When people think of stretch marks they usually associate them with women who were pregnant. While a lot of women do end up with this type of scar tissue, the marks can also appear on skin that was stretched due to weight gain. The majority of people who have these marks on their skin usually consider them to be unattractive. There are some creams and lotions such as Trilasin SR and Revitol Stretch Mark Cream that help in blending the color with the surrounding skin so they are not as noticeable. Individuals looking for a more permanent solution can look into laser stretch mark removal or a chemical peel.
Basically there are two types of stretched skin areas, which can be treated by laser. The early marks are red areas, while the older ones are lighter or white in color. The red skin can be treated more effectively than the older scar tissue because the cells are still within the healing process. In treating the red areas the concentrated beam of light reduces the inflammation within the tissues, which reduces the amount of redness. This also allows the cells to heal in a more normal manner so there is less of a visible scarred or stretched area.
Laser treatments can be used to remove the layers of skin which have healed improperly to form the scar tissue. This method usually requires several applications given during separate visits. The number of treatments needed to correct a stretched area will depend on how deep the mark is within the layers of skin. People with older marks can see an improvement between thirty and fifty percent in the overall appearance of the area. The cost for separate applications will be more expensive than for those individuals needing only one treatment.
The procedure using a laser is not very painful to the patient. The area which is worked on will have a slight degree of pain after the treatment, which is similar to a second degree burn. A bandage is worn to prevent infection until the skin is healed. The total amount of recovery is only a few days and does not usually disrupt the daily activities of the person. A person requiring several treatments will have a longer recovery period because of the ongoing process of removing the layers.
The benefit of having laser stretch mark removal is the short time involved in seeing visible results. This method is also lower in cost than having a surgical procedure such as a tummy tuck. It is also non-invasive so the risk for infection is greatly reduced. The drawback for this process is the out of pocket cost people have to pay. This is classified as a cosmetic treatment so insurance companies will not cover the cost of having it done. There might be some exceptions to this if the individual is under psychiatric care and the removal is recommended by a physician as part of the therapy. Anyone interested in having this procedure should consult with their doctor to see what options are available to them.
Related posts: