Can Stretch Marks Be Removed?

Stretch marks, or striae, are lines found on the skin that develops because of the tissue right below tear due to over-stretching or rapid expansion. Stretch marks are usually associated with a temporary increase in weight from bodybuilding and other activities, puberty,obesity and pregnancy. Connective fibres in the skin break over time, thus, interfering with collagen output and resulting in scarring. This scarring could be curable only by means of removal of stretch marks.

Who suffers the most?

Although there are a lot of suitable candidates, the most typical patients are females who’ve been pregnant. Skin scarring and pregnancy normally go together – almost nine in ten women will suffer from stretch marks after having a baby. They normally are afflicted with abdominal stretch marks; however, other areas can also be damaged, leading to the necessity of transformation surgery. Other candidates consist of those who lost considerable weight and muscle builders who have easily developed substantial muscle mass.

Factors behind stretch marks

Both males and females are at risk of stretch marks, especially on the lower back, abdominal area, buttocks, arms, hips and thighs.

There are a number of factors that cause stretch marks, which includes:

• Genetics: Females are almost certainly going to get abdominal stretch marks if their mom, for example, had skin scarring after pregnancy.
• Significant increase and reduction in weight: Your skin expands as your weight changes, often causing stretch marks.
• Puberty: Growth spurts in the course of puberty often lead to stretch marks, since the skin cannot maintain the body’s development.
• Bodybuilding: Fast muscle gains may expand the skin above its limits.
• Corticosteroids: Major or long-term usage of oral or external corticosteroids, a commonly used pharmaceutical steroid substance, can result in stretch mark development.
• Ethnicity: Individuals with dark skin colour are less prone to have stretch marks.

Parts of the body which can be afflicted with stretch marks

Skin scarring can have an impact on any part of the body where the skin is susceptible to fast stretching. The abdominal area is the part usually suffering from stretch marks, however, they are can also be found around the chest, arms, hips, lower back, thighs and buttocks. Skin in every one of these areas is susceptible to high stress due to major use and quick expansion. In theory, any part of the body might be at risk of stretch marks in case the skin is expanded enough due to tissue expansion.

Alternatives for stretch mark removal

There are a variety of other factors for patients that go through stretch mark removal therapy. Patients ought to have reasonable expectations in regards to the effects that their preferred treatment process can offer. Patients who go through stretch mark removal surgery must be healthy; patients in the process of surgery will have to talk about their health and medication with their physicians before treatment. Patients also need to be familiar with the costs of their stretch mark removal therapy.

Laser stretch mark removal

In the course of removing stretch marks using the laser procedure, a ray of light eliminates thin tiers of skin around the skin scarring. The excimer laser is exclusively designed for this process. Rather than cutting or burning the damaged skin areas as other lasers would do, it functions by using high-energy UV laser light to affect the molecular bonds within the skin tissue, which in turn causes the tissue to diminish in a procedure referred to as ablation. As soon as the removal of stretch marks is complete, the treated parts will recover quickly, and new healthy layers of the skin will develop. Stretch marks should have vanished, and patients can look forward to a new, healthy look.

Recovery

Right after laser stretch mark removal, the afflicted area is going to be red and sore. This is due to tiers of damaged skin which have been taken out and a new skin that has grown. Sometimes blistering as well as other signs common to a burn injury might be found, however they are short-lived. Most patients recover from a therapy within a couple of days, but recovery has been proven to take up to a couple of weeks in certain situations, especially those in need of more extensive treatment.

Results

Removing stretch marks through a laser process is very successful. Just like any other procedure, results are determined by the incidence and age of the skin scarring involved – elderly and more severe skin scarring are hard to cure. Patients usually need up to 10 treatments to successfully remove skin scarring. In the most severe cases, even a number of laser treatments could minimise the appearance of stretch marks instead of eliminating them completely. Both cases are unique.

Benefits of laser process

The main benefit of removing stretch marks through a laser process is its efficiency. The therapy has an extremely high rate of patient satisfaction. In addition, it is completely safe; the excimer laser is accurately controlled, with minimal potential to result in injury. Finally, it is less invasive compared to surgical body sculpting techniques like abdominal tucks, with minimal healing time, more affordable, and fewer possible complications.

Risks

Just like any surgical treatment, laser stretch mark removal isn’t entirely without risk. For the reason that laser is able to ablate your skin, it is likely that a mishandled laser might lead to some superficial injury.

This is why, it is best to decide on your cosmetic dermatologist properly. You can find a possibility that severely created stretch marks is probably not entirely removable with laser therapy. Additionally, there is the possibility of blistering as well as other adverse reactions to the procedure; however, these complications are short-lived instead of deadly.

Surgical removal of stretch marks

Surgical removal of stretch marks is the sole successful method for the entire and permanent removal of stretch marks. Other approaches, which include laser stretch mark elimination and natural removal of stretch mark methods, can reduce skin scarring and reduce their visibility, but are unable to completely eliminate them. While there are no health risks, skin scarring continues to be a source of stress and low self-esteem for many individuals. If patients want to remove stretch marks rather than just concealing them, then surgical removal of stretch marks remains the sole viable solution.

Parts of the body which can be treated

Abdominoplasty, known as a “tummy tuck,” is now the only successful medical operation for removing stretch marks. The abdominoplasty firm stomach muscles and eliminates extra skin in the middle to lower stomach area. All striae underneath the naval are removed in addition to the extra skin. Currently, there aren’t any surgical treatments for removing stretch marks in other parts of the body.

As a result of this limitation, surgical removal of stretch marks is only executed on patients that are eligible for a tummy tuck process. Applicants for abdominoplasty surgery consist of patients who are healthy that don’t smoke and have a substantial amount of extra skin on the abdomen.

Cost

The price of stretch mark removal differs widely based on the method utilised and the seriousness of the scarring involved. Natural methods like lotions and creams are usually the most cost effective and least included, but in addition the least successful. Surgical procedures are usually the most costly, though recurring laser therapies lead to similar costs. You must seek advice from your cosmetic skin care specialist for further in depth information.

Other treatments to remove stretch marks

Cosmetic dermatologists provide several different non-surgical options for getting rid of stretch marks. Common and successful alternatives consist of blue light therapy, microdermabrasion and chemical peels. These are excellent alternatives for people who would like to avoid surgical treatment, and these are usually more affordable than laser stretch mark removal. Just like any non-surgical stretch mark therapies, these alternatives are most successful on newer scars. Older scars may need to make use of surgical methods for complete removal.

Blue light therapy

While extensively useful for treating acne, blue light therapy is often used to enhance the look of skin scarring. Blue light treatment requires the use a photosensitive gel on the skin, which happens to be subjected to break light energy. While total removal of stretch marks is unlikely, patients may recognise some improvement, particularly in the looks of more recent stretch marks.

Microdermabrasion

Both microdermabrasion as well as chemical peels enhances the visibility of skin scarring by means of the elimination of the skin’s top tiers. Chemical peels accomplish this purpose through the use of chemicals to “burn” the top part away whilst microdermabrasion makes use of an excellent crystal spray to “blast” the exterior skin layers. Old skin debris is eliminated and new, healthy skin tissue forms. The new skin cells create more elastin and collagen, two important factors of smooth, youthful skin. Microdermabrasion is an uncomplicated process that requires only one hour to complete and requires minimal healing time. An extra five to twelve treatments are essential to obtain the utmost benefits of the process. Remember, despite the fact that microdermabrasion can enhance the overall look of scars; it isn’t a successful way to completely remove stretch marks.

Chemical peels

Chemical peels are normally applied on the face to help remedy wrinkles as well as age spots; however, they are often used in other parts of the body for removing stretch marks. Within the chemical peel process, a chemical solution is used on the skin, making use of a brush, cotton swab, cotton pad or sponge.The types and benefits of the chemicals within the solution change based on the specific patient’s needs.

The chemicals effectively remove the top layers of damaged, dead skin cells and trigger new skin cell output. Patients may feel a painful or burning sensation in the course of treatment. The healing time is determined by the patient’s skin type as well as the strength of the chemicals used, and several treatments could be needed to achieve optimal results. It’s essential to remember that a chemical peel won’t eliminate stretch marks entirely; however, they normally diminish due to treatment, and people come out with softer, healthier, more youthful skin.