Do you have stretch marks on your skin? What are these stretch marks, have you ever thought about it? Stretch marks are narrow, long streaks, stripes which develop on the skin. Stretch marks can occur in anyone and they occur because of the stretching of the skin. Although, it can happen to anyone mostly this condition is seen in women more than men. They occur in different parts of the body, such as thighs, stomach, hips, upper arms, breasts and, lower back.
This kind of scarring occurs when skin cannot resume to its normal form after intense growth period as during pregnancy, weight loss, weight gain, and puberty. There are about 50 % of women who suffer from stretch marks while pregnancy.
Symptoms of stretch marks-
Before the emergence of the stretch marks, the skin appears thin as well as pink. It also feels little itchy and irritated. The marks at initial stage look wrinkly, and raised streaks which are red, pink, purple, dark brown, or reddish-brown in color. With time streaks fade as well as flatten and change to a silvery color.
Cause and risk-
Some of the common cause of stretch marks is-
- Pregnancy- 50-90 % of women suffers from this condition after the birth of the baby.
- Puberty– in young people rapid growth occurs during puberty which leads to stretch marks.
- Weight gain– gaining a lot of weight rapidly or in a short period can also lead to the development of stretch marks.
- Medical condition– some medical conditions like Marfan syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, etc. also cause stretch marks. Marfan syndrome leads to reduced elasticity of the skin tissue and Cushing’s syndrome leads to the production of too much hormone due to which there is rapid weight gain, as well as skin fragility and stretch marks, are caused.
- Use of corticosteroid– use corticosteroid creams or lotions for a long time then it can also cause stretch marks. These creams reduce the level of collagen when collagen is reduced stretch marks are created as skin become loose.
Stretch marks are formed in the dermis (middle layer of the skin. When connective tissue gets stretched beyond its limits of elasticity then the stretch marks is formed. So, is there any way to remove stretch marks?
Yes, there are ways to remove stretch marks. Laser stretch mark removal is a treatment which many women are adopting these days to get rid of the stretch marks. Let’s understand what laser treatment is!
In past people used to go for surgery to get the stretch marks removed but today they are adopting the laser treatment because it is cost-effective treatment, as well as discomfort related to it, are less as compared to other methods. Laser stretch mark treatment is a non-invasive way to remove the stretch marks.
In this method, a laser beam is used on the skin where the stretch mark is a present and thin layer of the skin which is present around the stretch marks are removed. This method will remove the old skin, so the new skin can develop collagen and elastin again. If the redness appears in the area of skin after this treatment then you need not worry about it as it is caused because of the removal of old skin. This redness or inflammation usually goes away within a few days.
Kinds of laser stretch mark treatment-
KTP laser-
In this kind of laser stretch marks removal kindling produces collagen and elastin which are the main component of healthy skin. In this process, a thick band of pulsed light is used which aims the stretch mark affected the skin and cause discoloration. This treatment is good for treating newly developed stretch marks having red or purple shade. A KTP laser used in this treatment is referred as a pulsed dye laser and it eradicates the damaged blood vessels in the affected region of the skin.
Fractional CO2 laser-
In this treatment, laser rays are used to cause minute pores in the skin. These pores created are filled by natural collagen faster and this minimizes the stretch marks. It is called fractional laser treatment because the laser beam is introduced as microbeam on the skin. It is best for treatment of stretch marks which are greyish-silver or white in color. This treatment helps to renew collagen which then helps in fading away of the stretch marks.
Since this treatment is used to treat a certain fraction of skin so it results in faster recovery and gives you visible results. Rejuvenated collagen helps the skin to stay healthy.
The benefit of laser stretch mark removal-
Non-surgical–
This therapy is non-surgical and makes stretch marks to fade away or diminish and induces collagen in the skin.
Affordable- the price of laser therapy is lower when compared to microdermabrasion or plastic surgery.
Visible results– when taking laser treatment, after some sessions you are able to see the results as elastin and collagen is produced which is encouraged by a laser beam.
Short recovery period- laser treatment involves a short recovery period and the patient can go home as soon as treatment is over. There is no requirement to stay or to take bed rest as you have to do in other cases.
This treatment is approved by the FDA and it is safer for your skin. Also, there is little to no discomfort while treatment. So, these are some of the benefits of laser stretch marks removal.
Now, you don’t have to feel shy in wearing that beautiful bikini or backless dress. You can use various stretch marks removal like laser treatment and confidently wear dresses of your choice as well as look beautiful and young. Most women feel shy and concerned because of their stretch marks. After pregnancy or because of increased weight they are unable to live a happy life because of these stretch marks. These women will now lead a happy life by getting stretch marks removed by laser therapy. You can easily find spas and clinics where these treatments are offered for both men and women. You can also search for the cost of treatment online.
