Stretch Mark Treatment in Walnut Creek

What I Use

Chosen for the stretch marks in front of me — their age, their colour, where they are, and your skin:

• Microneedling — fine needles that prompt the skin to rebuild its texture. In the studies it improves stretch marks about as much as fractional laser does, with a much lower risk of dark marks afterwards, which makes it my first choice for most people and the safer choice on darker skin.
• Erbium laser resurfacing — a controlled resurfacing of the outer layer so that smoother skin grows back. I use it in selected cases, usually for older, textured marks, and often after microneedling rather than instead of it — about four weeks after, once the skin has settled, not in the same visit.
• Prescription tretinoin cream — for early marks that are still red or purple. Applied daily for at least three months; it does little for mature white marks, and I never rely on it alone. Not for use in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

I treat stretch marks anywhere on the body. Sometimes one treatment is right; more often I combine them, because combinations do better than any single treatment.

What the Evidence Says

Three things are consistent across the studies. Early marks — the red or purple ones — respond far better than mature white ones, so the sooner we start, the more we can do. Combining treatments beats any single treatment. And creams on their own are the least effective option: tretinoin alone ranks last in the comparisons, and the over-the-counter oils and butters do not work at all.

No treatment erases a stretch mark. What a good plan does is make it noticeably less visible — and I will tell you before we start how much of that is realistic for yours.

What to Expect

How many sessions you need, how far apart, and how much downtime each brings depends on which treatment we choose and on the stretch marks themselves, so I will not quote a course before the consultation.

What I can promise is a plain answer. If I do not think treatment will give you an improvement you would notice, I will say so.

No single treatment works for everyone. I usually combine what fits your marks and your skin, and I start by ruling out the medical causes of stretch marks.

Stretch mark treatment is priced at the consultation, because the plan depends on the area and the combination. The per-session prices for the treatments themselves are on the microneedling and erbium laser resurfacing pages. The consultation is $150, waived if you proceed with treatment.

What a Stretch Mark Is

A stretch mark is considered a type of scar that develops because of stretching or shrinking of skin extremely fast in a brief period of time. This sudden change causes those elements that provide skin support including collagen and elastin to rupture and become disarrayed, which is the same mechanism as development of a scar. Stretch marks do not always look alike in different areas of the body or in different people. Depending on the skin type, pigmentation, and site of the stretch marks they can vary in size. Most often they appear as pink, red, or purple and the coloring gradually fade away over time.

Anyone can develop stretch marks, but some people are at higher risk of developing stretch marks, those include:

• Being female
• Pregnancy
• Having a family member with stretch marks
• Being overweight
• Rapid weight loss or weight gain
• Growth spurts during puberty
• Rapid muscle growth during strenuous weight training
• Any procedure that stretches the skin, including breast augmentation

Other Causes of Stretch Marks

There are several medical causes of stretch mark, more common causes include:

• Cushing’s syndrome (adrenal gland secretes too much steroid)
• Marfan’s syndrome (a type of genetic disorder that affects collagen synthesis)
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (another genetic disorder that can affect collagen production)
• Applying high strength steroids to your skin for a long time

Can Stretch Marks Be Prevented?

There are many myths about what can and cannot prevent stretch marks. Research shows that most topical remedies such as almond oil, coconut butter, vitamin E, olive oil and so on do not work.
One home remedy that has shown some promise in preventing stretch marks is hyaluronic acid. Researchers have noted that if any prevention is going to work it must be started early, consistent in application, and you must take your time to gently massage the product into your skin.

At-Home Options

As mentioned above most home remedies have proven ineffective. Two agents that have shown some promise in fading stretch marks include retinol and hyaluronic acid. Be warned that tretinoin and its derivatives including retinol are contraindicated to be used during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

Aftercare

Aftercare follows the treatment we choose. If we use microneedling, the microneedling care page applies; if we use the erbium laser, the erbium laser care page applies. If you are using tretinoin, we pause it around each session. I go through it with you on the day.

Stretch Mark Questions