Stretch Marks and Pregnancy - Are They Inevitable Badges of Honor?
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Stretch marks and pregnancy unfortunately go hand in hand. Approximately 90% of women develop them during the last trimester of their pregnancies.
A change in hormone levels triggered by pregnancy prevents collagen from forming properly. Stretch marks occur when the skin stretches too much and the skin’s middle layer breaks apart.
Is there Any Way of Peventing Pregnancy Stretch Marks?
Aside from not gaining weight super rapidly, not really.The general consensus is that they are hereditary. "Choose different parents," says Denver dermatologist Barbara Reed. If your mother or sister has stretch marks, chances are that you will too.
Generally, creams don’t work on preventing pregnancy stretch marks. One exception is the prescription retinoic acid (found in Renova and Retin-A) which has improved the appearance of newer, red stretch marks. But you can’t take Renova or Retin-A while pregnant, as there is too much Vitamin A in it.
Plus, theresults are fair to poor.
Can I Get Rid of My Stretch Marks from Pregnancy?
Cheer up, as stretch marks and pregnancy don’t have to be a life-long scar sentence, because better results are now available with laser treatments.
Getting rid of pregnancy stretch marks may be possible now with Fraxel Laser Treatment. This is a new-generation laser resurfacing that rebuilds damaged skin like digital modification, says Dr.Terrance R. Krysinsky, M.D., of Cosmetic Laser Centers. Photos are digitally altered, pixel by pixel ,which is the scientific principle behind the Fraxel Laser Treatment.
Safe and effective, the Fraxel Laser is approved by the FDA and has undergone extensive lab testing in and out in the field. It requires 3-5 treatments spaced 4 weeks apart.
Areas where Fraxel treatments have excelled are in acne scarring and stretch marks. Krysinski reports such high levels of patient satisfaction in these 2 areas that the Fraxel treatments have virtually replaced older, less effective therapies for acne scarring and stretch marks. Stretch marks and pregnancy don't have to go hand in hand with this new technology.
Advantages of the Fraxel Laser Treatment are:
No scalpel, stitches or needles
No general anesthesia, just topical anesthetic
Minimal risk of complications
Natural, youthful looking results
Fraxel Laser Treatment has been featured on “The View,” “The Today Show,” Prevention magazine and other print media.
To find a board-certified doctor in your area who does this treatment, contact the American Academy of Dermatology at (888) 462-DERM.
Can’t Afford Laser Treatments?
If you are on a budget and looking for the quickest fix possible, you can simply cover up your stretch marks with makeup. Dermablend is a very popular waterproof brand-good for both sweating and swimming.
As a variation on the camouflage theme, self-tanning products have come a long way and have been suggested as a means of making red marks less noticeable by darkening the skin around them. Stretch marks and pregnancy don’t have to ruin the way you look. Cheer up!
Sources:
Shape, Oct 2002.
Brown, Deborah M., Muscle & Fitness/Hers, July 2003.
Shape, April 2005
Market Wire, December 2006
Kuchment, Anna, Newsweek, January 2006, "Dermatology, What a Stretch."
