Improving Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are a very common occurrence affecting more than 70% of the adult population.  They can result from rapid or extreme weight gain and/or loss or just from normal growth spurts.  They are also very commonly seen when the skin is stretched from pregnancy.  Stretch marks are a form of scarring that occurs just below the skin’s surface (epidermis) in the dermis skin layer and most often are found along the abdomen, thighs, arms, breasts and buttocks.  These scars can originally appear pink or red but soon become lighter (hypopigmentation) or darker (hyperpigmentation).

There are several methods used to treat and improve these long, wispy, uneven scars:
Lasers are the first line treatment to improve stretch marks.  They can reduce the height, make them narrower, add color to lighter stretch marks or take away color on darker ones.  The goal of lasers is to blend the color and texture of the stretch marks into the surrounding normal skin.  Cultura has a large array of lasers that can be selected by Cultura dermatologists and they include Cooltouch, Relume, Titan, Fraxel, Photomedex,  Fractional, Affirm, Pearl, Genesis & Aluma.  Other treatments used to improve stretch marks include: exfoliation, dermatological prescriptions (such as Retin-A), mircrodermabrasion and dermabrasion.

At Cultura, stretch marks are best treated by combining these modalities by utilizing the Cultura Integrated Approach (C.I.A.), combining a home cosmeceuticals and prescription regimen with laser and microdermabrasion treatments.