Stretch marks are narrow scars that appear on the skin, both in men and women but are most common during and after childbirth.

When the skin is stretched over a short period of time, tears can form in the dermis (deeper layers of skin). This is common during pregnancy, but also it can happen during rapid weight loss and growth spurts during puberty. Stretch marks can appear on the abdomen, but are also common on thighs, buttocks, arms, chest and back.

They form initially as darker and more purple, and when mature (which normally takes up to 2 years) then fade to a silvery colour. It may be possible to speed up the maturity of stretchmarks by use of a laser, typically a pulsed dye laser. This can help to fade the colour of the stretchmarks so they appear more silvery in colour. However, this laser treatment will not help the texture of the stretchmarks.

Micro Needling

This can take the form of:

• Dermaroller – small needles located on a barrel are rollered over the skin causing tiny micro punctures. This stimulates the body’s healing cascade to produce collagen building, therefore restoring fresher looking skin
• Dermapen – this is an electronic version of dermaroller, where an electronic device is used to vibrate on the skin causing micro punctures, and stimulating collagen production in a similar way to dermaroller
• Dermastamping – this is a form of percutaneous needle induction(PIN) where controlled injuries are inflicted on the skin, again stimulating the collagen induction through a controlled healing cascade.

Fractional Skin Resurfacing

Fractional Skin Resurfacing (FSR) is carried out using EndyMed Radio Frequency Skin Tightening. This uses radio frequency waves to stimulate renewal in the deeper layers of the dermis. This rejuvenates the skin, and can help to reduce the appearance of small scars, fine lines and wrinkles,stretchmarks and rough skin.