Sometimes called “tiger stripes,” stretch marks are quite common. It’s estimated that up to 80% of Americans have stretch marks somewhere on their body. Quite often, these stretch marks are on rarely exposed parts of the body, but sometimes they just get in the way, look unsightly, and cause a person to feel self-conscious.

If you’re sick and tired of feeling self-conscious about your stretch marks when you put on a bathing suit, Dr. Imad El Asmar at our Vermont Med Spa can help you!
What are stretch marks and why do we get them?

Stretch marks form on our skin when we rapidly gain or lose weight and our skin is unable to keep up to accommodate it. The marks are usually long, narrow lines, and are often raised. These stretch marks stand out because they’re a different color than the rest of the skin.

They usually appear on the abdomen, the buttocks, the back, the shoulders, the hips, and the arms.

Our skin contains a protein called collagen, one of the key ingredients to keep our skin elastic and supple. When we gain weight suddenly, the collagen growth can’t handle all of this extra pressure, and we end up with a series of parallel marks that indicate the skin has stretched beyond the collagen’s growth.

Even though stretch marks are more likely to develop in women, men can get them too. Usually, stretch marks develop due to the following reasons:

Pregnancy

This is the No. 1 reason why more women develop stretch marks. As the abdomen stretches to accommodate the growing baby, the skin sometimes has trouble keeping up. Once the baby has been born and the abdomen returns to a normal position and shape, the stretch marks remain as a reminder of the pressure on the body from carrying a child for so many months.

Diseases

There are a number of diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, that can increase the risk of developing stretch marks.
Rapid weight change

Rapidly gaining or losing weight can cause stretch marks. In fact, many teenagers notice that they develop stretch marks on their backs after a growth spurt.

Creams

Some skin creams that contain steroids can reduce your skin’s ability to stretch. Repeated applications of the cream can increase the risk of developing stretch marks in the area.

Even though some people are happy to live with stretch marks or find that they are not significant or visible enough to worry about, many others are self-conscious and even ashamed of the markings. This is often the case for women who have significant stretch marks on their abdomen after pregnancies.

So what can you do about your stretch marks? What if you’re just sick of staring at them in the mirror and applying all sorts of skin creams that don’t seem to make a difference? The good news is that Dr. Imad El Asmar at the Vermont Med Spa can significantly reduce the appearance of your stretch marks through the use of the laser ICON™ Aesthetic System.

How can the ICON laser treatment help?

Dr. El Asmar can use the ICON system to treat your unsightly stretch marks and reduce their appearance. Typically, you’ll need 3-5 treatments in total, with each session lasting around 30 minutes.

The ICON laser is a precise tool that delivers pulsed energy to specific skin areas, stimulating the growth of collagen and elastin and also targeting skin discoloration. The growth of new collagen and elastin helps to improve the bumpy appearance of stretch marks, leading to smoother and more appealing-looking skin.
Don’t waste your money on ineffective creams

If you’re sick of looking at your stretch marks and using skin creams that don’t work, why not give us a call today at the Vermont Med Spa? Dr. El Asmar will be happy to discuss your needs and talk about how laser treatment can reduce your stretch marks.