It’s exciting to be a mom, but not so exciting to endure the aftermath of stretch marks. Rapid weight loss or quick growth from puberty can cause skin to stretch too quickly and too far leaving unsightly marks as well.
Some women won’t even wear a bikini and don’t enjoy shopping period. They can appear on the stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks, and even on the breasts.
Stretch marks are in fact small tears in the dermal (deeper) layer of the skin which result in linear scars. The long scars are areas where the tissue has torn and separated become visible because the skin in that area is a different thickness.
Because the the pathophysiology of the problem is in the deep layer of the skin, the treatment for stretch marks naturally has to penetrate into that layer.
Most stretch mark treatments being advertised are creams and lotions which work on the surface of the skin and usually cannot penetrate into the dermal layer to have any significant effect.
Palomar Lux 1540 laser receives first FDA approval for treatment of stretch marks
The Palomar Lux 1540 has received the first and only FDA clearance for the treatment of stretch marks. Patients received 50-75% or greater improvement in the appearance of their stretch marks. The great advantage of the Lux 1540 is that it can be used on all skin types, and all kinds of stretch marks. Stretch marks can be white, or red, or pigmented. It works on all of them, without the risk of long-lasting PIH, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Previous lasers, and intense pulsed-light attempts at stretch mark removal were very likely to cause PIH, especially in darker skin types. The Lux 1540 can be used for all skin types, I-VI, which means Hispanic, Asian and African-American patients can receive the same treatment with no increased risk.
We usually recommend three treatments, but improvements have been seen in only one treatment. For details, click on the link to the “white paper” below, which has some interesting data and photographs.
Both women and men are afflicted with this complaint. We see them on the inner arms, the breasts, the abdomen, flanks, and thighs, practically anywhere the skin has been subject to some stretching. Some people get them who have never gained and lost weight, particularly on the innner arms.
So give us a call and see if we can help you with the first FDA-approved treatment for stretch marks.
Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc. Receives First FDA Clearance for Fractional Laser Treatment of Striae
Palomar is pleased to announce that the Lux1540™ Fractional non-ablative laser has received the first clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of striae (stretchmarks) using a fractional laser. This new clearance will allow aesthetic practitioners to treat the millions of women in the United States with unwanted stretchmarks by offering long-lasting, superior results.
Ongoing clinical studies have shown that subjects treated with the Lux1540 Fractional non-ablative laser achieved an average improvement of between 51% and 75% in the appearance of their stretchmarks.
This new clearance expands the broad range of treatments offered by the Lux1540, which may be used to treat surgical scars, acne scars, and melasma, as well as offer non-ablative skin resurfacing.
Stretch Marks
Though stretch marks are usually associated with pregnant women, the truth is that whether you’re a woman or a man, stretch marks can appear on your body in a variety of places, for a variety of reasons.
WHAT CAUSES STRETCH MARKS?
Generally speaking, stretch marks are the result of quick stretching of the skin that causes breakage of the collagen and elastin fibers. Additionally, the epidermis, or outer layer of your skin, is stretched to a translucent thinness that allows the raised, reddish damage of the dermis to show through. The scar that forms once both the dermis and epidermis have healed is the resulting stretch mark. Stretch marks can affect the upper arms and shoulders, abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks, and tend to be more noticeable the later in your life they are formed.
HOW ARE STRETCH MARKS TREATED?
We offer an FDA-approved treatment for stretch marks called Fractional Skin Resurfacing, using the Palomar® Lux 1540 fractional non-ablative skin resurfacing laser. The laser improves the unsightly color and skin texture associated with stretch marks, while minimizing the appearance of stretch marks, for smoother, better-looking skin with no downtime.
*Disclaimer
HOW DOES THE LUX1540 HANDPIECE WORK?
The Lux1540 handpiece delivers an array of high-precision microbeams to create deep, narrow columns of coagulation in the epidermis and dermis. This triggers a restorative natural healing process that creates healthy new tissue, including the deposition of new collagen. Patients enjoy the benefits of noticeable improvement to skin tone and texture, without the need of any downtime.
Stretch marks are very difficult to treat. They form when a person grows quickly, gains weight rapidly, or is pregnant. The skin stretches so quickly that the elastic tissue in the skin actually tears. That is why stretch marks don’t go away when the person loses weight or is no longer pregnant. There seem to be genetic factors that make some people more prone to stretch marks than others.
Can we remove stretch marks?
Unfortunately most of the time we can’t completely remove stretch marks but we can make them look less noticeable. At Jeune we use the Palomar Lux 1540 fractional erbium laser for stretch marks. It is FDA-approved for this indication and gives good results.
How long does it take to see results?
Some time has to pass to see results because the laser works by initiating biologic changes in the tissue, like new collagen and elastic fibre formation. The initial effect of the laser is a micro wound caused by hundreds of tiny beams that penetrate the skin and coagulate tissue in place. As the body cleans up these microscopic wounds, growth factors are secreted and new tissue replaces the old. Gradually as the weeks go by and more treatments are done, the changes can be seen on the skin surface as smoothing and blending of the stretch marks. The shininess diminishes, and red stretch marks lose their red colour.
What is laser treatment for stretch marks
Laser stretch mark treatment takes a commitment for 4-6 treatments, and depending on how extensive a body area needs to be treated, a series of treatments may be needed to get coverage. Discomfort is handled with some anesthetic ointment applied an hour before the treatment and the application of a cold rolling device that chills and soothes the skin. This is a procedure without down time, but there is some redness and swelling for a day or two.
Skin Needling for Stretch Marks
Skin needling is also effective in reducing the appearance of stretchmarks along with skincare. This can be done at home with a dermal roller, in between fractionated laser treatments it can also be done in clinic with our medical grade skin needling device. Used in combination we can greatly reduce the appearance of stretchmarks