Stretch marks, also known as striae, are a common skin problem that affect people of all ages and skin colors. However, men and women with skin of color have a unique additional worry to address in that some stretch mark treatments, such as dermabrasion or ablative lasers, may cause temporary or even permanent areas of pigmentation change on the skin. Luckily, treatments may reduce or eliminate these side effects.
Step 1
Apply a prescription tretinoin cream to encourage the growth of new collagen beneath the stretch marks. Use tretinoin on stretch marks that are less than six weeks old for the best results, suggests MayoClinic.com. Do not use tretinoin cream if your are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant in the near future.
Step 2
Reduce stretch marks by using a pulsed dye laser or fractional photothermolysis to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin beneath the stretch marks. Fractional photothermolysis works by created small fractional areas of damage to the deeper layers of skin tissue, activating the healing process of your body to produce collagen. Pulsed dye lasers works by penetrating deep into the skin and remodeling the skin tissue beneath the stretch marks with additional collagen and elastin.
Step 3
Use an excimer laser to reduce the appearance of stretch marks by changing the pigment of the mark to better match the surrounding skin tissue. Excimer lasers penetrate the skin and react with melanocytes, which are responsible for producing melanin. This reaction increases melanin pigment production, darkening the stretch mark tissue to match better with your skin, states the Berman Skin Institute.
Step 4
Schedule a microdermabrasion appointment with your dermatologist. Microdermabrasion uses a wand-like device to propel abrasive crystals of substances, such as zinc oxide or aluminum oxide, at the stretch marked skin. This action removes the outer layer of stretch mark affected skin and allows new smoother skin to replace it. Microdermabrasion also activates the production of collagen beneath the stretch marks, helping to plump them up with the surrounding skin. Consider going in for a patch test first to ensure that your darker skin is not adversely affected by the microdermabrsaion treatment.
Step 5
Use dermal filler injections to fill the indented space below the stretch mark, making the mark less noticeable by forcing the stretch marked skin even with the surrounding tissue. Common examples of dermal fillers include hyaluronic acid and collagen. Have your dermatologist perform a skin allergy test before using bovine-based collagen to ensure that no allergic reaction will develop.
