Do you have horizontal or curved lines appearing on your body? Those are called stretch marks. It is quite common and occurs in both men and women. To deal with these red or grey colored lines, you need to have complete knowledge about it. Let’s look into some of the important details about stretch marks.
What is a stretch mark?
Stretch marks also known striae occur when your body grows quickly over a short period. This rapid change in your body causes the elastic fibers under your skin to break as they are unable to keep up with the increasing growth. These fibers are responsible for maintaining and supporting the elasticity and firmness of our skin and breaking down of these fibers results in red or purple lines to occur on your skin. Over time, these lines fade into silver or grey stretch marks that stay on your skin for a long time.
Most stretch marks occur on breasts, lower back, abdomen, upper arms, and thighs. These are common during puberty, pregnancy, or any time when you gain a lot of weight quickly. There is nothing to worry about stretch marks as they are not harmful. However, they can make you feel uncomfortable in your skin and therefore, steps should be taken to get rid of them.
When do stretch marks appear?
Stretch marks don’t appear unless:
1. You are pregnant.
2. You are going through your puberty stage.
3. You gained or lost a lot of weight.
4. You gained a lot of muscles during weight training.
Stretch marks can appear in different colors. You can determine the age of the scar by judging its color. Fresh stretch marks appear red while late stretch marks are white.
How can you treat stretch marks?
Stretch marks can be annoying, especially when they are visible. This is why getting rid of them is a must. You can get a wide number of stretch removal lotions and creams in the market. However, most of them are not very effective. Instead of these cosmetic creams, you should try out the medical lotions. These lotions are known to have a good impact on stretch marks.
Creams containing vitamin C, tretinoin, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid can help you get rid of your stretch marks effectively. These elements present in the cream boosts and stimulates the synthesis of collagen fibers and also strengthen the upper layers of your skin. You need to continue using these medical creams for months to see visible results.
What are the treatments involved in removing stretch marks?
Other than creams and lotions, you can also avail other advanced options to treat stretch marks which include:
1. Laser therapy
2. Micro-needling radiofrequency
3. Micro-needling or derma-roller
These non-surgical methods of removing stretch marks are considered to be the most effective techniques used. For better results, one or more procedures are combined. However, opting for these procedures will cost you a lot more than creams and lotions.
How do these non-surgical techniques work?
As you already know, stretch marks are caused by damaged collagen, these procedures help in inducing new collagen fibers or rebuild the damaged ones. With the help of these techniques, the scar is remodeled, which, as a result, aids in reducing the stretch marks. You may need to undergo multiple sessions to get visible results.
To make it more effective, these techniques are often combined with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) which is a concentrate of platelets. This contains protein and growth factors which aid in remodeling the collagen.
Does it pain?
The procedure is done after applying to anesthetize the skin. Usually, there is no pain after the procedure.
How many sessions does it take?
You can see feel the improvement after one or two sessions. However, it will take up to 5 to 6 session to get a significant result.
What long does a session last?
The duration of each session depends on the area that’s needed to be treated. However, it takes at least 60 to 90 minutes for a session to get completed.
How much does it cost?
These procedures are quite expensive. For example, laser treatment can cost you around $1,410 to $2,681 per session. You should only opt for this procedure only if you are ready to spend that much money.
Does it have any side-effect?
It doesn’t have any potential side-effects. However, there can be a little swelling, mild redness, and crusting after the treatment has been done. But there is nothing to worry about it as it will last only for a few days.
Can stretch marks come back after the treatment?
Usually, stretch marks don’t come back after the completion of the procedure. However, you may get new stretch marks in the case, the causes of stretch marks are back. For example, if you get pregnant again, there are chances that you will get new stretch marks in the future.
What are the benefits of these procedures?
The main benefits include:
1. All these procedures are non-surgical and therefore, you don’t need any time to recover from it.
2. This is a painless way of getting rid of your stretch marks.
3. You are sure to see improvement after every session.
4. The procedure is performed using USFDA machines.
What are the disadvantages?
The main disadvantages include:
1. These procedures are quite expensive.
2. Stretch marks may come back with the condition that caused it in the first place.
3. It takes more than one session to get visible results.
