Stretch marks (striae)
Stretch marks are usually a flat form of scarring. The colour of the marks decides the order of treatment: reddened marks first with the dye laser, faded ones with the fractional CO₂ laser or radiofrequency microneedling.
Overview
Stretch marks (striae) are tears in the skin that occur when the tissue is stretched strongly within a short time: through rapid weight gain or growth, or through heavy muscular strain, for example from intensive training at the gym. In German they are also known as pregnancy marks (Schwangerschaftsstreifen).
As long as the marks are still fresh and reddened by the increased blood flow, treatments with the dye laser in short-pulse mode (0.45 or 1.5 ms) come first. Once they have taken on normal skin colour, collagen stimulation with the fractional CO₂ laser or with radiofrequency microneedling follows.
As this is usually a flat form of scarring, a combination of several procedures is often needed. The affected area is treated on the body, for example on the abdomen, hips or thighs; which steps make sense in your case is something we discuss at the examination. The individual procedures are described in detail on the linked treatment pages.
Areas of application
- Fresh, still reddened stretch marks (dye laser)
- Faded marks of normal skin colour (fractional CO₂ laser or radiofrequency microneedling)
- Marks following weight gain or growth within a short time
- Marks following heavy muscular strain, for example from intensive training at the gym