Is Glycolic Peel Good for Stretchmarks?

In our practice, lasers work better than chemical peels for stretch marks. MelaPeel treatments are sometimes used for dark discoloration, but glycolic peels have no real role in stretch mark treatment. Raffy Karamanoukian, Los Angeles

If stretchmarks are white and mature, a glycolic peel may help the skin make more collagen -- also products containing tretinoin, such as Retin A or Renova can be quite helpful as well as the use of a non-ablative laser.  For stretch marks that are red and/or infamed, I recommedn treated with the pulsed dye laser (PDL)..

Stretch marks are not improved by glycolic acid peels. Even stronger acids that penetrate deeper are not going to make stretch marks better. Sorry but thats just the way it is. The dermis has been stretched to the point of rupture but the thin epidermis remains intact when stretch marks are being created and no acid peel can reconnect the dermal rupture.

Stretch marks can be quite resistant to treatment but there are several methods that have been proven to be effective. Unfortunately, chemical peels, including those using glycolic acid, are not among them. Tretinoin cream (prescription-only) has been shown to improve the appearance of stretch marks by stimulating the production of new collagen causing thickening of the skin. Also, a new treatment using fractionated bipolar radiofrequency energy called "sublative rejuvenation" with the eMatrix machine has been proven to be successful in the treatment of stretch marks as well as acne scarring. This is because the eMatrix only minimally affects the epidermis with most of its effect being in the deeper tissue (dermis).