Laser stretch mark removal - what are the options for surgery?

What are the treatment options?

Laser stretch mark removal can be an effective treatment option for improving the appearance of those dreaded stretch marks, but it can also be quite expensive. Laser surgery won’t actually remove your stretch marks, but it can help them to fade.

Laser stretch mark surgery involves the same technique that is used for the treatment of scars. The procedure involves a very narrow and intensive beam of light that transmits through the skin loosening the collagen fibers as well as loosening the actual stretch mark scarring.

The laser energy also causes slight inflammation in the dermis (middle layer of skin) structure which then prompts the body to restructure that particular area, creating new tissue. Over time this procedure helps the stretch marks scars to fade.

Laser Stretch mark removal usually requires about five to six treatments, but this can depend on a number of factors related to your specific skin type and color. Studies have also shown that the appearance of stretch marks can continue to improve for at least six months after the initial laser treatment was given.

The actual treatment can feel like a slight sting or pinch from each pulse of the laser. Some lasers come equipped with a cooling device which cool the skin temperature and keep it at a constant temperature, which helps to keep pain at a minimum.

Side effects are usually rare, but they can include blistering or bruising or some slight swelling or reddening of the area that has been treated. Following a treatment, the skin may also become lighter or darker, but it should return to its normal shade after a few days or weeks.

At present, general laser surgery is only effective on stretch marks that have just formed or those that are red, pink, purple or brown. The laser doesn’t pick up mature scars or those that have turned silver white or flesh colored.

However, new techniques are currently being researched and developed, that aim to target the pigment cells in white scars, causing them to produce more pigment and helping to improve the quality of the scar’s color. A new laser treatment coined Coolbeam claims to stimulate the production of new collagen in depressed stretch marks, where a loss of elastic tissue and collagen play a major role.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Laser Stretch Mark Removal

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