Laser Treatment for Stretch Marks

Gaining weight, losing weight, or going through pregnancy can stretch your skin beyond its capacity to recover. Stretch marks occur when the skin enlarges too quickly, leading to tears in the skin fibers. This can result in indented red, pink, purple, or white streaks that neither go away with time nor respond to topical treatments. Red, pink, and purple stretch marks indicate that there are still some active blood vessels in the area. Therefore, there’s still the potential for producing more collagen that can promote healing. Laser technology can smooth out your stretch marks and trigger a healing mechanism that lessens their appearance. 

How laser technology treats stretch marks

The Icon Laser uses fractional laser technology to deliver short pulses of energy that target your stretch marks without harming the surrounding areas.

The laser plays two roles in reducing the appearance of your stretch marks: it disperses the pigment, and it triggers the production of new, healthy tissue.

Once the laser technology goes through several layers of your skin, you’ll continue to see improvements in the skin tone and skin texture over the next few weeks. The appearance of your skin will continue to improve because collagen production in your skin increases after laser treatments as it takes time for the new collagen to repair the damaged fibers. On average, patients need about four sessions to see optimal results.

What to do four weeks before the treatment

For best results, discontinue using tanning beds and tanning creams on the areas you wish to get treated. Also, stop using creams that contain retinoids, as these may cause skin sensitivities, and avoid waxing or plucking, as this may lead to irritations.

Post-treatment best practices

The laser treatments used for stretch marks don’t involve any downtime. You’ll be able to return to your daily activities after the session.

However, after the laser sessions, you may be asked to avoid unprotected sun exposure and stop using creams that make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. For best results, stick to organic mineral-based sunscreens, because chemical ones may trigger reactions.