NOT STRETCHING THE TRUTH
Stretch marks associated with pregnancy are due to the skin’s need to accommodate the increased body volume as the uterus expands. While skin is elastic enough to tolerate a significant amount of stretching over a short period of time, it does have limits. At that point, the deeper layers of skin tear instead of stretching further. When these deep layers tear, the overlying skin remains intact but appears thin and streaky. The collagen and elastin bundles have exceeded their tensile strength and once disrupted manifest the hallmarks known as stretch marks. Once stretch marks occur, they are permanent. Laser surgery may reduce their severity, but results are mixed. Most topical medicines have little effect on the established marks. The only proven way to eliminate stretch marks below the belly button is to undergo a “tummy tuck,” which involves the removal of stretched out skin and tightening the lower abdominal laxity.
P.S. Profractional™ laser treatment has been used with the most success on areas of the body not amenable to surgical removal of skin, like thighs, flanks and buttocks .