Stretch marks are an unavoidable part of life for many people – not even celebs are safe! Puberty, pregnancy, weight gain and hormonal changes can all cause striae gravidarum – as they’re medically known – and treating them is a tricky task.
Unfortunately removing or healing stretch marks completely can’t be done (sorry), as they’re actually tears in the lower layers of the skin which cause blood vessels to show through. Over time, the lines will fade from pink when new to a pearly white, so become less visible naturally.
However if they bother you (and that’s no doubt why you’re here), there are a number of things you can do right now to help minimise their appearance.
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Retinol (also known as vitamin A) works on new stretch marks by resurfacing the skin, encouraging cell turn over and stimulating collagen production in the lower skin layers, creating a plumped-up effect that can smooth the lines.
However retinol is not effective on stretch marks that have already turned white, and should not be used when pregnant as the excessive intake of vitamin A may cause birth deformities.
Glycolic acid is another chemical exfoliator that can reduce the appearance of existing stretch marks by removing dead layers of skin to give the illusion of more even skin tone.
While there’s no scientific proof any of these treat stretch marks, plenty of online reviews will claim otherwise.
However, these moisturisers contain fatty acids and are rich emollients so their effectiveness may lie in the fact they hydrate the skin making the lines less noticable.
Moisturised and supple skin is vital to its elasticity, which in turn can help the skin better adapt to pregnancy or weight gain.
In other words, using these types of products will help prevent stretch marks but they will not help treat them.
Zinc is a mineral connected to the repair and regeneration of cells. A zinc deficiency can make you more prone to getting stretch marks. Boost your intake with oysters and venison, both rich sources of the mineral, or take a supplement.
This type of treatment involves a hand-held device that blows crystals onto skin. These crystals gently remove a fine layer of skin, promoting the growth of new, more-elastic skin. Stretch marks can also be encouraged to heal through this process of exfoliation.
Dr Joseph Ajaka from Sydney’s Cosmos Clinic specialises in treating stretch marks, and although he says there is “no way of completely curing it” there are a series of invasive and non-invasive treatment options that will “make it look better”.
This includes Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), where your blood is drawn and mixed in a machine with growth factors. The PRP mixture is then injected back into the affected area, to start the healing process. PRP is important for cell regeneration. As kids, our bodies contain a high concentration of growth factors which diminish over time. “We are taking your blood and bringing it back to the concentrations you had when you were a child,” Dr Ajaka explains.
The area is then treated with either skin needling, which is a small roller tool with thousands of tiny needle-like points which causes injury to the skin and creates collagen production, or is zapped with a Fractional Laser.
The additional benefit of Fractional Laser is it creates heat under the skin, leading to further collagen contraction, pulling lines the back together. “The best non-surgical option is to use a combination of Fractional Laser and PRP,” says Dr Ajaka. “What we are trying to do with this treatment is remodel the collagen and get it to form new, better collagen.”
Your skin colour and expected recovery time play a part in determining which treatment is right for you. For example at Cosmos Clinic treating darker skin tones with the laser is not recommended as it could cause permanent pigmentation.
Text: Amber Elias/The Australian Women’s Weekly