The skin is the largest organ in the body and can contract and expand as needed. It is amazingly elastic and strong, but its supporting tissues can sustain damage if they stretch too quickly and too far. The rapid expansion of your skin can lead to stretch marks. This skin problem can affect people of all skin types and nearly all ages. They often develop during significant body changes and growth periods, such as puberty, weight gain, and extreme muscle building.
What Are Stretch Marks?
These are bands or lines caused by excessive stretching of the skin’s connective tissue. Some of the skin’s collagen fibers can break when the middle skin layer stretches too quickly. This causes underlying blood vessels to show, resulting in the telltale purplish or red marks. With time, these will fade as the blood vessels heal. Once stretch marks appear, they rarely go away entirely.
Although they are not physically painful, stretch marks can affect your self-esteem and confidence. In severe cases, they can be disfiguring. Experts have been working for years to find effective and safe treatments for this condition. Consequently, new treatments are emerging, and some show promise.
Laser Skin Rejuvenation Treatment
Laser skin rejuvenation is gaining worldwide attention. That is thanks to its ability to safely and successfully address skin abnormalities without damaging the surrounding skin. One such treatment is the PicoFOCUS® laser from Cynosure. This FDA-approved medical laser shows fantastic results in treating various skin conditions. These include the following:
- Stretch marks
- Melasma
- Surgical scars
- Acne scarring
- Age spots, sun damage, freckles, and brown pigmentation
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Rosacea
How Does It Work?
This treatment uses picosecond laser technology, a highly effective treatment for lesions and hyperpigmentation. Standard lasers utilize intense heat to treat the skin, resulting in downtime and residual redness.
In contrast, this fractionated light-based therapy is gentler and safer for all skin types. It targets skin problems in all three skin layers, from hyperpigmentation on the surface layer to mid-dermal skin wrinkles and deep-tissue loose skin.
This laser enhances elastin production, resulting in a fuller, softer, more youthful complexion. It sends ultrashort pulses of light energy without heat to target the problem areas. Its impact on the skin is intense, breaking apart the problematic skin particles or pigment before the body eliminates them naturally.
The laser’s precision allows the practitioner to achieve the optimal photomechanical effect. The Pico laser’s effect is gentle on the skin, so patients typically experience little or no discomfort during treatment.
Benefits of Laser Skin Rejuvenation Using PicoFOCUS
- It treats damaged skin more efficiently and quickly than other standard lasers
- There is minimal downtime, so you can resume your regular schedule within one or two days
- Improvements are visible after one treatment, and the progress continues with regular sessions
- It can work on several body areas, including the hands, arms, and face
- It requires fewer sessions than other laser therapies to create the desired results
Conclusion
There are several other ways to treat stretch marks. These include microdermabrasion, microneedling, radiofrequency therapy, and chemical peels. If your stretch marks bother you, schedule an appointment with a skin doctor. They will determine the appropriate treatment to achieve your desired results.
For more on skin rejuvenation, visit Skin Deep Laser MD at our Fort Worth, Texas, office. Call 817-263-SKIN to schedule an appointment today. Serving southwest Fort Worth and surrounding communities like Mansfield, Burleson, Crowly, Weatherford, Granbury, Stephenville, Glen Rose and more.
