What Treats Stretch Marks?

By Nicole Hayre, MD

Stretch marks are a fairly common problem, which until now, have had little in the way of successful treatments. Living with stretch marks was thought to be a fact of life for those who had them. Fortunately, there are some promising new therapies.

What Are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are caused by a defect in the skin where the collagen and elastin have been damaged, resulting in an area of weaker, thinned and stretched skin. This typically occurs during a time when the skin has had to grow or stretch at a rapid rate. Examples of this include pregnancy, rapid weight gain, and during very rapid growth spurts in childhood.

These marks can be unsightly not only due to the textural changes as compared to the surrounding skin, but also frequently from color changes of pink, red or even purple. While these color changes tend to occur when the marks are developing, they usually indicate a good time to seek an evaluation for stretch mark treatment.

What Treatments Are Available?

There are many creams available making claims that they will treat stretch marks. Unfortunately, most of them are a waste of time and money. For better results, treatments with varying devices are used. While most of these treatments are off-label, in good hands they can be safe and effective.

For stretch marks which have some color to them, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and some laser treatments can be effective in reversing the color quicker. Some believe that reducing the redness quicker will help decrease some of the destruction of the collagen. Also, IPL treatments can help to stimulate new collagen growth.

There are several other devices on the market today, which are more focused on stimulating collagen growth. One, the Portrait plasma device, has been proving to be excellent in treating not only stretch marks, but also old scars.

Treatment is done in a series, with the area being treated once a month. The number of treatments depends on the skin and marks being treated. The area may feel 'sunburned' for one to two days after each treatment. Results do take months to see, but are worth the wait. New collagen after Portrait treatments has been shown to continue growing for up to a year.

For evaluation and treatment of stretch marks and scars, see a board-certified dermatologist.