Laser Resurfacing Stretch Marks - What Works?

Thank you for your question. Until recently there have been very few good options for treating stretch marks. IPL treatments can reduce the redness but not much more. The newest laser, the ICON1540 is FDA approved for treating stretch marks. This is what's called a non-ablaitive laser, which stimulates new collagen and causes the scar or stretch mark to change appearance. Often several treatments are needed, but there is little or no down time. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Fractional laser is an amazing and highly effective treatment in our office. We use the laser treatment to help with acne scars, large pores, fine wrinkles, tissue collagen loss, scars, sebaceous hyperplasia, active acne, and for brightening dark pigmentation. Although there are very strong fractional lasers such as CO2 laser, we use lighter treatments for corrective skincare and maintenance of results. Our Thulium fractional laser, clear and brilliant laser, and Ultra Thulium laser are excellent options in our clinic. We also perform CO2 fractional and erbium depending on skin tone and tolerance for downtime. Patients do have to use a Melarase cream before and after treatment to help further reduce pigmentation after laser. Dark spots can improve with these treatments. I recommend fractional laser for incisional scars as well, especially after plastic surgery.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Although there is no technology or cream that will completely erase stretch marks, there are options available to improve the appearance of stretch marks. For example, red stretch marks are treatable with pulsed dye lasers to resolve the redness associated with these newer lesions. Current research supports that early treatment may enhance the outcomes for both color and texture improvement.
For brown stretch marks, treatments with Q-Switched Yag lasers offer dramatic results. For older, more mature stretch marks, the Excimer laser is used to restore pigment that has been lost by blending in the stretch marks to match the surrounding skin. Unfortunately, these treatments are quite tedious and offer only temporary results when treating hypopigmented (white) stretch marks.
Our facility incorporates the Aramis Quantel laser for collagen stimulation to improve the appearance and texture of the stretch marks.
In some situations, surgical intervention may be more appropriate for those patients that present with very large lesions depending on the location of the stretch marks. However, when surgery is not appropriate or not an option that a patient would like to consider, class IV medical lasers provide a good alternative.
If a patient does not have realistic expectations, then lasers are not the best option. If one's goal is improvement, then laser treatments for stretch marks is a good treatment to consider.

Laser treatments can help with the redness of the stretch marks which then helps the stretch marks to get lighter.  Abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) can also be an option to take away the stretch marks.  There is also PRP treatments that can help with the collagen. The growth factors contained in the signal proteins concentrated in PRP create the production of new collagen and elastin. There a few options out there, but  unfortunately, they will never disappear completely and lotions and creams can not help with the disappearing of your stretch marks. I recommend you call a plastic surgeon nearest you to schedule a consultation. 
Tratamientos con láser puede ayudar con el enrojecimiento de las estrías, que luego ayuda a las estrías que se aclaran. La abdominoplastia (tummy tucks)  puede ser una opción para quitar las estrías. También hay tratamientos de PRP que pueden ayudar con el colágeno. Los factores de crecimiento contenidos en las proteínas de señal concentradas en PRP crean la producción de nuevo colágeno y elastina. Hay algunas opciones por ahí, pero por desgracia, nunca van a desaparecer por completo las estrias. Y las lociones y cremas no puede ayudar con la desaparición de sus estrías. Le recomiendo que llame a un cirujano plástico más cercano a usted para programar una consulta.

There is no laser treatment that provides consistently excellent results. Patient selection is key. Consult in person with an experienced and expert board certified plastic surgeon to understand your options. 

I agree that there is no "good" treatment to repair stretch marks. The red color of new stretch marks can be reduced with pulse dye lasers. Surgical Tummy tuck can cut out some of the marks on the abdomen. There are no effective creams.

To date, no laser treatment (or any treatment for that matter) has yet been shown to eliminate or cure stretch marks. Laser resurfacing can make some improvement in the appearance of white or mature stretch marks and pulsed dye or photoselective laser light treatments can reduce the redness of new or early stretch marks.

Many treatments for stretch marks can improve their appearance, but none so far have been able to remove them completely.

If stretch marks are still fresh, that is red or violet in color, topical treatment with a tretinoin or tazarotene cream might be sufficient for treatment.

Intense pulsed light has been shown to work in treating mature stretch marks by increasing collagen production in the dermis.

Fractional laser resurfacing works by removing columns of tissue in the areas treated, which stimulates both the contraction of the tissue and deposition of new collagen.

The excimer laser works by repigmenting the striae but does not improve the loss of collagen in the area.

Stretch marks are better treated when they are "fresh" or red- this can be addressed with either a light device or a topical cream. When they are no longer red (darker or lighter streaks in the skin) then treatments are geared towards lessening their appearance. Stretch marks are caused by the breaking of elastin/collagen in the skin from expansion of the skin. To lessen the appearance of older stretch marks, the skin is re-wounded using an ablative laser technique (usually a pixelated/fraxilated device). The body then heals the wounds from the inside out, depositing collagen and elastin to fill in what was not there. The stretch marks never disappear all together, and any pictures showing such are not completely accurate. Suspicion should be raised as to the motive of such pictures.

Dear wxy228,

This depends at what stage the stretch mark is currently at. Initially they appear purple or red but gradually may fade to a silvery white colour.

The purple or reddish colour stretch marks are due to the increased presence of blood vessels in the newly-injured skin. To treat successfully, we use lasers that attack blood vessels and vascular structures. The following lasers could be used include, the V-Beam Pulsed Dye laser, IPL Intense pulse Light lasers and Pulsed Dye- NdYAG combination laser. These lasers can reduce and eliminate the redness of the stretch marks, making them appear less noticeable.

The atrophic stretch marks (white or silvery marks) are more mature than the purple and red stretch marks. White stretch marks occur after the blood vessels have faded and the inflammatory response has died down. The following lasers could be used for white stretch marks; fractional resurfacing lasers and radiofrequency devices, including the Fraxel  CO2 laser, erbium fractional lasers, the fractional radiofrequency resurfacing Fractora™, InFini RF, IntensiF, INTRAcel and eMatrix.  These fractional ablative lasers create small columns of injured tissue from the top right through into the stretch mark. The fractional nature of these devices leaves some of the stretch mark untreated between the columns of fractional injury. This allows for a reservoir of tissue to produce new collagen and elastin to smoothen the appearance of white stretch marks.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and best of luck. 

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D. 
Certified Plastic Surgeon 
Yorkville, Toronto, ON