging and how different it is, or isn’t from today.
- Maggie Ruvoldt & Stephanie Majercik
The Tasting Menu
Hyaluronic Acid, Can Also Go Where?!?
Progress Check In: Your Annual Health Check Ups
No Room for Body Shaming
Hyaluronic Acid, Can Also Go Where?!?
If you are thinking, I’ve heard of hyaluronic acid. It’s that stuff in face cream that’s anti-aging or plumps up my skin or something.
Well, you’re not wrong. But you’re not right either.
Hyaluronic Acid is a substance our bodies produce and it helps us in several ways:
It keeps our joints moving smoothly
It helps with dry eyes
It may play a role in reducing heartburn or some bladder pain
It is used to reduce vaginal dryness causing painful sex, an issue for women in perimenopause through post-menopause
And yes, it reduces dry skin and makes wrinkles less visible
If my body makes it, why do I need to add more?
Production of this slippery substance declines as we get older.
In addition to the moisturizers and serums you’re used to seeing, hyaluronic acid comes in pills, eye drops, and liquids specially designed for vaginal use. There are over the counter and prescription forms of those methods as well as injections by a provider.
As with anything you are considering adding to your care routine to combat symptoms, talk to your provider about adding products with hyaluronic acid. You don’t want to mask a more serious issue or have it interact negatively with something else you’re taking.
Progress Check In: Your Annual Health Check Ups
Hard to believe we’re almost through three months of the year. As we move from winter into spring, let’s take a reset and examine how we’re progressing on our health.
Have you scheduled any of the big four appointments?
Annual physical
Well-woman exam/OB-GYN
Dentist
Eye exam
If you’re due for any of these annual exams in the next few months - you might want to reach out to your doctor now and get on the schedule. Appointment slots can fill up fast and might not be available until you wait until you’re too close. And we know how easy it is to push it off!
While you’re at it – are you hitting any milestones this year that would require a special appointment?
Mammogram starting in your 40s (annually)
Colonoscopy at 45 (every five years)
Bone density (starting in menopause)
Pap smear and HPV (every 3 to 5 depending on your age)
Cholesterol screening starting in your 40s (annually)
We’ll keep checking in as the year progresses and reminding you to get these appointments on the calendar!
No Room for Body Shaming
We don’t know who needs to hear this but we’re going to say it. Body and fat shaming have no place in a conversation about our health. Period.
While we often talk about weight as a factor in our health, never mistake that for shaming anyone. In fact, as Dr. Katherine Saunders, Co-Founder of Intellihealth shared recently, shame is a barrier in weight management care. (read more below in The Latest)
Body shaming in general, and fat shaming, in particular, have negative side effects ranging from mental health issues including depression and disordered eating to actually increasing the risk of obesity. Even the medical community, who you’d think would know better, engage in fat shaming. That can manifest as ignoring or dismissing important symptoms and failing to diagnose illness because they assume the issue is weight related rather than an underlying condition.
The worst myth of weight management is that the problem is about willpower or fully within the person’s ability to make better eating and exercise choices.
If body shaming self-talk impacts you, please seek support. We love the sentiment from Serena Williams in this quote:
"I want women to know that it's okay. That you can be whatever size you are and you can be beautiful inside and out. We're always told what's beautiful, and what's not, and that's not right."
Medical Term of the Week
Body Positivity and Body Neutrality
With the dawn of social media, there has been an increase in body shaming going on. It has also given more voice to body positivity and body neutrality.
Body positivity is about loving your body and promoting acceptance of all bodies. While its intent was to include dimensions including race and disability, it is most associated with shape and size. There is recent criticism that taken too far, it can be toxic positivity and move from inclusion to promoting unhealthy weight in the same way that negative body image can lead to disordered eating.
Body neutrality is meant to take the focus off appearance and place it on what our bodies are capable of doing. It is an acceptance and an enjoyment of how our bodies serve us.
The Latest
Insurance coverage, access and stigma play a role in weight management and obesity care (From MedPage Today)
As excited as we were to see a Superbowl ad for a menopause product, feminine care still faces marketing limits from TV and online outlets. (From Modern Retail)
Since our first edition, we’ve shared content on the intersection of cardiovascular health and our reproductive lives. It bears repeating. (From Healthline)