What are the most effective treatments for Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks, medically known as Striae, are a common skin concern affecting a significant number of women and men, it is estimated to impact between 80-90% of individuals. These marks develop when the skin undergoes rapid stretching, leading to the rupture of collagen and elastin fibers. The result is thin, reddish or purple lines on the skin that eventually turn white or silver.  Stretch marks can affect our self-esteem and how we feel in our skin. While they can be difficult to eliminate completely, there are many tried-and-true methods to reduce their appearance. Read on, and we'll tell you what they are.

These marks can appear on various parts of the body such as the abdomen, breasts, hips, thighs, and arms. They are frequently associated with events like pregnancy, weight gain, and periods of rapid growth such as during puberty or body building. Certain medical conditions like Cushing's Syndrome and Marfan Syndrome, as well as the use of medications like corticosteroids, can also contribute to stretch mark formation.

Fortunately, there are several treatments available to help diminish the appearance of stretch marks, and the most suitable option can vary depending on the individual. Here are some of the commonly sought-after treatments:

Topical creams and serums: These products can help moisturize the skin, reduce redness, speed up healing, improve texture, improve collagen and elastin, repair damaged DNA, provide antioxidant support, and increase cellular integrity. Some of my personal favourite skincare for achieving this is in the iS Clinical range. Products like the Super serum, Pro Heal Serum, Sheald Recovery Balm, Youth Body Serum, Body Complex, Retinol Emulsions 0.3%, Poly Vitamin Serum are some of my top picks.

Microneedling: This is a skin treatment that involves using fine needles to create tiny punctures in the skin. This can help to stimulate collagen production and improve the appearance of stretch marks. Microneedling relies on larger, standardized needles and cartridges that are often not suitable for intricate work such as tracing stretch marks. It involves using a skin needling device with cartridges of often 10-14 needles spaced quite far apart in a circle. These treatments usually initiate a mild response and can usually require anywhere from 6-12 treatments to see a drastic result.

Inkless scar revision tattoo: This is a form of Paramedical tattoo. It is often confused with microneedling, but it most certainly is not the same thing, particularly when we compare results. Often microneedling requires 6-12 sessions to see noticeable improvement, with Inkless scar revision we can see results much earlier in just 2-5 treatments. The concept is the same as microneedling – we use tiny needles to create micro punctures into the skin. However, with Inkless scar revision tattoo, a customized fine tattoo needle cartridge on a tattoo machine is used with medical grade serums to solely focus on the specific stretch marks with accuracy and not damaging the surrounding healthy skin. The fine needles easily penetrate the skin and we can trace each stretch mark individually with precision, initiating the desired skin response, leading to a quicker and superior result compared to microneedling. To learn more about the differences, read my blog on Paramedical tattoo vs Traditional skin needling here.

Although Inkless scar revision tattoo works wonders on all skin types. It’s particularly successful on darker skins (Fitzpatrick types 5 and 6), due to the melanin stimulation in response to the controlled trauma. Often the stretch marks re-pigment naturally without the need to introduce camouflage pigment to the area.

Lasers and Light-based systems: There are multiple lasers and light-based systems available to assist with reducing the appearance of stretch marks these days. For brand new stretch marks that are still quite red/purple, vascular lasers and light systems are recommended. Such as LED, IPL, BBL and Laser Genesis. These will reduce the red and purple tones from the skin over a series of treatments (3-10). For older stretch marks that are textured and/or white and silver, ablative and non-ablative fractionated lasers are preferred. Lasers such as Halo, Fraxel and Moxi. All of these devices have limited capability to focus on the stretch marks individually and generally the whole area will need to be treated. Often treating technicians will need to limit the size of the areas being treated per session so it isn’t too much stress on the body and recovery and risks can be higher when treating body vs face treatments.

Camouflage Tattoo with Pigments: This is another form of Paramedical tattoo, however instead of using medical grade serums like with the Inkless scar revision protocols we use mineral based skin toned pigments. The treatment involves custom matching and blending skin toned pigments to your natural skin colour. This treatment is only suitable if your stretch marks are white and smooth (not wrinkly/textured).  The skin toned pigment is gently tattooed into the white/silver stretch marks so that they blend and camouflage in with the surrounding skin. Beware when choosing a paramedical tattoo artist that they have extensive knowledge in skin colours and undertones as it isn’t an easy skill to master and can look very unnatural if done incorrectly. Nue Conceal have a patented skin tone reading device which assists the artists in colour matching the skin precisely. It is still highly encouraged that multiple skin tone readings are done and a few shades are mixed up for test patches to make sure they match the skin perfectly. The pigment method usually isn’t suitable for very fair skin types (Fitzpatrick types 1-2) as their skin can almost be translucent to start with and the pigment can look unnatural or too white. It also isn’t preferred for darker skin types (Fitzpatrick types 5 and 6) as there is a high risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation that can form underneath the tattooed pigments and make them heal looking darker than the natural skin tone. It’s also vital to be closest to your natural skin tone (not sun tanned) when having your treatment done.

It is important to note that none of these methods will not completely get rid of stretch marks and that they can only minimize the appearance of them. The best treatments will vary case by case. In general, it’s a good idea to talk to an experienced clinician and paramedical tattoo artist to determine the best course of action for your stretch marks. A combination of skin treatments may be recommended for maximum effectiveness.

As someone who has been a Skin and Laser Therapist for the past 12 years and is also qualified as a Paramedical Tattoo Artist, I have extensive experience with these services and products. I can provide guidance through a consultation to steer you in the right direction.

In addition to these treatments, there are also several steps that can be done to attempt to prevent and maintain your results as best as possible.

These include:

-          Maintaining a healthy diet and weight

-          Taking collagen and antioxidant supplements

-          Staying hydrated

-          Avoiding rapid weight gain or loss (including body building)

-          Keeping the skin moisturized

-          Using sunscreen and protective clothing

In conclusion, stretch marks are a very common condition and can be caused by a wide variety of factors. While there is no singular treatment that works for everyone, Inkless scar revision tattoo is providing to yield the best results.