Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched beyond its capacity resulting in tears
in the deeper layers (dermis) of the skin. In the early stages, they appear as pinkish or
purplish lines which become white with time. Different modalities of treatment are available
and intervention in early stage give best results.
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Laser
Laser like fractional CO2 and erbium YAG penetrate upto the dermis causing precise areas of micro injury resulting in stimulataion of new collagen and elastin tissue formation. Atleast 4-6 sessions are required at monthly intervals to obtain satisfactory results..
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Microneedling
Microneedling with dermaroller, dermapen and microneedling RF are excellent modalities to treat the stretch marks. They boost formation of new collagen and elastin tissue in the skin by causing microinjury and thereby stimulating a healing response.
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PRP
Platelets in the blood contain several growth factors which stimulate collagen production and promote skin healing. PRP or platelet rich plasma therapy entails obtaining a concentrate of patients own platelets from their blood. This platelet concentrate when injected into the stretch marks releases these growth factors and helps improve them. The advantage of PRP treatment is that it uses the person’s own blood, ruling out any risks of allergies. Excellent results are obtained when PRP is combined with other treatment modalities like lasers or microneedling.
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Chemical peels
Chemical peels especially TCA peel helps reduce stretch marks by exfoliating the epidermis and penetrating the dermis to stimulate neocollagenosis. This can be combined with other modalities for treating the stretch marks
