Stretch Mark Removal

During a laser stretch mark removal procedure, a beam of light removes thin layers of skin around the stretch marks. The excimer laser is uniquely effective for this procedure. Instead of burning or cutting the affected skin areas like other lasers, it uses high-energy ultraviolet laser light to disrupt the molecular bonds in the skin tissue, which causes the tissue to disintegrate in a process known as ablation. Once laser stretch mark removal is complete, the treated area will heal quickly, and new layers of healthy skin will form. Stretch marks will have disappeared, and a renewed, healthy appearance will result.

Recovery
Immediately following laser stretch mark removal, the affected area will be red and tender. This is because layers of scarred skin have been removed and new skin is being grown. Occasionally blistering and other symptoms typical of a burn injury may be present, but these are temporary. Most of our patients heal from a treatment within a few days, but healing has been known to take as long as a few weeks in certain cases, particularly those requiring more extensive therapy.

Results
Laser stretch mark removal is highly effective in most cases. As with any other technique, success is dependent on the prevalence and age of the stretch marks in question – older and more serious stretch marks are more difficult to treat. Our patients often require as many as 10 treatments to completely remove stretch marks. In the most serious cases, even a series of laser treatments may only reduce the visibility of stretch marks rather than removing them completely. Each case is unique.

Benefits The most important benefit of laser stretch mark removal is its effectiveness. The treatment has a very high rate of patient satisfaction. It is also extremely safe; the excimer laser is precisely controlled, with little potential to cause injury. Ultimately, it is less invasive than surgical body sculpting procedures such as tummy tucks, with less recovery time, lower cost, and fewer potential complications.

Risks

As with any medical procedure, laser stretch mark removal is not completely without risk. Because the laser has the ability to ablate the skin, it is possible that a mishandled laser could cause some superficial tissue damage. For this reason, you should choose your specialist wisely. There is always a risk that severely entrenched stretch marks may not be completely removable with laser treatment. There is also the risk of blistering and other negative reactions to the treatment, but these complications are temporary and not life threatening.

Surgical stretch mark removal is the only effective option for the complete and permanent elimination of stretch marks. Other methods, including laser stretch mark removal and natural stretch mark removal techniques, can fade stretch marks and lessen their prominence but can’t fully remove them. While posing no health risk, stretch marks remain a source of anxiety and insecurity for many people. If a patient wishes to eliminate stretch marks instead of simply camouflaging them, then surgical stretch mark removal remains the only viable solution.

Abdominoplasty, more commonly referred to as a “tummy tuck,” is currently the only effective surgical procedure for stretch mark removal. The tummy tuck tightens abdominal muscles and removes excess skin in the mid to lower abdominal region. All stretch marks below the naval are discarded along with the excess skin. At this time, there are no surgical procedures for stretch mark removal in other areas of the body.
Because if this limitation, surgical stretch mark removal is only performed on our patients that qualify for the tummy tuck procedure. Candidates for tummy tuck surgery include patients in good health that do not smoke and have a significant amount of excess skin on the stomach.

At Dr Matteo Clinics, offer a variety of non-surgical alternatives for treating stretch marks. Popular and effective options include chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and blue light therapy. These are good options for our patients who want to avoid surgery, and they are generally less expensive than laser stretch mark removal. Like all non-surgical stretch mark treatments, these options are most effective on newer scars. Mature stretch marks may require the use of surgical techniques for total removal.

Chemical peels are most commonly used on the face to treat wrinkles and age spots, but they can be used on other areas of the body for stretch mark removal. In the chemical peel procedure, a chemical solution is applied to the skin using a sponge, cotton pad, cotton swab, or brush. The types and strengths of the chemicals in the solution vary according to the individual patient’s needs. The chemicals essentially peel off the top layers of damaged, dead skin and activate new skin cell production. Patients might feel a stinging or burning sensation during treatment. The recovery period depends on the patient’s skin type and the strength of the chemicals administered, and multiple treatments may be necessary to achieving optimal results. It’s important to bear in mind that a chemical peel will not remove stretch marks completely; however, they usually fade as a result of treatment, and patients emerge with smoother, healthier, more youthful looking skin.

Both microdermabrasion and chemical peels improve the appearance of stretch marks through the removal of the skin’s top layers. Chemical peels achieve this goal by using chemicals to “burn” the top layer away while microdermabrasion uses a fine crystal spray to “blast” the outermost layers of skin. Dead skin cells are removed and new, healthy skin cells take their place. The new cells produce more collagen and elastin, two vital components of smooth, young looking skin. Microdermabrasion is a painless procedure that takes no more than an hour to complete and involves little recovery time. An additional five to twelve treatments are needed to reap the maximum benefits of the procedure. Keep in mind that, although microdermabrasion can improve the appearance of scars, it is not an effective means of complete stretch mark removal.

Although more widely used for acne treatment, blue light therapy is sometimes used to improve the appearance of stretch marks. Blue light therapy entails the application a photosensitive gel to the skin, which is then exposed to bursts of light energy. While complete stretch mark removal is unrealistic, patients may notice some improvement, especially in the appearance of newer stretch marks.

Because stretch mark removal is customized to the individual patient, consulting a doctor specializing in stretch mark removal is the best way to get information on your specific case.