'Vagina-maxxing' explained as Bryan Johnson's 'vaginal microbiome report' sparks surge in trend

Bryan Johnson’s ‘vaginal microbiome report’ has sparked a surge in curiosity surrounding ‘vagina-maxxing’, which comes after ‘looksmaxxing’ and ‘ballmaxxing’ have been doing the rounds on social media.

This all started when biohacker Johnson took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a rather intimate confession with his 1.1 million followers.

In a post, he wrote: “Just gave Kate oral sex. Goodnight everyone.”

This was then followed up by: “This is her vaginal microbiome report. 100/100 score. Top 1% of all vaginas.

“Her sample is dominated by the single most protective bacterial species a vagina can host (Lactobacillus crispatus).

“Only about 25-30% of reproductive age women globally are L. crispatus-dominant, and ‘dominant’ usually means above 50%. Kate is at 98.7%.

“The lab found nothing bad to report. (no gardnerella, Candida, STIs, opportunistic pathogens, aerobic vaginitis markers, etc.)

“This is linked to lower risk of BV, UTIs, yeast infections, HPV persistence, HSV-2 and HIV acquisition, preterm birth, and improved IVF outcomes.

“A vaginal microbiome is downstream of everything: sleep, glucose control, stress, gut health, sexual health, immune function, what you eat, and what you put in it.”

This prompted many people to take to the X comment section to share their own reactions to the post, with one user writing: “Ladies, get on with your vaginamaxxing.”

Another said: “If you aren’t vaginamaxxing in 2026 as a woman, what are you even doing?!”

A third person commented: “Are we vaginamaxxing now?”

Speaking to Tyla at LADbible Group Dr Ravina Bhanot, who is a women’s health GP and founder of The One Labs, explained what ‘vagina-maxxing’ actually means.

According to the expert, it is a social media term rather than a medical one, She added: “It refers to attempts to ‘improve’ the appearance, smell, tightness, grooming or perceived attractiveness of the vulva or vagina with beauty routines, supplements, procedures or products.”

The trend can include:

• Excessive grooming or hair removal
• Tightening products
• Vaginal steaming, washes or deodorants
• Whitening/lightening creams
• Cosmetic procedures like labiaplasty or fillers
• Obsessive hygiene routines
• Supplements marketed for 'feminine freshness' or libido

Dr Bhanot highlighted that a lot of online discussions centered around notions of ‘vagina-maxxing’ often confuse the vulva (external lips) with the vagina (the internal canal).

Is ‘vagina-maxxing’ problematic?

In short, yes, as the expert goes on to explain: “The biggest concern is that it can medicalize normal female anatomy and create unrealistic beauty standards around female genitals.”

Dr Bhanot went on to explain that the female reproductive organs can vary enormously, from labial size and shape, skin colour, symmetry, hair distribution, natural scent and discharge.

However, social media and pornography can ‘distort’ perceptions of what is normal and can cause some women to feel embarrassed about completely healthy and natural anatomy.

She warned: “It can also affect women’s mental health, from body anxiety to body dysmorphia or pressure to change normal vulvas just for aesthetics.”

Physical risks surrounding ‘vagina-maxxing’

Dr Bhanot detailed how many ‘vagina-maxxing’ products are poorly regulated, leading to several physical risks, which may include:

• Irritation from fragranced washes and deodorant
• Disruption of the vaginal microbiome
• Increased risk of vaginal infections
• Burns from lasers or ‘tightening’ treatment
• Damage from bleaching creams