Stretch Marks

Why are stretch marks so hard to treat?

Stretch marks are a difficult skin condition to rectify and a challenge to treat for several reasons, including:

• Nature of Formation: Stretch marks are scars that form in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin, when the skin is stretched rapidly, tearing the elasticity fibres. This rapid stretching causes the collagen and elastin elasticity to break and rip, leading to the formation of new stretch marks each time the skin stretches.
• Depth and Structure: Unlike topical skin surface concerns, stretch marks penetrate deeper into the deeper layers of the skin. This makes them less accessible to treatments that only target the surface skin texture.
• Variability: Stretch marks can vary in colour, depth, and age. New stretch marks are often red or purple, while older ones fade to a silvery white colour. Treatments and creams work differently depending on the age of the stretch marks.
• Skin Healing Mechanism: The skin’s natural healing process doesn’t always effectively restore the original structure and appearance of the skin after the damage that leads to stretch marks. This is why they don’t heal on their own like some other skin injuries.
• Individual Differences: Everyone’s skin is unique, and factors like genetics, age, skin type, and overall health can influence how one’s skin develops and responds to stretch marks and their treatments.

Due to these challenges, whilst there are treatments available that can redue the appearance of stretch marks, it is not possible to ever completely get rid of stretch marks.

Treatments like laser therapy, microneedling, and resurfacing medical-grade microdermabrasion, can help reduce the visibility of stretch marks, but the final results achieved will vary depending on the severity, and the skin tone and texture.

Do topical stretch mark creams work?

There are several topical treatment lotions and stretch mark creams that can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks:

• Vitamin A cream (tretinoin) prescription strength retinol helps reduce stretch marks when they are red, and can also work on older silver coloured stretch marks.
• Trofolastin cream (centella asiatica extract) has been shown to help prevent stretch marks in pregnant women.
• Verum cream (Vitamin E, panthenol, elastin, and methanol) has also been shown to help prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.

Before using any topical treatments, it is imperative to discuss any potential side effects with your prescribing doctor or dermatologist. To optimise the results once stretch marks have formed, they should always be treated with resurfacing treatment options as well as targeted stretch mark creams.

What are the best resurfacing stretch mark treatments?

Removing the appearance of stretch marks has always been a difficult task. When new stretch marks appear, they will look pink or red, and are often slightly raised, with visible tearing or laddering. They then increase in length and acquire a dark purple colour, before over time, becoming flat and turning a silvery white colour.

At Cosmos Clinic we use multiple modalities to treat the appearance of stretch marks. Combining treatment options can result in significant changes to the appearance of stretch marks.

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is your own plasma taken from your own blood, which contains a high concentration of growth factor rich platelets to activate collagen production in the skin. When these platelet growth factors are injected under the skin, they stimulate the stem cells inducing collagen fibre formation.

Dermapen / Dermaroller

Skin needling with Dermapen / Dermaroller, stimulates new tissue formation through resurfacing with the use of micro-fine needles. Microscopic holes are made into the dermis, which stimulates the production of new collagen fibres, and promotes the constructive regeneration of new cell growth. This treatment is often used in combination with PRP.

Fractional Laser

One of the more successful stretch mark treatment options currently available, are Fractional Laser treatments. This laser stretch mark treatment works by increasing the number of collagen and elastin fibres in the targeted areas. Some patients have reported reductions in the appearance of their stretch marks with laser therapy resurfacing treatments, although individual results may vary.

Is it possible to get rid of stretch marks completely?

The truth is that we don’t know exactly what causes stretch marks. Theories include genetic factors, increased levels of hormones, the use of steroids, and the mechanical effects of skin stretching during pregnancy, rapid weight gain, rapid weight loss, and bodybuilding or weightlifting.

When viewed under a microscope at the deeper layers of the skin, stretch marks are simply scars. The best way to treat scars including acne scars, is by using a multi-modal approach, and we apply the same treatment protocols to stretch marks.

While complete removal of stretch marks may not be achievable, various treatments, including fractional laser therapy and topical creams, might help in improving their appearance, subject to individual factors.