Everything you want to know about stretch marks

Posted on 06 Feb, 2011

A sudden gain in weight and the contraction of skin cause stretch marks to appear on the skin. Common areas where stretch marks can be found are the stomach, upper arms, thighs and hips. In cosmetic terminology, stretch marks arise when dermis elongate to its maximum due to the rapid expansion and contraction of skin tissue. Stretch marks are not known to have any health effects but leave impressions onto the skin.

Treatments available

There are various therapies available for stretch marks. Individuals can use oils, creams and natural therapies. However, most effective therapy is laser treatment. Cosmetologists are using laser treatments to effectively cure scars and stretch marks. There are different kinds of laser treatments used in treating stretch marks.

The procedure of stretch mark removal using lasers

A beam of ultraviolet light is passed onto the affected skin. This disintegrates molecular bonds in the skin tissues and kills off the blemished skin cells. The body then heals and produces new collagen and skin cells. There may be soreness after the laser therapy is complete. However, patients heal from the soreness in just a few days’ time.

The benefits of laser treatment

Removing stretch marks using lasers is convenient. The procedure is short and quick. Generally, the therapy lasts for an hour. This would again depend on how intense the marks are. Mature and old stretch marks are generally tough to cure. Lasers help to reduce marks no matter how old or intense they are. Unlike creams and oils which are a temporary solution, lasers are permanent. They reduce stretch marks in one go.