A Doctor's Guide to Treating Stretch Marks Effectively in Singapore

by Andy Cheng Director

Stretch marks, or striae, are long, indented marks that commonly appear on specific areas of the body, such as arms, abdomen, hips, breasts, and buttocks. They form because the skin stretches or shrinks too quickly, causing the collagen and elastin in the skin to break down.

Although stretch marks aren't harmful to your health, these marks are unsightly and aren't very nice to look at. This is the reason why the global market value for stretch marks treatment was valued at US$2.1 billion in 2018 and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 8% by 2026.

Differences between red stretch marks and white stretch marks

Red stretch marks, or striae rubrae, are newly formed. They appear bright red at first because of the broken blood vessels under the skin when the skin stretches too quickly. As with most scars, newly formed scars are always easier to treat as compared to older ones.

Over several months or years, these tiny blood vessels under the skin become narrow and disappear. The stretch marks turn to a silvery white and they are known as straie alba. They become more resistant to treatment and the body no longer stimulates collagen to repair the skin.

What are some common causes of stretch marks?

Although the skin has the ability to stretch and snap back to its original shape, the network of elastic fibers in the dermis can be damaged if the skin stretches too quickly in a short time.

Some factors that may cause your skin to stretch and leave permanent marks:

Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the skin on the abdomen stretches to make room for the baby. If the elastic fibers in the skin are damaged, it will cause stretch marks to appear.
Bodybuilding: The rapid increase in muscle mass especially on the arms and shoulders can damage the elastic fibers and cause the stretch marks to appear.
Weight loss or gain: Piling on the pounds or shedding weight too quickly can also cause trauma to the skin.
Breast implants: Surgeries that place large volume of implants into the body such as breast implants or butt implants can result in sudden overstretching of the skin, causing stretch marks to form.
Certain medical conditions: Some medical conditions such as Marfan's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome are some medical conditions that may cause formation of stretch marks.

Treating stretch marks with Genius RF Microneedling

Genius is an established radiofrequency microneedling platform that can effectively reduce appearance of stretch marks.

Genius RF microneedling treatment uses extremely fine needles to deliver a series of tiny punctures to induce controlled damage to stimulate collagen production in the dermis. In addition, tiny amounts of radiofrequency energy are introduced into the dermis to kick start neocollagenesis.

The microneedles Genius uses are better designed for easier skin penetration, allowing smoother insertion with less tissue injury. There is also in-built real-time tissue impedance monitoring which allows for more precise radiofrequency energy delivery for better results with every shot. The real-time feedback mechanism also optimises needle placement and hence improved radiofrequency energy delivery.

You may see some results after one session but scar treatments usually need a series of regular treatments to see the optimal outcome as collagen and elastin take time to develop.

Treating stretch marks with Tixel Laser

Unlike most treatments that are currently in the market, Tixel laser is not a laser, radiofrequency microneedling or ultrasound device.

It makes use of Thermo-Mechanical Ablative (TMA) technology to treat skin imperfections. It works by using a bio-compatible tip that is about 1cm² with an array of 81 pyramid-shaped pins made of titanium. When activated, the pins are quickly heated to a temperature of about 400°C.

During the treatment, the doctor pre-programmes the tip exposure time and protrusion of the pins to treat the skin. When it comes in contact with the skin, the heat is quickly transferred from the tip to the skin, heating up the superficial layer of the skin.

The treatment also creates tiny channels on the skin to induce collagen production. Over time, the skin plumps up and reduces depression in the skin.

Skin renewal process can be accelerated by using an EGF serum, which is a cell-signalling polypeptide that helps to stimulate collagen production, to lessen the appearance of the stretch marks.

Treating stretch marks can be a trying and expensive process. If you are not seeing any results from your home treatments, seeing a doctor can be helpful.