To Your  Professional Beauty Experience

What causes stretch marks?

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Stretch marks are scars that develops when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly. The sudden change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. As the skin heals, stretch sometimes appear.

 

Fluctuating hormone levels seem to play a role and you seen to be more prone to them if others in your family get them.

If you develop stretch marks, you’re most likely to do so during these times:

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• Growth spurts that happen in puberty

• Pregnancy

• Rapid weight loss or gain

• Weight training when you have rapid muscle growth

 

Corticosteroids thin your skin so if using these for a long  period of time can also cause stretch marks. 

When stretch marks first appear, they tend to be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown, or dark brown, depending on your skin color. Early stretch marks may feel slightly raised and can be itchy.

In time, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath your skin. If you run your finger over a mature stretch mark, you often feel a slight depression.
 

What can get rid of stretch marks?
 

Like any scar, stretch marks are a permanent fixture, but treatment may make them less noticeable. 

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding please do not use retinol or laser:

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• Hyaluronic acid (can be used during pregnancy)

• Tretinoin (should not be used in pregnancy)

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Procedures that trained registered professionals  can provide to make stretch marks less noticeable:

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• Chemical peel

• Laser therapy

• Microneedling

 

To give you the best results a combined approach may be used. For example, microneedling and laser.

With all procedures, side effects are possible. In the skilled hands of a professional side effects tend to be minor and temporary.

It’s common to have some redness and swelling after a procedure. The redness and swelling tend to disappear in a few hours or days depending on the treatment you have had.

Our Advanced Nurse Aesthetic Prescribing Practitioner Jen  can tell you if any of these treatments would be suitable for you, given your health, age, and how long you’ve had the stretch marks.
 

Can anything prevent stretch marks?

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Researchers have found that products containing centella or hyaluronic acid may help prevent stretch marks. Centella is an herb, and our skin naturally contains hyaluronic acid. However other creams, such as olive oil, cocoa butter and moisturiser have proven to be ineffective.