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Let’s talk about stretchmarks

Let’s talk about stretchmarks 2

Ask any woman what her top body concerns are, and chances are she’ll mention stretchmarks. It affects most of us at some point in our lives, and whether we embrace them, or try to hide them, we hardly ever ignore them. Recently, celebs like Chrissy Teigen and Ashley Graham have taken to social media to show off their stretchmarks in an attempt to normalise them and spread some body positivity.

We believe that confidence is the key to looking and feeling your best, and as such, it’s amazing to see women embracing their bodies, and celebrities using their influence to instill confidence in their followers. Having said that, for many women, stretchmarks still put a serious damper on their self-confidence. Though they cannot be removed entirely, there are a handful of non-invasive treatments and products that can help to minimise their appearance. But before we get into that, let’s look at the facts:

What are stretchmarks?
Stretchmarks are essentially scars on the skin. They are silvery-white in colour, but they can also be red, pink or purple in their early stages. Stretchmarks are caused by tearing of the dermis. Over time they may fade or diminish, but do not disappear entirely.

How do we get them?
Stretchmarks occur when the skin is stretched rapidly, resulting in the tearing of the dermis. This stretching is associated with growth or weight gain, making stretchmarks very common during puberty and pregnancy. Whilst the dermis is elastic, its elasticity can sometimes not keep up with the pace at which the skin stretches, and that’s when stretchmarks form.

Stretchmarks can appear anywhere on the body, but are most likely to be found on areas where larger amounts of fat is stored, such as the stomach, breasts, thighs, hips and buttocks.

Can they be improved?
Yes! There is no miracle cure, and we know that they will probably never disappear completely, but there are ways to minimize their appearance. One of the most successful options available at Skin Renewal is Carboxytherapy. Medical grade carbon dioxide is injected into the dermis where the stretchmarks are situated. The body interprets this as an oxygen deficit and responds by increasing blood flow to the area. This increased blood flow stimulates an increase in certain growth factors, which encourage the production of new blood vessels, providing a surge of oxygen and nutrients to the treated area, and in that manner increase the production of collagen and elastin. Carboxytherapy works best on newer stretchmarks that are still red or purple in colour, however, it can also be performed on older stretchmarks. New stretchmarks are treated once a week for a minimum of six sessions, whilst older stretchmarks need six to eight treatments once a week or every second week. It’s a brilliant treatment to undergo post-pregnancy as there are no side effects and the patient can continue breast feeding safely.

Because every person’s body is different, some may respond better than others, which is why there is no single treatment that will work for everyone.  Stretchmarks can also be treated by means of laser genesis, Dermapen skin needling and mesotherapy.

What about home therapies?
In addition to professional treatments, we recommend adding a complementary topical product to your treatment plan. Topical products that will encourage collagen production such as Lamelle Corrective Intensive GF Serum, or Neostrata Firming Collagen Booster, can be used daily.

If you’d like to learn more, or if you are considering a stretchmark treatment, book an appointment at your nearest Skin Renewal branch.

This post was sponsored by Skin Renewal.

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3 Responses

  1. As i am dark skinned my stretch marks make me look as if i was grilled removing them would be amazing. My stretch marks are due to weight gain and or loss. Recently i have been picking up weight on my tummy and my stretch marks are itching like crazy. Keeping it moisturised doesnt always help

  2. I’ve got stretchmarks which I have learnt to embrace over the years but it would be great to reduce their appearance

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