Your Stretch Mark Solution

For most new mothers, the thought of stretch marks are horrifying! For those that have had them for a while, they have become a fact of life. However, there seems to be some major mis-information out there regarding their prevention and elimination. Knowing that most women will experience these during their pregnancy, I thought that we should take a moment to explore this expanding problem.

Clinical Evaluation:

The first question you have to ask yourself when dealing with the human body is whether or not there is any clinical information on the subject.

The clinical community will refer to stretch marks that occur during pregnancy as Striae gravidarum. This is the the tearing of the dermis or middle (shape retaining) layer of the skin. While most stretch marks will appear to be purple or reddish in the beginning, this will normally fade over time. Here are the most commonly referred to treatments for this problem:

Topical Creams / Ointments

Laser Therapy

Tummy Tuck

Without going into too much detail, there appears to be some consensus on the success of at least two of the treatments; laser therapy, tummy tucks. While there is more research being done on the most non-invasive solution, topical creams, there doesn’t appear to be any standout solution here.

A direct reference to the U.S. National Library of Medicine states:

“Creams and ointments that claim to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy are of little value”3

Although this statement appears fairly conclusive, there are two clinical trials that we can look at. Unfortunately, only one used a placebo control and is therefore of any real value. In that trial women used Trofolastin, an ointment containing Centella asiatica extract, alpha tocopherol and collagen-elastin hydrolysates. With massage, this ointment was associated with less women developing stretch marks.1

As for laser therapy, there appears to be much more hope from a clinical standpoint. A recent study from the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami looked at recent literature regarding the use of newer optical devices and laser therapy. Their conclusion:

“The therapeutic strategies are numerous, and no single modality has been far more consistent than the rest. The long-term future of treatment strategies is encouraging with the advance in laser technologies.”2

While laser technologies cannot prevent stretch marks, the results can be impressive according to many dermatologists. According to the Cleveland Clinic,

“Dermatologic surgeons can now use lasers to remove or improve stretch marks. The heat from the laser light triggers new elastin production in the deeper layers where the stretch marks are formed. As a result, your skin will have a tighter and smoother appearance.”

Lastly, there is the tried and true tummy tuck. This procedure is where they surgically remove the skin where the stretch marks occur. I won’t go into any detail on this procedure, just in case you are eating.

Conclusion:

What can I say; after reading as much as I could take on the subject, it is still a confusing topic. While there seems to be some hope on the topical ointment Trofolastin for prevention, the clinical data for removing existing marks is non-existent. Unfortunately, the alternative treatments are costly and often time consuming, not to mention they aren’t normally covered by your insurance.

And of course, we’ve all heard about cocoa butter, but with all of the hype there is little to back it up. Even Tyra Banks had a show about a product called Trilastin SR, that showed impressive before and after photos; yet again, no clinical backing.

For those of us with existing marks, I guess we will have to save our money for lasers or continue to be guinea pigs for the late night info-mercials.

One thing is for sure, if this is a topic that concerns you, speak with your physician! If your OBGYN tells you to suck it up, then talk to a dermatologist. Their advice is the only one that I would take on something this important. At least this way, whatever you decide, you can decide to be informed!

References:

1.) Young GL, Jewell D. (2000). “Creams for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy”. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2): CD000066

2.) Dermatol Surg. 2009 Apr;35(4):563-73

3.) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003287.htm

4.) http://www.stretchmarks.org/

About The Author

I’m a wife, mother of one, and small business owner. If you are in need of a new mother gift, please check out our store at http://www.champagnebaby.com/

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The doctors term stretch marks as striae. These are red & purple colored fine lines that are formed when the skin is stretched due to sudden weight gain. Women have striae owing to pregnancy, puberty, hormonal changes, etc. Among men, the usual reasons for these wrinkles are excessive workouts at the gym and over use of the steroids. The medical researchers have now devised a new technology to cure this problem – Fraxel. Let us review the Fraxel Laser Strech Marks technology.

How does Fraxel Work?

Fraxel is a term used for fractional laser resurfacing. In order to understand the working of this technology we first need to understand how the stretch marks are formed. Our skin has three layers. The top layer is known as epidermis and the middle layer is dermis. The middle layer forms the shape of our body and expands with the body size. It has a certain limit of elasticity that allows it to expand. When dermis is stretched more than its elasticity, the collagen (a protein that is formed naturally in the body in order to repair the skin tissues) gets destroyed and parallel reddish lines can be seen on the epidermis.

In the Fraxel Laser treatment the affected area is cleansed and then a local anesthesia is applied over it. Now a hand piece is rubbed over the marks. It flashes rays even thinner than the human hair on the middle layer of the skin that is the dermis. It creates microscopic wounds that stimulate the skin to heal. This way the lost collagen gets restored. One sitting costs $ 600 and takes 20 to 25 minutes. Usually the doctors recommend 4 to 6 sittings, but this depends on your body and the marks that you have. The results are visible in 2 to 6 months.

Is this treatment safe?

Fraxel is approved by the FDA for curing wrinkles and age spots. The clearing is in process for the stretch marks. However, it has yielded good results in almost 75% cases. It is safe provided one takes care of all the procedures prescribed by the therapist. Some of the important ones are given here:

· One has to apply some body lotions and ointments during this treatment.

· You must cover the affected area while you are out in the sun. Direct sunlight on the patch can be hazardous sometimes. Make sure to use sunscreen lotions as well.

· You must not have food that is rich in Vitamin A. You must quit it at least 10 days before starting Fraxel.

Does it have any side effects?

It has some side effects but they are not permanent. They are gone within 2 to 3 days of the sitting. Some of the common side effects are listed here:

· Itchiness

· Dryness

· Swelling

· Redness

· Pain

We can not deny the fact that Fraxel is an expensive and tedious procedure. Before opting for this last resort, one should try using the natural stretch mark removing creams and lotions. Captiva is one of the most effective anti-stretch mark creams that promise to diminish these scars within 2-3 months. It is made up of all the conventional and tested ingredients that are known to cure this issue for years. The list includes aloe vera, shea butter, emblica fruit extract, licorice extract, peptides, etc. This ointment contains tremendous moisturizing and healing properties. Captiva also claims to prevent other skin complications such as age spots, hyper pigmentation and birthmarks.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 at 7:56 pm and is filed under Stretch Marks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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