Stretch marks, also known as striae, are essentially scars that are caused by the skin being “torn” by rapid growth or stretching. For men, the cause of stretch marks can be due to rapid muscle growth from weights training or from body changes during puberty, for example. For women, sometimes no matter how much you care for or moisturise your skin, some people will get stretch marks and others won’t. Specifically, life stages involving brisk weight gain such as pregnancy and puberty see the majority of women affected by striae.
Being a very common skin concern that can affect both males and females, it’s no surprise that there are countless stretch marks treatment options – some that work and many that don’t. In this article, we discuss the most popular treatment options for stretch marks along with the pros and cons for each.
Most Popular Treatment Options
Over time, stretch marks will fade but will never totally disappear. The ideal time to treat your marks is sooner rather than later, when the marks have colour. Prevalent treatment options include:
- Over-the-counter creams, lotions, serums and oils
- Skin needling
- Laser treatment
- Surgery
- Radiofrequency treatment
Pros & Cons
The key benefit of over-the-counter topical remedies is cost. Many of these products are affordable compared to alternative treatment options, however the downside is the potential for them being a waste of money. Many of these products do little more than make the skin appear moisturised, they may have little to no active ingredients and the ingredients have no way of penetrating deep enough into the skin to make any visible difference.
Skin needling, or Dermarolling, is a popular option as it can help to stimulate the growth of collagen. Dermarolling involves fine needles being rolled into the skin to cause a controlled injury to the dermis to promote the stretch mark to heal and renew itself. There is no heat involved with this treatment and the needle depth is different for each client.
Laser treatment for stretch marks is known to be effective, however all laser treatments carry the risk of side effects including blistering, scarring and changes to skin pigmentation.
Surgery for stretch marks is sometimes recommended when coupled with a tummy tuck or abdominal muscle tightening surgery following pregnancy or significant weight loss. Surgery should not be recommended for stretch marks alone due to the associated risks of surgery and anaesthesia, plus the resulting scarring and high cost.
Radiofrequency treatment for stretch marks is the treatment option that we recommend at Feel Good Laser & Skin Clinic. SublativeTM fractionated radiofrequency treatment precisely delivers energy into the dermis where it can have the greatest impact on the stretch marks. This treatment stimulates a rapid process of repair where the stretch mark tissue is replaced by new collagen and elastin. There is no downtime with this treatment and it is safe to use on most skin types.
Next Steps
To find out what SublativeTM treatment or Dermarolling can do for your stretch marks, we offer a free consultation where you can have your skin assessed by our skin expert, discuss personalised treatment options and ask any questions that you have. We can also give you a quote and information for before and after your treatment. You can click on the buttons below to ask a question or book a free consultation. Alternatively, you can call our experienced and friendly team on 1300 896 834.
