Urinary incontinence laser treatment in Singapore: stress leakage, what helps first, and where laser fits
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Professional Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland · Last reviewed · Jump to questions
Leaking a little when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise is common after childbirth and around menopause, and many women never mention it. It is called stress urinary incontinence. Dr Sin Yong, who holds the Professional Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, assesses the type of leakage first, because the right first treatment depends on it, and energy treatments are only part of the picture.
Short answerStress urinary incontinence is leakage with effort, from weak pelvic floor support. Supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least three months is the recommended first treatment. Vaginal laser and radiofrequency are non-surgical options sometimes used for mild stress leakage, with limited and mixed evidence. Urge leakage, blood in the urine, pain or a bulge need a different assessment, often by a specialist.
Key facts
Stress leakage
With coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting or exercise
Urge leakage
A sudden strong need to go, with leaking on the way; assessed differently
First line
Supervised pelvic floor muscle training, at least three months (NICE)
Non-surgical energy options
G Lift (fractional CO2 laser) or GF Lift (radiofrequency), for mild stress leakage, after assessment
See a specialist for
Blood in urine, pain, repeated infections, a bulge, leakage at night or without warning
Stress incontinence: leakage with effort (coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, lifting). The pelvic floor and the tissues that support the urethra are not closing it firmly enough under pressure. Common after vaginal birth and around menopause.
Urge incontinence: a sudden, strong urge to pass urine, with leaking before reaching the toilet. This is an overactive bladder problem, treated with bladder training and sometimes medicines, not with vaginal energy devices.
Mixed incontinence: both together, which is common. The more troublesome type is treated first.
Other causes: infections, some medicines, constipation, and neurological conditions; these need their own assessment.
Illustrative image — not a patient.
Why pelvic floor training comes first
For stress or mixed incontinence, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends a trial of supervised pelvic floor muscle training lasting at least three months as the first treatment. It works on the cause, it has no side effects, and it improves many women’s symptoms. “Supervised” matters: many women squeeze the wrong muscles, and a women’s health physiotherapist checks the technique. Weight loss, treating a chronic cough and avoiding constipation also help.
“Leaking when you laugh is common, but it is not something you have to accept. The first job is finding out which kind of leakage it is, because that decides everything after.”
Dr Sin YongOn urinary incontinence
Where laser and radiofrequency fit
Vaginal energy treatments are offered in Singapore for mild stress leakage. The idea is that heat in the front vaginal wall, beneath the urethra, prompts new collagen and firmer support. Dr Sin Yong’s G Lift uses a fractional CO2 laser; his GF Lift – Girl’s Friend Lift uses radiofrequency. Both are non-surgical and done without anaesthesia.
Honestly, the evidence is limited: studies are mostly small, short and often without a sham comparison, and in 2018 the US FDA warned that energy-based devices had not been cleared for urinary incontinence or vaginal rejuvenation. So these treatments are considered for mild stress leakage, alongside pelvic floor training rather than instead of it, after an examination that rules out other causes. They are not used for urge incontinence. Devices that work the pelvic floor muscles, such as the Emsella chair, are compared on our Emsella vs GF Lift page.
Illustrative image — not a patient.
When to see a specialist
Some leakage needs a urogynaecologist or urologist rather than an aesthetic clinic: blood in the urine, pain, repeated urinary infections, a bulge or heaviness in the vagina (possible prolapse), leaking at night or without any warning, or leakage that has not improved after a proper course of pelvic floor training. For moderate to severe stress incontinence, surgical options such as a mid-urethral sling or urethral bulking are discussed by a specialist. Dr Sin Yong refers where that is the better route.
What the assessment covers
A history of when you leak and how much, pregnancies and deliveries, menopause, medicines and bowel habits; a bladder diary if useful; a urine test where infection is possible; and a private examination with a female chaperone, checking the pelvic floor squeeze and looking for prolapse. The plan follows from that: training first, an energy treatment where it suits, or a referral.
Your next step
1. Message privatelyWhatsApp +65 8023 7170. A reply comes from the clinic, not a bot.
2. Private consultationDr Sin Yong takes your history and examines with a female chaperone on Orchard Road.
3. A plan in writingWhat he would do, what he would not, when a specialist is the better route, and the option of no treatment.
Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong personally. Singapore Medical Council registered · Professional Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
Vaginal laser is used for mild stress urinary incontinence, with the aim of firming the support beneath the urethra. Studies are small and mixed, and the US FDA has said energy devices have not been cleared for this use. It is considered alongside pelvic floor training after an examination, and it is not used for urge incontinence.
There is no single best treatment for everyone. Supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least three months is the recommended first step. Non-surgical energy treatments are options for mild leakage, and surgery such as a mid-urethral sling is considered by a specialist for moderate to severe cases.
Yes. Pelvic floor physiotherapy, bladder training, vaginal laser, radiofrequency and pelvic floor stimulation devices are all offered in Singapore. Which suits depends on the type of leakage, which is why an assessment comes first.
It often improves over the first months, especially with pelvic floor exercises. If leakage continues after a few months of proper training, it is worth an assessment rather than living with it.
Medical treatment of incontinence by a specialist may be claimable in some situations; aesthetic or elective energy treatments generally are not. Check with your provider and insurer before booking.
Stress incontinence Singapore treatment without surgery includes pelvic floor training, electromagnetic chair stimulation and vaginal laser, each suited to mild to moderate leakage. Dr Sin Yong takes a history and examines first, and refers moderate to severe cases to a gynaecologist or urologist.
References
Urinary incontinence in women, Quality statement 4: supervised pelvic floor muscle training. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), QS77. source
FDA warns about claims for energy-based “vaginal rejuvenation” devices (statement of 30 July 2018). MedTech Dive, 2018. source
About this page: written and medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Edinburgh), Professional Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland · Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · Illustrative images only, not patients · Editorial policy
