You have probably seen these lines on your skin, and they made you feel either self-conscious or nothing. Stretch marks are completely normal, and having them occurs naturally to everyone, more often in women. They usually appear when our bodies go through significant changes, such as puberty, weight gain/loss, pregnancy, and childbirth. These scars appear when our skin stretches or shrinks way too quickly that the latter does not have enough time to adjust. Scientifically, there are no permanent ways to get rid of them, but there are options you can take to lessen their appearance or at least conceal these lines.
If your stretch marks are bothering you, you can always consider the following options:
Use a prescription retinoid.
Retinoids help boost collagen production to make skin smoother and more elastic. These derivatives of vitamin A come in many forms, such as retinol, topical treatments perfect for minimising the appearance of stretch marks. Within weeks, you may start noticing that your stretch marks are getting lighter and smoother. But take note that retinoids are not for everyone! If you’re pregnant or you have sensitive skin, consider another option because applying retinoids (even with a prescription) might do you more harm than good.
Try micro-needling.
Lines appear when collagen and elastin in the skin rupture due to rapid growth, and micro-needling can patch it up. Micro-needling uses many tiny needles that cause slight (and harmless!) trauma so your skin can shed off abnormal scar and make room for healing. Patience is key! You may need to undergo several sessions to achieve your desired results. This treatment is also highly recommended if you have darker skin because it does not trigger hyperpigmentation.
Book a laser treatment.
While this may be the most expensive option, it’s the most effective and gives fast results! These lasers stimulate the skin’s natural regeneration of collagen. They also remove damaged tissue and dilated/ abnormal blood vessels – leading to replacement of the dermal layer of skin which then results in the improvement of the stretch marks. This procedure uses pulses of laser to penetrate the skin and stimulate the tissues around your stretch marks so they heal faster. It boosts melanin production and activates the pigment in your skin, so your stretch marks blend with your natural skin tone.
Check out the nearest drugstore.
If you’re on the hunt for an over-the-counter treatment for stretch marks, ask your doctor. Plenty of herbal products exist that can help with moisturising and formation of skin tissue. While these may not give results as significant as laser, they can revitalise your skin and assist in cell turnover.
Opt for full body lift
Profound Body is one of the most powerful minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure to target the bodily woes that most women (and some men) face – cellulite, stretch marks and saggy skin. The orange-peel like appearance of cellulite is due to fatty deposit, combined with weakening of the supportive tissues where fat resides. Profound Body targets these with radio frequency (RF) energy, delivered by its unique SubQ Cartridge. Fine microneedles effectively tighten and coagulate the fat with RF waves. After a single session, smoothening of cellulite dimples is evident. The response rate reported is close to 100%. Areas that will benefit from Profound Body Lift are the thighs, buttocks, tummy and arms.
Read more: 5 golden rules for managing sensitive skin
Science of Pretty 