What Causes Stretch Marks and How To Treat Them?
Stretch marks are scar streaks that occur when the skin stretches at first and then shrinks. According to a survey, almost 90% of people have them. Stretch marks usually occur after pregnancy or weight fluctuations. They may also occur due to ageing.
However, stretch marks are completely harmless and do not need any specific medical treatment, it can bother some people who are uncomfortable with their appearance.
In this blog, we will learn more about stretch marks, their causes, and stretch marks treatment.
What do stretch marks look like?
Stretch marks are indented stripes-like streaks that appear on the breast, abdomen, hips, buttocks, or other body parts, where the skin stretches and contracts alternately.
They’re most commonly found in pregnant women after delivery due to abdominal skin stretching in the trimester and later recovery after delivery.
All stretch marks don’t look alike. Their patterns depend on your skin tone, what causes them, and for how long you’ve had them. Some common variations of stretch marks include:
- Indented streaks (usually lighter tone than surrounding skin colour) on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks, or other places on the body
- Pink, red, blue, purple, or black streaks
- Bright and fading streaks
- Long streaks
What causes stretch marks?
Some possible causes of stretch marks include
- Pregnancy: It is the most probable cause of stretch marks. During pregnancy, in the trimester, the belly comes out, and the woman’s abdomen stretch. After delivery, though the belly shape comes to normal, the skin suffers a challenge in returning to normal. As a result, a band of streaks appear on the abdomen, called stretch marks.
- Weight fluctuations: Obese who have shed weight significantly, too, witness stretch marks all over the body, especially the belly, thighs, arms, and neck.
- Puberty: It can sometimes trigger striae and stretch marks due to rapid body growth.
- Corticosteroids: These are prescribed for treating some other skin conditions. But they can influence the level of collagen in your skin and cause stretch marks.
- Specific health conditions– Some health conditions, such as Cushing’s or Marfan syndrome, can cause stretch marks. Cushing’s syndrome causes stretch marks due to the overproduction of cortisol hormone, which is responsible for developing stretch marks rapidly. Whereas Marfan syndrome severely affects skin elasticity. As a result, loose skin causes stretch marks.
Where are they found?
These streaks are mostly found on breasts, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, or upper arms where the possibility of skin stretching and contracting is more.
They vary in length, pattern, colour, and depth. If you are considering stretch marks treatment, consider contacting a competent healthcare provider who can treat your stretch marks most effectively.
Treatments
Stretch marks are harmless streaks that fade over time without any treatment most time. But sometimes stretch marks can make you feel uncomfortable with their appearance. Here are some effective ways of stretch marks treatment in Dubai.
Before
After
Prescription retinoid cream
Retinoid creams contain very small quantities of tretinoin that can rebuild collagen (an important filler protein in skin cells that plumps them) in the skin; as a result, stretch marks fade and disappear.
Several retinoid creams are available in the market at competitive prices, but choose crucially and get only a prescription retinoid cream because their excess quantity may cause skin irritation, dryness, and burning sensations.
Microneedling
Microneedling is another advanced technique done at a dermatologist’s office. Your skin care expert pokes the skin with very thin needles at high speed and frequency. It creates tiny injuries in the skin that stimulate collagen and elastin growth in skin cells and fade stretch marks.
It is a gentle process with minimal pain and discomfort and takes three to six sessions of treatments spread over several months.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
During laser skin resurfacing, concentrated laser beams are pulsed on stretch marks to diminish their appearance. A laser should be handled with great precision and experience otherwise, it can harm skin layers and cause swelling and discolouration.
Vascular Laser Treatment
If the stretch mark becomes red, pink, or purple, the doctor may recommend vascular laser treatment. The treatment targets specific blood vessels causing stretch marks and subsides them. It may cause temporary discomfort and bruise in the treatment area.
The results of this treatment appear one or two weeks after the treatment.
Prof Dr Robert Hierner is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Dubai with experience in 2000+ scar surgeries. With over 30 years of experience, he is a leading clinician in multiple disciplinary scar management. Besides, he is respected as a teacher, author, and researcher.
Book an appointment for the best stretch marks treatment.