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STRETCH MARK REDUCTION
Also known as striae distensae or simply as striae, is a type of scarring caused, literally, by rapid stretching of the skin beyond its elastic capacity. Micro tears develop and the blood vessels that lie under the skin show through usually creating a stretch mark that is red in color. If the body is slow to produce enough collagen to repair the area, the appearance of the stretch marks usually become darker in color. Pregnancy and rapid weight gain are the most common reasons stretch marks develop. body slimming technology used to remove fat from areas that are unresponsive to diet and exercise and reshape regions of your body very rapidly.
Stretch marks affect both men and women, appearing as a result of the fast changes in weight, no matter if they are rapid losses or gains associated with a quick stretching of the skin. They are also influenced by the hormonal changes specific to puberty, pregnancy or the exposure of the body to hormone replacement therapies or muscle building.
Stretch Mark Reduction Therapy
Begin Your Journey
At Naperville Health & Wellness Clinic, our board-certified obesity specialists create personalized programs tailored to each individual. By analyzing unique biomarkers and medical history, we utilize scientifically-proven methods that adapt over time. Choosing us means gaining a friend, coach, and supporter. We'll be with you every step, monitoring your progress and celebrating your achievements.
Other Causes Of Stretch Marks
Although many people consider the main cause of these marks to be skin stretching, due to the name they have been given and because they look like scars, their origin is much deeper. Hormonal fluctuations are considered the primary factor that influences their appearance.
Therefore, people suffering from hormonal imbalance face greater risks of dealing with stretch marks. Among them, there are the teenagers, the pregnant women, people with the Cushing’s syndrome, the Marfan syndrome or suffering from adrenal disorders, but also people using corticosteroid medication.
Very often, during adolescence, individuals face intense hormone fluctuations associated with sudden gain or loss of weight that affect the skin’s elasticity, overstretching it and disrupting the normal collagen production.
That is when stretch marks appear, not only in women, but also in men, although the affected areas may be different. They tend to be a normal part of puberty, as they are caused by the rapid hormonal changes in the body and by the associated weight fluctuations.
Sudden Gain/Loss Of Weight In Adolescence
In pregnant women, the significant hormonal changes that take place in the body and the gain of weight can cause the development of stretch marks, especially on the abdomen. The stretching forces that act on the skin’s elasticity are an important factor, as they affect the creation of the protein that is the base of the connective tissue in the skin. This results in the formation of scar-like marks in the dermis that are very hard to hide and even harder to repair.
As eighty to ninety percent of the pregnant women tend to develop stretch marks by their third trimester of pregnancy, some studies focus on finding solutions to prevent stretch marks from forming.
In 1991, the “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” published a study according to which the risk of developing pregnancy stretch marks could be diminished if women applied an OTC stretch mark cream made of a combination of vitamin E and Gotu Kola extract on the affected area (generally the abdomen).
Moreover, a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology in 2006 titled “Striae Gravidarum in Primiparae” showed that young mothers, especially first-time mothers are more likely to suffer from stretch marks. The formation of stretch marks is also influenced independently by the age of the mother, her body mass, the neonatal birth weight and the overall weight gain. Furthermore, it appeared that teenagers face greater risks of developing severe stretch marks.
Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
The appearance of stretch marks can also be influenced by the corticosteroid hormones, which can damage the skin. Another study published in the “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” in 2006 showed the ability of the corticosteroids hormones to weaken the dermal tissue and increase the risk for the developing of stretch marks. Bodybuilders, for example, are also prone to developing stretch marks due to the rapid changes within their bodies.
The Influence Of Corticosteroid Hormones
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Red Stretch Marks – are “new” recently developed stretch marks usually appearing as thin red irregular lines covering the skin, but they gradually turn red, purple or even darker in color, varying according to one’s skin pigmentation. This change of color is caused by the bleeding at the dermal level, therefore, red stretch marks act in the way bruises do.
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White Stretch Marks – When they heal, the red stretch marks turn white and become less noticeable, as, in time, the scarred tissue of the marks loses its pigmentation and shrinks. The resulting color is white-silvery for people with light skin and light brown for darker skinned people.
Stretch-mark Treatments
Because these marks are already formed, their visibility is difficult to reduce. Successful treatments in this stage involve encouraging the collagen growth within the skin layers, in order to rebuild the texture of the skin, to level the marks and to minimize their appearance. Our non-surgical treatments significantly reduce and fade stretch marks from all areas of the body. invisa-RED™ technology will stimulate RNA and DNA production (skin cell renewal) rejuvenating your skin and promoting the growth of collagen to repair the damaged area. Most clients will see an improvement after just one treatment but will require multiple sessions to reach their desired goals.
Generally, people suffering from stretch marks require several sessions of laser therapy, depending on the type of treatment followed, on the severity, size and age of the marks. Besides invasive procedures that are costly, painful, and require downtime to heal, no other non-invasive technology or creams exist that will fade stretch-marks as efficiently as invisa-RED™ technology.
Types Of Stretch Marks & Treatments
invisa-RED™
How it works
invisa-RED™ simultaneously triggers three processes necessary to repair and minimize visibility of the stretch mark effectively.
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Heats the epidermis to the necessary temperature required to stimulate the natural production of collagen, elastin, and fibroblasts to fill the wound or gap left in the epidermis and lighten the discoloration.
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Increases the circulation of fresh oxygenated blood to aid in the wound healing process.
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Skin tightening reduces the size and depth to create a smoother more uniform look and texture to the skin.
Will I feel any pain during treatments?
No. The treatments are quick, non-surgical, non-evasive and pleasant.
Maintenance
Once you have completed your treatment schedule, we recommend you come in for touch up treatments one to two times per month.
