Stretch marks, also known as Striae, are a cosmetic issue. They can be caused by pregnancy and puberty in women and weight gain and muscle growth in men. However, they can occur anywhere there is rapid change in the body. Just like other scars, stretch marks are permanent but not life threatening.
A person can have stretch marks in many places on their body. The most common is the abdomen, from the hips to below the bellybutton, but they can also be seen on the thighs, buttocks and breasts.
Diagnosis
It is unusual for stretch marks to require a diagnosis. Your doctor may look at your skin and your medical history. If your doctor thinks that cortisol levels in your body have increased, you may be referred to additional tests.
Treatment
Treatment is not required for fading, fading, or disappearing scars. They are safe and typically fade on their own over time. Treatment may decrease the depth of the scar, but it cannot make them go away entirely.
The following treatments are some of the ones available to help reduce the appearance and texture of stretch marks. None has been proved to be more effective than the others.
1. Creams and lotions
Made from vitamin A and other related compounds, creams and lotions may help to fade stretch marks. They should be used daily on the entire scar until results are seen.
2. Fractional laser treatment
This technique uses lasers to restore collagen production in the skin. Because it is still a new technology, results are not yet known. However, it is thought to be able to improve the appearance of stretch marks with few side effects.
3. Skin needling
This technique involves creating tiny punctures in the skin to stimulate collagen production. It is similar to fractional laser treatment, but it does not use lasers. Like other forms of laser therapy, this method has few side effects and may be able to reduce scars caused by stretch marks.
