Stretch Mark Reduction

Stretch marks rarely cause medical problems but can have a negative impact on your self-esteem and quality of life and are a major aesthetic concern for some.

They can appear white in colour, lighter brown, or sometimes red depending on your skin tone and can cause some edema or swelling. Mature stretch marks are linear and a type of atrophic scar where the skin heals below the normal level. Stretch marks happen when the middle layer of your skin stretches too fast causing some of its collagen fibres to snap. As a result, the blood vessels underneath become more noticeable, presenting as purplish or pink marks on your skin. Over time, these marks fade and look like white or silver scars.

Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body, most commonly:

stomach
inner thighs
buttocks
breasts
arms

Prices
Stretch mark reduction course of 3 sessions – £120

There is a solution; a technique called Microneedling. helps reduce the appearance of acne scars and stretch marks as well as make your skin appear brighter and clearer. Microneedling or collagen induction therapy, uses tiny, micro-needles to create small punctures on the top layer of the skin which penetrate the dermis. The wounds “traumatize” the skin and trigger the body’s natural response of creating more collagen and elastin to heal the wounds. Left behind is improved texture and firmness, and a reduction in scars, pore size, and stretch marks. The natural healing process of the skin happens in three phases:

Inflammation – Once the skin is pierced, it triggers the response from the immune system to naturally disinfect the wounds, remove debris, increase the blood flow, and create new tissue.
Proliferation – The wound starts to rebuild itself with the new cells and the temporary collagen and elastin, as well as a new network of blood vessels.
Remodelling – The collagen produced in Phase 2 is replaced by even stronger collagen, allowing the skin to contract and create a tightening effect on the skin.

Since stretch marks cause a disruption in the natural production of collagen, Microneedling will help not only restart that production, but the overproduction of elastin and collagen will help in healing the damaged connective tissue in the dermis that creates the stretch mark. A procedure like Microneedling is also great for stretch marks because it penetrates the skin deep enough to create a reaction within the same layers that the stretch marks are instead of resting on the surface.

A course is recommended for best results.

Pre

Avoid Accutane in the six months prior to beginning your treatment sessions.
Do not use topical agents that may increase the sensitivity of your skin such as retinoids, exfoliants, topical antibiotics or acids 5-7 days prior to your treatment.
Do not take anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Motrin, or Advil for at least 3 days prior to your Microneedling session. These will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is critical for your skin rejuvenation.
Avoid IPL/Laser procedures, unprotected sun exposure, or sunburn for at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure.
No waxing, depilatory creams, or electrolysis to the area being treated for 5-7 days prior.

You’ll also need to avoid direct sun exposure in the week prior to your appointment, as sun damage, such as a sunburn, could compromise your skin and make the treatment painful.
Do NOT wear any make-up, tan, lotions, on the treatment area on the day of your treatment.

Aftercare

You may feel slight itchiness or a stinging sensation for the first 24 hrs after treatment. This is perfectly normal.
Avoid make-up/fake tan for 24-hrs after treatment for best result
Avoid chlorine for 24 hours
Avoid waxing the area for 24 hours
Avoid excessive heat for 3 days after treatment, i.e. heavy workouts, steam rooms or saunas, etc.
Avoid the use of exfoliating scrubs for at least one week after treatment
Do wait 7 days before resuming the use of Retin-a (tretinoin), Renova, Differin, Tazorac, Ziana, Veltin, Atralin, glycolic acids or any other exfoliating agents such as a Clarisonic Brush.
Avoid direct sunlight and sunbeds for 7 days, and wear SPF30-50 when outside for 1 to 2 weeks following the treatment as your skin may be more sensitive