I Have Terrible Stretch Marks: Can You Help?

Stretch marks are the natural result of skin rapidly stretching and shrinking due to changes like pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and adolescent growth spurts. While normal and harmless, these lines of scar tissue are a source of insecurity and frustration for millions of Americans.

Don’t let stretch marks keep you from feeling comfortable in your skin. At The MD Aesthetics, our team can help you reduce the appearance of these and other unwanted scars.

Read on to explore effective treatments that fade imperfections and restore a touchably smooth texture.

Understanding stretch marks

When changes in your body force the skin to expand rapidly, the resulting tension can damage its underlying support network of collagen and elastin. Your skin produces fibrous scar tissue to repair these deep tears, creating the indented lines we refer to as stretch marks, or striae.

This type of scarring is extremely common in women — up to 90% develop stretch marks — due to hormonal fluctuations impacting collagen and elastin production. A smaller percentage of men also get stretch marks, often from muscle growth or weight changes.

Stretch marks can appear almost anywhere on the body, most often in the abdomen, breasts, hips, thighs, and upper arms. In the early stages, they may be pink, red, or purple, fading over time to a white or silvery color. However, without treatment, the textural indentation remains.

Professional solutions for lasting results

Countless over-the-counter products claim to fade stretch marks, but rarely do they provide noticeable results. Reducing the appearance of scars deep within the dermis (the skin’s middle layer) requires more advanced treatments that penetrate further to stimulate cellular repair. 

These treatments may include:

Medical-grade topicals

Topical products with prescription ingredients such as tretinoin and other retinoids promote cell turnover and collagen production in the treatment area. These options are typically more effective in the initial stages of damage, when stretch marks are less than a few months old. 

Chemical peels

During a peel, a specially formulated chemical solution removes damaged outer layers of skin to reveal fresh, new cells underneath. That helps diminish visible marks while also smoothing the skin’s texture.

Microneedling

This technique uses fine needles to create shallow punctures in the skin, triggering the body’s natural healing response. To enhance your results, we can combine microneedling with regenerative therapies like serums, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and exosomes.

Laser therapy

Our cutting-edge laser treatments deliver beams of light energy into the dermal layer to break up scar tissue and kick-start new tissue growth. As a result of this intense renewal process, you may see continued improvements in your skin for up to a year after your session.

Smoother skin awaits

If stretch marks affect your confidence, contact us at The MD Aesthetics in El Dorado Hills, California. We can help you achieve smooth, touchable skin you can’t wait to show off.