What are Stretch Marks and Scars?
Stretch marks are long, narrow streaks, stripes, or lines that develop on the skin. They occur when the skin is suddenly stretched and are extremely common. A scar is usually the result of some kind of sharp force trauma to the skin. Obviously, there are thousands of ways to develop a scar, from cuts or stabs from a sharp object like a knife or glass, to burning from a hot surface or even fire or acne damage. Both are damage to the skin area and can be treated.
Scar and Stretch Mark Treatment Options:
Medicinal/Topical:
Prescription lightening creams such as Hydroquinone, Tretinoin and Retin-A may assist in maintaining the overall health of skin, and the fading and softening of the appearance of scars.
Non-Medicinal/Topical
Chemical and physical skin exfoliations are beneficial treatment modalities that, when used in conjunction, are effective in the fading and softening of scars. Chemical peels and medical-grade skin care are useful topical modalities in the maintenance and treatment of overall skin health.
Clinical Treatment Options
- Chemical Peels
- Microdermabrasion
- Microneedling
- Dermal fillers
- Specialized resurfacing lasers
Therapeutic
- Proellixe Vibration Therapy
- Halo Laser Skin Resurfacing
- BBL
- Dermabrasion
Preventive Options
The skin is the largest organ in our bodies. Keeping our skin healthy requires a healthy diet, weight management, hydration, avoidance of smoking, and ongoing sun safety (SPF30 and above). Having said this, even our best efforts can be thwarted due to hormone fluctuations, pregnancy, and genetic disposition. Contact our medical team for a skin assessment and treatment plan as prevention of skin condition or at onset, is easier to treat than once scars and marks have deepened and darkened.
Causes of Scars and Stretch Marks
Stretch marks occur when the skin is suddenly stretched, most commonly from pregnancy or sudden weight gain. Scars can occur anytime there is damage to the skin area from a variety of causes. Acne scars occur when untreated acne causes pore walls to fill with oil and skin debris, causing swelling and the eventual breakdown of skin integrity.
Symptoms of Stretch Marks and Scars
A scar occurs when a wound or inflamed pore does not heal fully. The body’s natural protective response to an unhealed wound or inflammation is the development of fibrous connective tissue.
- Pick like or pock mark indentations
- Raised or red or brown tough scar (also known as a keloid scar)
- Indented streaks or lines in the skin
- Pink, red, black, blue or purple streaks
- Bright streaks that fade to a lighter colour
- Streaks on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks or thighs
- Streaks covering large areas of the body