What Works & Doesn’t to Minimize Stretch Marks
The Cause
“Stretch marks, also called ‘striae,’ appear on skin that is subjected to continuous and progressive stretching,” explains internist Andrea Ruman. When your skin can’t keep up with your body’s rate of growth it can cause the skin to thin and leave stretch marks.
“Weight gain, particularly rapid weight gain, is the most common cause of stretch marks,” explains Dr. Ruman. On the other hand, she adds that rapid weight loss can also make stretch marks appear more prominent on your body (these freaking marks just won’t give us a break).
Stretch marks also often appear on pregnant women, adolescents who are going through growth spurts and even on health-conscious bodybuilders. Dermatologic surgeon Dr. Joseph Sobanko adds, “Other known causes of these marks include endocrine disorders and the use of topical or oral steroid medications,” he explains. And of course, genetics also likely play a role in determining the likelihood that you’ll get stretch marks and to what extent.
Stretch marks can most commonly be found on the areas of your body where weight gain manifests the quickest—think abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips, breasts and upper arms.
Catch Them Early
Just how it’s important to treat a scar early, it’s best to treat stretch marks while they’re still fresh. “Stretch marks are most likely to respond to treatment in their earliest stages, when they are purplish in color,” explains Dr. Ruman. “Once stretch marks become white, a process that may take several months, they are quite difficult to treat.” If you did not catch them early, the good news is that most stretch will fade to a very pale color over time and do not require medical treatment. You can wear them proudly, or if you’re having trouble doing that and find the marks to be unsightly, there are treatments available that may help. There is, however (sadly), no magic cure-all.
Topical Treatments
Again, treatments are likely to only be partially effective (at best), but knowing that, the most common treatments for stretch marks are vitamin C, retinoids and fruit acids. “Topical application of tretinoin cream (Retin-A), adapalene (Differin) and tazarotene (Tazorac) may be useful for stretch marks that are under six weeks old,” Dr. Ruman explains. These are all examples of retinoids, which can be effective at increasing collagen and elastin production in early stretch marks. Note that these should not be used if you are pregnant or nursing.
Ob/Gyn and fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Dr. Charles Bollmann explains that a study has shown that when people applied 0.1 percent tretinoin cream (Retin-A) daily for six months to their stretch marks it led to a significant improvement in the severity of the marks after two months, as compared to people who applied other types of products.
While Retin A may be a great product on the horizon for treatment, keep in mind that this is only one study and further research is needed to develop groundbreaking products. As Dr. Sobanko urges, “It is important to note that topical treatments are very unlikely to work because the underlying cause is deeper in the skin: the loss of collagen and thinning of the epidermis.”
Laser Treatments
Whether you’re plagued with fresh stretch marks or old, faded ones, laser treatments may be your best option for beautifying your skin. They can be expensive and time consuming, though, and there are no guarantees you’ll be satisfied with your results.
For fresh stretch marks, Dr. Sobanko explains that vascular lasers can help to improve the appearance of the marks by targeting the pigment to improve overall color. More specifically, Dr. Ruman adds, “Laser treatments at four to six week intervals (with a 585-nm flashlamp pulsed dye laser, a 1064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser or intense pulsed light) have shown to improve the appearance of stretch marks in their earliest purplish color stage,” says Dr. Ruman.
If your marks are older or simply manifesting as white textural changes, they are more difficult to treat, but may be treated by a different type of laser to better blend them into your skin. “Laser treatments using the 308-nm excimer laser have been shown to repigment the skin,” explains Dr. Ruman. “These lasers stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, helping purple and white stretch marks to take on a similar appearance to the rest of the skin.”
If you’re looking into laser therapy, remember to evaluate your physician’s skills and qualifications. “I would encourage you to see a board-certified physician who is skilled with laser treatments,” recommends Dr. Sobanko. “You should inquire if they are a member of the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) or the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS).”
It’s worth doing your homework on your doctor before laser treatment, as “seeking treatment with a professional who is not skilled with laser treatment can potentially lead to scarring and a worsened appearance,” explains Dr. Sobanko.
Microdermabrasion No longer just a treatment to polish away wrinkles and blemishes on the skin, microdermabrasion may also be used to treat stretch marks. Microdermabrasion works by gently removing the top layer of the skin to promote the growth of healthier, most elastic skin.
If you are looking for a non-laser treatment for older stretch marks that just won’t fade as fast as you would like, this might be an option.
Prevention
“Home therapy options such as lotions or ointments containing cocoa butter, vitamin E or glycolic acid, while not hurtful, have not been shown by research to help with prevention,” says Dr. Ruman. “These products do not seem to protect skin from the stresses caused by stretching.”
While moisturizing your skin may not make a difference in preventing stretch marks, it’s worth a shot. It’s a good idea to keep your skin moisturized for a variety of reasons, and since moisture helps your skin stay more pliant, perhaps it might have a slight impact on helping your skin cope with stretching. Just try to avoid dropping cash on expensive lotions and other products promising to prevent stretch marks from forming—pregnant women beware!
Ultimately, to truly prevent stretch marks you should place your bets on avoiding rapid fluctuations in your weight. If you’re pregnant, your best bet is to try to avoid gaining excess weight—work with your doctor to establish a healthy target body weight and monitor your growth.
Since certain conditions and medications can also cause stretch marks, also ask your doctor if you’re on any medications or have any health problems that may put you at a predisposition for developing stretch marks and, if so, see if there’s that anything can be done to minimize your risk.
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