Stretch marks after pregnancy do not mean that you will never be able to show up on the beach in a bikini again. Dermatologists have ways to make them shallow or remove them with almost no trace. Chemical peeling, mesotherapy, microdermabrasion, laser therapy, TMT, Cryolift are just a few methods to get rid of stretch marks.
Stretch marksis the result of a rapid weight gain inpregnancy , but also a hormonal storm, and more specifically - an increase in the level of cortisol produced by the adrenal cortex . The excess of this hormone disrupts the work of collagen-producing cells, causing collagen fibers to break. At first stretch marks are red or pink, then they fade away.
What can you do with stretch marks?
If you are breastfeeding, lubricate them with a concentrate reducing stretch marks (such creams are available at pharmacies and drugstores). After you finish feeding (but no later than two years after giving birth), you can undergo dermatological treatment - the earlier you start it, the better the results will be. Note: one treatment is not enough.
Depending on the number and size of stretch marks, a series of three to even ten visits is necessary, and the full treatment takes about half a year.
Treatments in the office
Chemical peel with glycolic acid
This is the method most often used in offices. The procedure does not hurt. The doctor uses a special brush to apply glycolic acid with a concentration of 70% to the treated skin. After some time (usually 5 minutes, but it all depends on the size and thickness of the stretch mark), the doctor neutralizes the acid applied to the skin with a special preparation. Effects: a series of peels exfoliates the epidermis, thus reducing stretch marks, and stimulates the regeneration processes of the dermis, which rebuilds collagen fibers damaged during the formation of stretch marks. The number of necessary treatments is determined by the doctor. Treatment price: from PLN 160.
Mesotherapy
A method used in dermatology clinics to treat various skin diseases. The doctor injects a cocktail of appropriate medicinal substances into the changed places with a special apparatus with a very thin needle. The injections are given at a distance of 0.5cm-1.5cm.
The procedure is almost painless as the needle only reaches the fatty tissue, but you can ask for additional anesthesia with Emla cream. After the procedure, the doctor massages the skin at the injection site for a whilepreparation to evenly distribute the ingredients.
Effects: a series of several treatments reduces stretch marks, but only if the treatments are performed regularly. Usually you have to do them every 10-14 days, you need at least 4-5 treatments. Mesotherapy is best done in winter or spring, because under the influence of the sun, discoloration may appear at the injection site.
Side effects - bruises sometimes occur (when the needle hits a blood vessel), there is rarely swelling at the puncture site. Price of the treatment: PLN 300-600.
Microdermabrasion
The treatment involves mechanical abrasion of the epidermis with a special apparatus, layer by layer, until the desired effect. Microdermabrasion does not hurt (at first you feel a slight suction of the skin), it lasts about half an hour and does not cause any side effects.
There are different devices for microdermabrasion. Some use ultrasound to wipe the epidermis, others have a diamond head that removes dead cells, in others the abrasive element is aluminum oxide emitted under pressure.
Microdermabrasion visibly reduces stretch marks and the first effects are visible immediately after the treatment. A series of 2 to 4 treatments is recommended. Price of the treatment: from PLN 360.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy consists in exfoliating the scar by heating and evaporating its layers. The light emitted by the laser also evens out the color of the stretch mark in order to bring it as close as possible to the skin color.
The procedure takes about half an hour, is performed under local anesthesia, redness and swelling may appear immediately on the skin (usually after 4 hours at the latest). The next day, a scab forms at the correction site, which falls off after about 2 weeks. For the best results, it is recommended to perform 4 to 8 treatments at intervals of 6 to 12 weeks.
Side effects: a dark brown line forms in the area where the scar is removed, but it disappears after some time. Price of the treatment: PLN 1000-5000.
TMT system
TMT system is a treatment with the use of the latest technology. It is based on the phenomenon of electroporation, i.e. the interaction of electrical impulses on the skin cell membrane and thus increasing its permeability.
During the procedure, the doctor uses a TMT device that generates two types of current: fast-changing and constant with a very low intensity, and an ampoule of preparation with medicinal substances. The doctor puts the container with the medicinal preparation on the electrode and places it on the skin. Under the influence of electric impulses, the care ingredients contained in the ampoule penetrate even 2.5 mm deep into the skin, regenerate collagen fibers,reduce stretch marks. A series of 10 treatments is recommended, which are performed twice a week.
Cryolift
Cryolift This treatment combines the method of cryotherapy (treatment with cold) with intensive skin nourishment. For the procedure, the doctor uses a special Cryolift device with a head emitting cold with a temperature of -15 ° C. First, she applies a gel to the skin - a mixture of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleic acid - and then runs the tip of the device over the skin.
The gel stimulates skin regeneration and stimulates phytoblasts to produce collagen, and the very low temperature makes the preparation better absorbed. How does it happend? Rapid cooling of the skin causes the so-called paradoxical vasoconstriction - blood vessels first shrink rapidly and then relax. This improves microcirculation in the skin and facilitates the absorption of the active ingredients of the preparation. Price of one treatment: from PLN 390.
Probe