Creams
The combination of a prescription Vitamin A+E cream, coupled with laser treatment can improve the appearance of stretch marks. New stretch marks (red - purple) respond better to treatment, compared to old ones.
Vascular laser
The V Beam laser at Westside Dermatology is used to fade the colour of new stretch marks. Laser treatment feels like a flick of a rubber band on the skin, and are quick to perform. No needles are needed and the procedure is entirely bloodless.
More information on V Beam Vascular laser
Fractionated laser
The Sciton ProFractional laser is used to treat old stretch marks. (Remember- old stretch marks do not respond as well to laser compared to new ones!). Patient take a little longer to heal from Fractional laser compared to Vascular laser.
More information on Fractional laser
Skin needling
Skin needling consists of treating stretch marks with a medical grade roller. Hundreds of tiny needle holes are made in the skin, which in turn can stimulate collagen and elastin. At Westside Dermatology, we discourage the use of skin needling for scars and stretch marks, due to the fact the Fractional Laser has superior results over less treatments compared to skin needling.
More information on Skin Needling
How many treatments will I require and how effective are treatments?
For red stretch marks we advise a series of 3 vascular laser treatments, spaced 4 weeks apart. By the end of the third treatment, the redness is expected to fade by at least 60-80%, however most patients are left with residual white lines. Treatment is far from perfect, however if patients are realistic about the end result, most, if not all of early stretch marks can be improved. Vascular laser, in addition to treating redness, can also aid in remodelling elastin and collagen, leading to stretch mark shrinkage.
Old (white) stretch marks do not respond as well to treatment compared to new ones. Fractional laser can improve the size and texture of stretch marks. A rough improvement guide is 30- 50% improvement after 3 fractional treatments. Remember, this is only a guide, some patients will respond better, whilst others will not respond at all. Remodelling of stretch marks will continue for up to one year after laser treatment.
More information on V Beam Vascular laser
Fractionated laser
The Sciton ProFractional laser is used to treat old stretch marks. (Remember- old stretch marks do not respond as well to laser compared to new ones!). Patient take a little longer to heal from Fractional laser compared to Vascular laser.
More information on Fractional laser
