Stretch marks or striae are a common problem that affecting many men, women and teenagers. They frequently appear as unattractive red, purple or white streaks across the hips, stomach, breasts, buttocks, flanks, thighs, arms, or shoulders. They may occur with pregnancy, rapid growth spurts, weight lifting, rapid weight gain or loss, and medical steroid use. Stretch marks happen when the tissue under the skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching. Although the skin is usually fairly elastic, when it’s overstretched, the normal production of collagen is disrupted. As a result, scars in the dermis called stretch marks may form.
At first, stretch marks may show up as reddish or purplish lines that may appear indented and have a different texture from the surrounding skin. Fortunately, stretch marks often turn lighter and almost disappear over time. Some have more severe stretch marks that result in permanent scars.
Laser or pulsed light therapy may help the redness. Resurfacing lasers remove the upper layers of the skin to improve the appearance. Microdermabrasion may be helpful but requires very many treatments for a mild to moderate improvement.
When carbon dioxide is injected superficially into the stretch marks it subscises the tissue so that adherent layers are separated. The skin repairs itself so that the stretch mark contracts and gradually becomes much smaller and less visible. Usually multiple treatments give the best results but the response varies for each person. We have seen moderate stretch marks almost disappear in one treatment but most require a series of several treatments. Combined treatments involving carboxytherapy, lasers and skin care products sometimes produce faster results.