What is Stretch Marks?
One of the most common skin concerns that is treated with lasers are stretch marks. Stretch marks, or striae distensa, are long, narrow lines, streaks or stripes that develop on the skin.
They can develop in anyone, though they do tend to affect women more than men. They can also occur on a range of body parts, including the stomach, thighs, hips, upper arms and lower back.
What causes stretch marks?
When the skin undergoes a period of rapid stretching, the stress causes damage to the skin’s connective tissues. As the tears are repaired, small red scars form resulting in the appearance of stretch marks. While their colour may fade over time, the lines will usually remain, often becoming white.
Pregnancy, puberty, and rapid weight gain or weight loss can all cause stretch marks. While they do not pose any serious long-term health risks, most patients will seek to get them removed due to cosmetic appearance and self-image reasons.
Stretch marks are a challenging cosmetic problem because they form deep within the dermis.
Luckily, no problem is too big for Alma’s range of laser treatment machines. Alma’s RF and laser-based treatments improve the colour and skin texture associated with stretch marks, with minimal pain and downtime.
How does laser stretch mark removal work?
During the laser procedure, concentrated amounts of light energy is used to encourage new cell growth. Both ablative lasers and non-ablative lasers are capable of treating stretch marks, albeit in different ways.
Ablative lasers treat stretch marks by removing the upper layer of skin, allowing for smoother, newer skin to generate and take its place. Non-ablative lasers on the other hand. Target the underlying areas of the skin’s surface to promote collagen growth which reduces the appearance of stretch marks from the inside out.
Both treatments essentially replace the older scarred tissue with new collagen and elastic fibers, minimising the appearance of stretch marks and leaving patients with smoother, better-looking skin.
Laser stretch mark removal with Alma Lasers?
At Alma Lasers, we have many innovative machines capable of administering laser stretch mark treatments effectively and efficiently. These include:
- Harmony XL Pro (SE): Comprehensive multi-application platform which uses both non-ablative and ablative laser technology to effectively treat stretch marks.
- Accent Prime: features a range of applicators that use both radiofrequency and microplasma technology to reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
- Alma Hybrid: an innovative stretch mark removal platform that features both CO2 for superior resurfacing and 1570nm for thermal remodelling of collagen.
- Opus: harnesses the power of fractional microplasma to treat the appearance of stretch marks.
- FemiLift/Pixel CO2: State-of-the-art, minimally-invasive outpatient solution that incorporates CO2 technology to provide optimal stretch mark removal.
- ThermoLift: An advanced workstation for skin tightening, body contouring and aesthetic enhancement. The platform combines the latest innovations in ultrasound and radiofrequency.
Interested in one of our laser stretch mark removal machines? Contact Alma Lasers today to learn more!