Non-Surgical Stretch Mark Treatments

by Martha Fitzharris

Stretch marks have been a burden on people of all ages and sizes. It is an unwanted skin condition that most people try to hide or desperately remove. There are, however, a few techniques that can be used to fade their apparence or eventually eliminate the problem all together.

Laser Surgery for Stretch Marks

Laser treatments are a highly popular stretch mark fading alternative because they are outpatient procedures that have little or no recovery time associated and cost considerably less than an average tummy tuck. However, since laser treatments just minimize pigmentation but don't really remove stretch marks, this option doesn't actually work.

Since the laser used in these interventions responds to dark colors only, laser surgery is efficient mostly in the early phases, when stretch marks are dark red or purple. When stretch marks have already faded, laser surgery will not be as useful as it intended to be. In the other hand, people with fair complexion and shallow lesions respond best to laser stretch mark removal.

Blue Light Treatment for Stretch Marks

Blue light therapy is probably most often referred to as a way to remove tattoos. Although that may be what it is best known for, blue light therapy was created to treat a variety of pigmentation ailments, like freckles and hyper pigmentation, varicose veins, spider veins and rosacea. Blue light treatment works by applying a photosensitive substance to the skin, and then a series of strong light bursts are irradiated or 'zapped' over the patch with the tattoo or pigmentation. Similar to laser procedures, blue light treatment may be able to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but will not remove them.

Stretch Mark Chemical Peel

Skin peels are chemical peels that are applied to an area (commonly the face) to intentionally 'burn' then peel off the external layer of skin to treat acne, zits and fine lines. After a chemical peel the skin seems (and feels) like you've experienced sunburn. Chemical peels are being widely used in spas, salons and can be acquired over the counter.

The main reason for the widespread fame of skin peels is that it produces immediate results making skin look younger, healthier, and firmer. Some people are now using skin peels to minimize or get rid stretch marks, too. However, since the peels do not remove the actual stretch marks, subsequent peels may need to be performed every six months or so to maintain the smoothness of the skin. Ideally, this procedure must be accompanied by skin care treatments to alleviate irritation.

Exfoliation for Stretch Marks

Exfoliation is a procedure using a safe abrasive (ground apricot seeds or sand, for example) that aids remove dead skin cells. The soft new skin that shows after exfoliation may improve the look of the skin. Similar to skin peels, exfoliation doesn't remove stretch marks, but may improve their look for a period of time after therapy.

Creams and Ointments

A good skin care cream or ointment (like scar serums) may help to minimize and soften the look of stretch marks, specially if used regularly for the first few months after baby is born. By maintaining the skin moisturized and flexible, creams and skin serums can help the skin naturally heal the scarring caused by stretch marks.

You can now get rid of stretch marks thanks to a new skin care product elaborated with natural ingredients that regenerate your skin without leaving undesired side effects.

Published April 17th, 2008

Filed in Health