FemiLift in London: what it is, what the regulators and the trials say, and what it costs

This guide is written by the team that provides FemiLift at our clinic at 130 Harley Street, London, W1G 7JU, and reviewed by the doctor who treats. It sets out what the device is, what the regulators have written, what the trials found for each use, how a session runs, the risks and how we price it. It then answers the questions women ask most, from whether it makes you tighter, how long it lasts and whether it helps after childbirth or the menopause, to whether laser or pelvic floor physiotherapy comes first.

What FemiLift is

FemiLift is made by Alma Lasers of Israel. It is a fractional CO2 laser at 10,600 nanometres, and Alma's description is that it pixelates the beam into 81 microscopic pixels. A probe with a single-use sleeve is placed in the vagina, and the laser is pulsed in that pattern in a 360-degree motion throughout the vaginal canal, which may be repeated to cover the whole area. NICE describes the claimed effect as promoting tissue remodelling and the production of new collagen. In Alma's own words, the treatment is fast with some mild discomfort, numbing cream can be applied, it can take as little as ten minutes, and two to three treatments are recommended initially. NICE says a course typically consists of three sessions four to six weeks apart.

What the regulators say

We give each statement once, in the regulator's words.

• The United States. The FemiLift laser is FDA-cleared in the US as a surgical laser, not for these conditions. Record K250071 of September 2025 clears it "for use in surgical applications requiring the ablation, vaporization, excision, incision, and coagulation of soft tissue". It adds a 50 mm FemiLift handpiece to an earlier record and carries no wording about laxity, dryness, incontinence or sexual function. In July 2018 the FDA published a safety communication on energy-based devices used for vaginal conditions: "The safety and effectiveness of energy-based devices for treatment of these conditions has not been established." It added that it had not "cleared or approved for marketing any energy-based devices to treat these symptoms or conditions, or any symptoms related to menopause, urinary incontinence, or sexual function". The risks it named were vaginal burns, scarring, pain during sexual intercourse, and recurring or chronic pain.
• England. NICE guidance HTG581, on transvaginal laser for stress urinary incontinence, and HTG582, on it for urogenital atrophy, both of May 2021, say the evidence "does not show any short-term safety concerns". Both go on: "Evidence on long-term safety and efficacy is inadequate in quality and quantity. Therefore, this procedure should only be used in the context of research." Beside that, HTG581 notes that "continuation of pelvic floor exercises is important", and HTG582 records that the committee was informed the procedure "may have a role for patients who are unable to use topical oestrogen". NICE's menopause guideline NG23 says: "Do not offer vaginal laser treatment for genitourinary symptoms associated with menopause unless as part of a randomised controlled trial." Its rationale adds: "The evidence showed that laser treatment was effective for all outcomes. However, the committee agreed that, despite some promising results, the evidence base was too small."

We offer FemiLift as an outpatient treatment for the uses below. In our practice Dr Marie Duggan gives you these statements at the consultation, examines you and goes through the evidence for your own symptoms before you decide.

Does FemiLift work? What the trials show

The answer depends on the use, and the sham-controlled trials, the ones that compare the laser with a pretend treatment, are split. Here is each one.

• Dryness and atrophy after the menopause. Four sham-controlled CO2 laser trials found no gain over sham on their main measures. One, in JAMA in 2021, followed 85 women for twelve months, and its biopsies found no tissue difference between laser and sham. The others were 30 women in 2021, 72 breast cancer survivors in 2023 and 34 in 2025; in the 34, daily dryness and the Vaginal Health Index improved with the laser. Two found a gain: 88 women in 2020, with satisfaction of 79.5% against 44.7%, and 58 women in 2021, with a dryness score falling by 5.6 against 1.9.
• Stress urinary incontinence. Three sham-controlled trials of a first course found no difference: 101 women in 2022, in whom the incontinence persisted at three months in 98% after the laser and 96% after sham; 59 women in 2023; and 37 women in 2025. One found a gain: in 114 women in 2022, 45.2% against 14.0% were continent on the trial's objective tests over twelve months. At four years the authors reported that continence lasted 26.7 months on average after the laser against 8.21 after sham, and that continence rates declined over time. A 2025 Cochrane review of nine trials and 689 women concluded that vaginal lasers "may have little to no effect" on stress incontinence in the short term, with very low certainty. Over the medium term it found "there may be more continent women among those who received vaginal laser compared to those who received sham", again on very uncertain evidence. A 2026 trial of 94 women found the laser non-inferior to pelvic floor training.
• Laxity and tightening. The laser studies for laxity have no sham group. A 2024 review of 38 studies reported that sexual function improved in observational studies but not in randomised trials. A 2026 retrospective series of 176 women found significant improvement in all its sexual function and symptom scores after the first course, and 33.5% needed more laser within two years.
• The FemiLift series itself. In 59 women followed for a year without a comparison group, the pad weight that measures leakage fell from 35.45 g to 12.47 g at the third treatment and was 23.06 g at twelve months. The authors suggest maintenance at six to twelve months.
• Recurrent infection. In 120 women, laser added to metronidazole against metronidazole alone, in an unblinded trial with no sham group, recurrence was 8.33% against 36.67%.
• After childbirth. One uncontrolled series of 30 breastfeeding women, on another maker's laser, in whom the Vaginal Health Index rose from a median of 14 to 18 after the first session; no randomised trial.
• Vulvar lichen sclerosus. A 2021 trial of 52 women against a steroid cream found the quality-of-life score better with the laser by 10.9 points at six months, and 89% against 62% rated their symptoms "better or much better". A 2026 open-label trial of 245 women against the same cream found a greater fall in a burning, itching and pain score at three months with the laser. The 2021 trial used another maker's laser, and the 2026 trial does not name its device.

Dr Marie Duggan goes through these results for your symptoms at the free consultation, with pelvic floor training and vaginal oestrogen, which NICE recommends, discussed alongside.

Which conditions FemiLift is used for

Our rule is simple: every indication the device is used for, we offer. Each carries its evidence level above.

• Dryness, itching and atrophy after the menopause: Alma's indication; six sham trials, four with no gain and two with a gain; NICE research only, and NICE's committee was told it may have a role where topical oestrogen cannot be used.
• Stress urinary incontinence: Alma's second indication; three of four first-course sham trials with no difference, one with a gain; Cochrane very low certainty; NICE research only, with pelvic floor training to continue.
• Vaginal laxity and tightening: uncontrolled series only.
• Pain on intercourse and sexual function: sham trials split.
• Recurrent vaginal infection: one unblinded trial.
• Changes after childbirth: one uncontrolled series.
• Vulvar lichen sclerosus: two randomised trials against a steroid cream, one of them open-label.
• Scars and skin resurfacing: Alma makes four separate skin applicators for these, a different use from the vaginal probe.

Who FemiLift suits, and who it does not

In our practice FemiLift suits a woman who has read the statements above and chooses an outpatient laser course with its evidence understood. She has usually tried or discussed the treatments NICE recommends: pelvic floor training for incontinence and vaginal oestrogen for dryness. It also suits someone who cannot use topical oestrogen, the group for whom NICE's committee was told the procedure "may have a role".

It is not given during a period, in pregnancy, with an active cancer, with abnormal smears, or with a vaginal infection or tissue damage, and the examination with a smear test comes first. In our practice, anyone with a prolapse or a symptom that needs a diagnosis first is referred for it, and the doctor says so.

A session, step by step

1. Free consultation and examination. Dr Marie Duggan takes your history and examines you, with a smear test first, and sets out the price in writing. In our practice she also gives you the regulators' statements and the trial results for your symptoms. If pelvic floor training or vaginal oestrogen is the better first step, she says so.
2. Preparation. A numbing cream can be applied, as Alma describes. A single-use sleeve goes on the probe.
3. Treatment. The probe is placed in the vagina and the laser delivered to the wall in its pixel pattern in a 360-degree motion throughout the vaginal canal, repeated as needed to cover the area. Alma describes the treatment as fast, as little as ten minutes, with some mild discomfort.
4. Straight after. Alma describes minimal downtime; the after-effects reported in the FemiLift series are under side effects below.
5. The first days. No intercourse or swimming for three days, or for as long as Dr Marie Duggan advises.
6. The course. Two or three sessions initially in Alma's words, typically three at four to six weeks apart in NICE's, with the plan set at the consultation.

How many sessions

Alma recommends two to three treatments initially, and NICE describes a course of typically three sessions four to six weeks apart. In the 59-woman series the best results came between three and six months, leakage measured by pad weight had partly returned by twelve months, and the authors suggest maintenance at six to twelve months. In the 176-woman series 33.5% had more laser within two years. In our practice the plan and any maintenance are set with you at the consultation and the review.

What FemiLift costs

We set out the price of FemiLift in writing at a free consultation, and we price match any comparable written quote. Consultations and follow-up reviews are free whatever you decide. The price depends on the number of sessions, and the written plan shows it before anything is booked.

Results you can check

The trial and regulator statements in this guide come from the published sources named by size and year, and can be checked; we show no before-and-after photographs. Our patients review the clinic on review.clinic, where it scores 4.9 out of 5 from 51 reviews in November 2026.

FemiLift compared with the alternatives

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy. NICE's first-line treatment for stress incontinence, and in a 2026 trial of 94 women the laser was non-inferior to pelvic floor training. In our practice pelvic floor training continues whatever you decide about the laser, as NICE advises.
• Vaginal oestrogen. NICE's menopause guideline says to offer vaginal oestrogen for genitourinary symptoms of the menopause, and NICE's committee was told the laser may have a role where topical oestrogen cannot be used.
• Radiofrequency devices. A different energy: the FDA's 2018 statement covers energy-based devices, "commonly radiofrequency or laser". The doctor explains the difference at the consultation.
• Other vaginal lasers. Erbium and CO2 lasers from other makers, and none of the trials above compares laser brands.
• Surgery. For stress incontinence, a sling or other operation is the surgical route, with its own NICE guidance; the doctor refers you where that is the right conversation.

Side effects and safety

In the 59-woman FemiLift series, discharge was reported by 34%, swelling by 15% and itching by 11%, none lasting over five days. The FDA's 2018 communication named vaginal burns, scarring, pain during sexual intercourse, and recurring or chronic pain. A 2019 report described four women referred with complications after a course of three laser treatments for menopausal symptoms: one had vaginal wall lacerations after resuming intercourse, and three had persistent or worsening pain on intercourse. A 2019 review of the FDA's database found 45 reports covering 46 patients between 2015 and 2019, for all energy devices sold for this purpose, not FemiLift alone. Pain was reported in 19, and 33 described a chronic injury. These are the reasons the examination comes first, the energy is set by a doctor, and intercourse waits until the tissue has settled. FemiLift is not given during a period, in pregnancy, with an active cancer, with abnormal smears, or with a vaginal infection or tissue damage.

How to choose a clinic

Ask who gives the treatment and for their registration number; this guide is reviewed by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, who treats every FemiLift patient here, in a CQC registered clinic. Ask to be examined before any laser is booked, and ask for the NICE statements and the sham-controlled trial results for your symptoms. Ask what the first-line options are and whether you have tried them. Ask for the price in writing before you book, and what the plan is if the symptoms return.

Aftercare

No intercourse or swimming for three days, or for as long as Dr Marie Duggan advises. In our practice pelvic floor training continues as before. Contact us about bleeding, pain that increases, a discharge that smells or persists beyond five days, or pain on intercourse that continues.

Frequently asked questions