Stretch marks are caused by rapid stretching of the skin. Typically seen on the abdomen, thighs, hips, and breasts. They commonly appear during puberty and pregnancy. But can also occur due to intense weight gain or loss. If you’re bothered by unsightly marks. It may be time to learn about laser treatment as an option for getting rid of them. Here are some frequently asked questions about laser stretch mark removal and how it can benefit your body.
These marks are often considered the ugly duckling of the skincare world. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve your attention. Despite their unsightly appearance, there are ways to decrease their appearance without surgery or invasive procedures.
Stretch Marks – An Overview
A lot of us have stretch marks. Some have them on their abdomen, some on their arms, and some all over. The medical term for these lines is striae (pronounced stry-eye). Your body makes these when it needs to rapidly grow or gain weight quickly. However, they are not only a problem for pregnant women or those who have gained weight fast; men also get them.
There are many types of stretch marks. But they all start with an inflammation process called angiogenesis. During this process, new blood vessels form under the epidermis to supply different parts of your body with oxygen and nutrition. What causes these new blood vessels to form can be pretty much anything that causes significant rapid growth in one area. Such as puberty, pregnancy, or just gaining muscle mass at an early age.
Unfortunately, despite sufficient nutrition being delivered through these blood vessels, underneath, parts of our skin die due to lack of oxygen from blocked vessels. All we see are red, purple or pink lines on our bodies where there should be smooth skin. They’re also known as scars because of the damage that has been done to our tissue.
We don’t always know why they happen. But they’re often hereditary, meaning if your parents had them. Then you will most likely develop them too. They occur because of natural processes within the body. Which most people cannot avoid, which is why many people choose laser stretch mark removal treatments to get rid of their problem areas before it’s too late.
These treatments involve a specially designed light therapy targeted at specific wavelengths that break down scar tissue without harming any surrounding tissue like healthy cells and nerves.
A step-by-step guide how laser stretch mark removal work
First, lasers heat up your skin to cause a deep wound. Your body then kicks into healing mode and fills in those wounds with new collagen and elastin (your body’s natural scaffolding). After about 2-4 weeks, the stretch marks should appear smoother and less noticeable.
The best way to find out is to set up an appointment with Expert Centre. They will take a look at your skin and make recommendations based on what type of stretch marks you have, their colour, and where they are located on your body.
On the Expert App, laser treatment for removing stretch marks (go to Laser Skin Resurfacing > Stretch Mark Removal) will cost anywhere from $500-$1,000 per session (depending on the severity). If we think about it as something that will improve our quality of life by giving us more confidence and self-esteem and help us wear clothes. We love without fear of someone pointing out our imperfections, then spending a few thousand pounds might be worth the investment.
What Happens During Treatment?
During treatment, laser targets and breaks up the damaged collagen. You can feel some heat during treatment. But you shouldn’t feel any pain. You may need as many as 3-4 treatments for the results to become visible. (Each laser treatment takes 80-90 minutes.)
The length of your stretch mark removal session depends on a number of factors. Firstly, it depends on how big your area being treated is. Secondly, it depends on whether you have a treatment to reduce redness and pigment issues or just for treating superficial scarring. Thirdly, it depends on how many areas you’re having treated at once.
When all three are factored in and averaged out, one session can take as little as 90 minutes or as long as 2 hours (on average). But remember: these treatments aren’t painful just different. The sensation will be similar to what you experience when your hair gets buzzed off. A bit tingly, but no pain whatsoever. It will feel like the laser works by resurfacing the skin instead of burning it off. And since our technology is more advanced. There’s less chance that the process will have any negative side effects like hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.
Plus, we use fractional lasers that work with the body’s natural healing processes so we’ll never damage tissue with heat or energy outside its target area. Which means there’s no need for surgery or incisions. No downtime and a very short recovery time.
All this means you don’t have to wait around for months until the procedure has had enough time to heal before getting back into your routine.
What Can I Expect After the Procedure?
While minimal to no pain is associated with the treatment. You may experience tingling or itching. There is also a very slight risk of scarring from laser treatment; it’s uncommon. But your dermatologist will be able to tell you how likely it is and what can be done to minimise any possible scarring.
Most people see a marked improvement in their stretch marks after just one treatment. However, your results will depend on a variety of factors. Including your skin tone and the area affected by stretch marks. As with any medical procedure, some risks involve getting laser stretch mark removal. Including complications caused by anaesthesia or allergic reactions to products used during the procedure.
Stretch Mark Laser Removal Before and After
Is There Any Way to Prevent Future Stretch Marks?
With weight gain and pregnancy being some of the leading causes of stretch marks, many people are looking for ways to avoid them in advance.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to prevent stretch marks altogether. However, there are ways to help reduce their appearance after they develop. For example, regularly applying emollients like coconut oil or shea butter can help protect skin and ensure moisture retention within your cells. And since these oils are full of essential vitamins that strengthen and revitalise skin cells. They can also boost elasticity while reducing scarring.
If you’re pregnant or gaining weight (even if you aren’t). It’s a good idea to incorporate lotions with moisturising properties into your daily routine. This will not only keep your skin healthy and moisturised but may also prevent future stretch marks.
Alternatively, you could use an organic product such as Energising Body Polish which uses natural ingredients to gently buff away any existing stretch marks without harming the surrounding tissue. These products work by using plant extracts such as aloe vera and rosehip seed oil which contain antioxidant compounds, vitamins C & E that promote healing and soothing agents. Such as soybean extract & cocoa butter to provide instant relief from itching redness & soreness.
The natural ingredients work together to nourish and rejuvenate new skin cells while removing unwanted dead skin cells, meaning healthier-looking skin for months on end.
Why Choose Laser?
Laser treatments are a great way to remove stretch marks. The laser is designed to break up and destroy damaged tissue. But it can only do so if it has enough energy. If a laser isn’t powerful enough, it won’t be able to do its job effectively. Which means you may not get optimal results from your treatment.
Fortunately, many clinics offer multiple laser options with varying amounts of power meaning you have plenty of options for getting rid of stretch marks once and for all.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) is often referred to as a lighter version of a laser. While they sound similar in theory, some major differences make one better than another, depending on your specific needs. For example, an IPL may target smaller areas like freckles, whereas a laser would need to focus on larger patches or groups of stretch marks at one time to achieve similar results because it typically delivers higher levels of energy.
Get the treatment today because who wants an extra reminder every day of something they’ve already dealt with? What questions do you have about laser stretch mark removal? Leave them in a comment below! We’ll answer as many as possible to help you make your decision.
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