Stretch marks have been a burden on people of all ages and sizes. It is an unwanted skin condition that most people try to hide or desperately remove. There are, however, a few techniques that can be used to fade their apparence or eventually eliminate the problem all together.

Laser Surgery for Stretch Marks

Laser treatments are a highly popular stretch mark removal alternative because they are outpatient interventions that have little or no recovery time involved and cost considerably less than an average tummy tuck. However, since laser treatments just minimize pigmentation but don't really eliminate stretch marks, this alternative doesn't actually work.

Since the laser employed in these interventions responds to dark colors only, laser surgery is effective mainly in the early stages, when stretch marks are dark red or purple. When stretch marks have already faded, laser surgery won't be as useful as it intended to be. In the other hand, patients with fair complexion and shallow lesions respond best to laser stretch mark removal.

Blue Light Therapy for Stretch Marks

Blue light therapy is probably most often known as a way to erase tattoos. Although that may be what it is best known for, blue light therapy was invented to treat a variety of pigmentation ailments, like freckles and hyper pigmentation, varicose veins, spider veins and rosacea. Blue light treatment works by applying a photosensitive substance to the skin, and then a series of intense light bursts are emitted or 'zapped' over the area with the tattoo or pigmentation. Similar to laser treatments, blue light treatment may be able to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but will not eliminate them.

Stretch Mark Chemical Peel

Skin peels are chemical peels that are applied to an area (usually the face) to intentionally 'burn' then peel off the external layer of skin to treat acne, zits and fine lines. After a chemical peel the skin looks (and feels) like you've suffered sunburn. Chemical peels are being widely used in spas, salons and can be acquired over the counter.

The main reason for the widespread fame of skin peels is that it provides instantaneous results making skin look younger, healthier, and firmer. Some folks are now using skin peels to minimize or get rid stretch marks, too. However, since the peels do not eliminate the actual stretch marks, more peels may need to be done every six months or so to maintain the smoothness of the skin. Ideally, this procedure should be accompanied by skin care treatments to minimize irritation.

Exfoliation for Stretch Marks

Exfoliation is a process using a safe abrasive (ground apricot seeds or sand, for instance) that helps eliminate devitalized skin cells. The soft new skin that shows after exfoliation may improve the look of the skin. Similar to skin peels, exfoliation does not eliminate stretch marks, but may enhance their look for a period of time after therapy.

Creams and Ointments

A good skin care cream or ointment (like scar serums) may help to minimize and fade the look of stretch marks, especially if applied regularly for the first few months after baby is born. By keeping the skin moisturized and flexible, creams and skin serums can help the skin biologically repair the scarring made by stretch marks.