Stretch Marks Treatment  

Stretch marks must be treated as soon as possible to facilitate the chance of a successful treatment. The treatments have less impact when the striae are installed largely and become white. In the other hand, there is sometimes a gradual decrease when stretch marks are taken into account from the beginning. Whatever the type of treatment used, it is important that you be patient and combative. A treatment that works for Maria may not work for Anna; therefore, it is good to try all the chances to reduce the scars or eliminate them completely if possible. 

There is no definitive treatment for stretch marks; but there are therapeutic methods to reduce their appearance: laser therapy, massage therapy, microdermabrasion, Placental extract , collagen creams, collagen and elastin creams, silicone derivatives, etc. Without proper treatment, stretch marks lead to formation of large scars of one or two centimeters and sometimes up to 10 centimeters long. 

Creams : certain anti stretch mark creams can be useful if they are used continuously and from the genesis of the stretch marks. They are most effective when they penetrate the skin deeply and their concentration of active ingredients is high. Tretinoin cream may provide a satisfying result if the stretch marks are recent; that is, those that are still pink or red in color. However, pregnant women should not use tretinoin. In addition, tretinoin can irritate the skin of some patients. 

Microdermabrasion : m icrodermabrasion is a technique used to beautify the skin with few or no side effects. It is performed using aluminum micro-crystals (or aluminum oxide crystals ) projected on the skin, specially the area to be treated. The therapy causes microdamages that encourage the skin to produce new, younger and firmer skin tissue. The therapist then cleans debris of dead skin and crystals by suction or with a soft brush. The skin becomes clean, soft and radiant. 

This procedure can provide good results in the treatment of older stretch marks. In addition, in stretch marks treatment, microdermabrasion is also recommended in cases of acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, microcysts, enlarged pores, and age spots. They therapy is also used to improve the luster and texture of the skin.  

Microdermabrasion is not painful, however; it can cause redness and increased sensitivity for nearly a day after treatment. If you are diabetic, you should not opt for microdermabrasion if your blood sugar is not stable or if your condition is not safely under control.  

Fractional Photothermolysis: Like pulsed dye laser therapy, this nonablative laser treatment uses wavelengths of light to stimulate new growth of collagen and elastin. The difference is that it causes partial (fractional) damage to small dot-like areas within a targeted zone. Because most of the treated area remains undamaged, the skin heals quickly. 

Fractional Photothermolysis : this is a new concept of using laser to stimulate new growth of collagen and elastin . This is a gentle non-invasive treatment which does not remove the epidermis . It causes a progressive elimination of the damage cells. In average, four sessions allow an almost complete epidermal and dermal renewal comparable to which would have been obtained with mechanical dermabrasion.   

Fractional photothermolysis is FDA approved for all skin types regardless of the region of the body. There is no risk of discoloration, and the skin heals quickly after the therapy; however, in some patients, there may be a transient hyperpigmentation (darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin ) after the treatment.  

Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy : this technique consists of heating intensely, by high-energy laser light (or radiation), the dermal blood vessels. The energy produced will be absorbed by the hemoglobin causing the destruction of diseased cells of the skin without affecting healthy tissue. During the therapy, the radiation is produced by stimulation of liquid dye and “Pulse "; the length of the radiation is controlled in a way that the heat does not damage tissue. 

This therapy is among of the nonablative laser treatments used to treat various skin problems anywhere on the body: warts, rosacea, erythema (redness of the skin) , spider veins, new lesions of psoriasis, stretch marks, sebaceous hyperplasia and other dermatological problems.  

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