Ask the Resident (Sex) Advisor

The Resident Sex Advisor answers sex-related questions from college students

Dear RSA,
I'd like to restore my virginity. Is there such a thing as an artificial hymen so that I can give my lover my "cherry" again and again?
Shelly, Mount Holyoke

Shelly,
If you're really serious about getting your virginity back, you can have your hymen surgically restored. So-called hymenorraphy is widely practiced in cultures where a maidenhead is highly valued. However, this is an expensive and difficult procedure, and even if you did it, losing your cherry again is another one-time deal.

In terms of artificial barriers, you might try experimenting with plastic wrap, dental dams, or even female condoms to create a hard-to-penetrate barrier that might simulate a hymen.

If you want to recreate that virginal feeling for yourself, consider a vagina-tightening cream or one of the active ingredients these creams contain. There are a number of creams on the market, with names like Shrink Cream and Sure Grip, that claim to shrink your coochie back to virginal proportions. Many contain what they call an "herbal blend." In most cases the active ingredients are witch hazel and/or alum, both of which are astringent and cause the tissues of the vaginal membrane to contract. Rather than investing in the cream, you could just try douching with distilled witch hazel, or a solution of alum dissolved in water. Both are cheap and available at any drug store.

Remember that this will just make your vagina feel tighter during intercourse, and that may be slightly uncomfortable. But then, I assume that the discomfort of the defloration is part of what you're trying to recapture. To enhance the effect, try to have intercourse with a minimum of foreplay so you don't get too lubricated before insertion. That's pretty typical of a "first time" anyway.