Usually white or red, a stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when skin stretches or shrinks rapidly. In women, stretch marks usually appear on the chest, abdomen, hips, arms and thighs, whereas in men they can be found on the shoulders, arms, abdomen and back. The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. As the skin behind the heal, stretch marks appear. Other factors contributing to the formation of stretch marks include rapid weight gain, puberty, pregnancy, as well as inherited disorders, such as Cushing's syndrome, Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Hormonal disorders, poor diet and smoking can also have a negative effect on the elasticity of the skin.
At MSC Clinic, we target the appearance of stretch marks using the advanced Vbeam Perfecta® Laser by Candela. Considered the gold standard pulsed-dye laser (PDL) with a built-in cooling-protection system, the Vbeam Perfecta is the safest and most effective laser for the treatment of stretch marks. With each session, the quality and texture of the skin gradually improve, as we target the deepest skin layers, stimulating cells that produce collagen and elastin, without causing surface damage. When stretch marks begin to turn from red to white lines, the treatment is done in combination with the use of Candela PicoWay laser and Palomar 1540 Non-Ablative Fractional Laser. This combination achieves faster skin regeneration as the texture of the skin is greatly improved while reducing the depth and color of stretch marks. The treatment is repeated every 2 to 4 weeks and usually requires 3 to 4 sessions, depending on the extent of the stretch marks and the type of skin.