Stretch Marks: How to Minimize this Natural Part of Life?

Believe me, it’s absolutely normal! When our skin stretches or shrinks rapidly, these natural lines appear in our body. It happens when we reach puberty or lose or gain weight. So, everyone reaches puberty and experiences weight change during their lives, right?

In fact, over 50 percent of women experience stretch marks during pregnancy, and it’s estimated that up to 90 percent of people have them at some point in their lives. With all that, there’s nothing to worry about because most of them fade over time. But, if you want to minimize them and know how to prevent them as well as knowing how they appear, stay with us.

What Are Stretch Marks?

As we mentioned, stretch marks are natural lines that appear on the skin during times of growth or change. When the skin stretches or shrinks quickly, the collagen and elastin in your skin (proteins that help keep skin strong and flexible) start to tear slightly. As your skin heals, stretch marks can form as a part of that process. Don’t get me wrong because they are not harmful at all! They’re all about appearance.

Not to mention that factors like genetics and hormone levels can develop these marks. Our skin tightening treatment in Dubai is designed to boost skin collagen and improve skin firmness and can help if you lose collagen and skin flexibility. Stretch marks can appear on all parts of the body, but most of the time you can observe them on:

• Abdomen
• Breasts
• Hips
• Thighs
• Buttocks
• Flanks

Who Can Experience Stretch Marks?

Everyone! These unique marks can affect everybody’s skin, but some factors can increase them, including:

• Pregnancy: The most common reason for unique marks! When your body adapts to bring new life into the world, especially if you have a gorgeous, darker skin tone (such as Black, Hispanic, East Asian, or South Asian), you can experience it. But your baby is absolutely worth it!
• Weight changes: Fast weight gain or loss can cause the skin to stretch and tear, leading to these unique marks. For better weight management, you can consider the best cardio to lose weight. 
• Muscle growth: if you’re a bodybuilder or weightlifter and trying to grow muscle rapidly, you can experience stretch marks. 
• Adolescence: When you’re growing age, your skin cannot keep up with rapid growth, resulting in unique marks.
• Genetics: Genetics play a role! If you have a family history, you are more likely to experience it. 
• Medical conditions: Conditions like Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome, or long-term use of prednisone can result in these marks. 

Why Do Stretch Marks Appear? (a more scientific explanation)

Consider a stretchy band. Stretch it slowly and gently, what happens when you leave it away? Nothing. It looks as it was before. Grap that again and this time, pull it too hard or too quickly. What happens now? It might snap or tear. That’s exactly what happens to your skin. 

Our skin is divided into three layers, with the middle layer (known as the dermis) containing connective fibers that provide elasticity. When your body grows or changes rapidly, these fibers might be stretched beyond their limit. This can cause the dermis to break and expose the deeper layers of skin. High amounts of cortisone can increase the likelihood or severity of stretch marks. Cortisone is a hormone that weakens the skin’s elastic fibers. It is naturally created by your body in response to stress, but it can also be given topically as a medicine.

Signs and Symptoms of Stretch Marks 

Before you notice this reflection of growth, change, and strength, you may feel slightly itchy or sensitive in that part of your skin. Little by little, you notice it looking thin and a beautiful pink color. As stretch marks start to appear, the skin becomes soft, with raised lines ranging in color from red, purple, pink, reddish-brown, or dark brown, depending on your unique skin tone. These marks will go away over time, becoming flatter and often taking on a silver or lighter hue. As they can become less apparent, this process can take time, sometimes years. As IV therapy can send a rich combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants straight into your bloodstream, it can help your skin heal sooner. 

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks with Medical and Home Remedies?

Now you know it’s completely normal, but you still want to get rid of them. Why? Because in this way, you may feel more confident in your skin. If you want to get rid of them fast, there are medical treatments that you can try, but if you’re more patient and prefer home remedies, there are lotions and natural creams out there. Here we identify all medical and home remedies for stretch marks treatment to address your concerns. 

Medical Treatments 

Medical procedures for stretch marks treatment work by repairing damaged skin and promoting healing. Some treatments employ lasers to promote new skin growth, while others use exfoliation to remove signs of damage. There are additional treatments that use heat or sound waves to tighten the skin and minimize the appearance of stretch marks. Let’s look into them in more detail.

1- Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy

• Suitable for: Recent stretch marks

• Works with: Laser energy

Pulsed dye laser therapy uses a gentle beam of light to target the blood vessels behind fresh, red stretch marks. This light energy soothes the vessels, reducing redness and making the marks less noticeable. This soft, non-invasive treatment is usually painless, and it works best on recent stretch marks. For the greatest outcomes, you need a series of sessions. 

2- Fractional CO2 Laser Therapy

• Suitable for: Older stretch marks

• Works with: CO2 Laser energy

Fractional CO2 laser therapy is used to cure older white stretch marks. It works by using a laser to make microscopic holes in the skin. This stimulates the skin to produce new collagen and elastin, which can help to decrease the appearance of stretch marks.

3- Excimer Laser Therapy 

• Suitable for: Stretch marks with different pigmentation
• Works with: UVB light to correct discoloration

Excimer laser therapy treats pigmentation disorders in stretch marks by delivering tailored ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Excimer laser therapy has been found in studies to be both effective and safe, with noticeable benefits often shown after 1 to 4 months of treatment. It is especially effective for people who have stretch marks with varying colors of pigmentation.

4- Microdermabrasion

• Suitable for: Newer and Reddish stretch marks
• Works with: Skin peels

Microdermabrasion is a therapy that applies microscopic crystals to gently exfoliate the skin. This can help to minimize the appearance of reddish stretch marks by eliminating dead skin cells and promoting new, healthy skin growth. It can often be more successful when combined with other procedures, such as skin peels. To see long-term improvements, you need to repeat the process regularly.

5- Cosmetic Surgery

• Suitable for: Severe cases of stretch marks
• Works with: N/A (This is a standalone procedure)

Stretch marks and Lipedema on the skin can be removed with cosmetic surgery, such as a stomach tuck. However, it can leave scars and is more expensive and unpleasant than alternative therapies. It is typically only suggested for severe cases of stretch marks. We don’t recommend this method, but if you’re thinking about having this procedure, you should consult with a plastic surgeon to discuss the risks. 

6- Radiofrequency

• Suitable for: Both new and old stretch marks
• Works with: Radiofrequency waves

These treatments use radio waves to heat the skin and encourage collagen formation using devices like Venus Legacy. This can help to tighten the skin and minimize the appearance of stretch marks. Early tests show that these treatments are safe and promising. In our clinic, we use modern technologies that use radiofrequency for fading stretch marks as well as cellulite treatment in Dubai. 

7- Ultrasound

• Suitable for: Both new and old stretch marks
• Works with: Sound waves

Ultrasound therapy is a procedure that uses sound waves to heat the skin and promote collagen formation. This can help to tighten the skin and minimize the appearance of stretch marks. While it is still being explored, preliminary findings indicate that it may be an effective strategy to improve skin look and texture.

Home Remedies 

You don’t like medical treatments? You think they’re expensive and hard? Don’t worry because there are home remedies for stretch marks treatment. Home remedies are simpler methods that use things like creams, oils, and lotions that you can buy. They work by moisturizing your skin and encouraging healing. To be honest, home remedies don’t always work, and there’s not much evidence to prove their effectiveness. But totally, they can make your skin look and feel better over time. The home remedies include:

• Tretinoin: This cream boosts collagen and can help fade new stretch marks. But before using, you should talk to a doctor as it can also irritate your skin. 
• Collagen boosters: There are some products that claim to boost collagen, but you should do research to ensure they really work. 
• Centella Asiatica: This herbal oil is considered to help the skin heal itself. It’s commonly used in stretch mark lotions. 
• Bitter almond oil: One study revealed that massaging this oil into your skin during pregnancy can help avoid stretch marks.
• Moisturizers: They can help keep your skin supple and hydrated, but they do not prevent or diminish stretch marks. For more hydrating, you can consider the best IV therapy in Dubai. 

How to Prevent Stretch Marks?

Well, you can’t always prevent them entirely, but you can take some steps to minimize them. It is worth trying these easy actions to lower the possibility of their appearance:

• Maintain a healthy weight: Keeping a healthy and stable weight with a proper diet and exercising regularly is the biggest thing that you can do to prevent these marks. 
• Stay hydrated: To keep your skin more elastic and hydrated, drink enough water (6 to 8 glasses during the day). It will improve the skin’s flexibility and ability to adapt to changes in size and shape. 
• Use vitamin E: Vitamin E increases skin elasticity as well as moisture. You can include it in your diet or apply it to your skin. 

Go Easy on Them! 

With this blog post, you’ve learned what are stretch marks, how they appear, and how to get rid of them. But at last, don’t be too harsh on them! They’re absolutely normal and appear over time, so enjoying life is more important than being worried about stretch marks treatment! Whether caused by pregnancy, puberty, or weight swings, these marks are prevalent and affect people of both genders. Accept them as a tribute to your body’s journey, and remember that your skin, with all of its unique marks, is lovely just the way it is.