What stretch marks are
Stretch marks, known medically as striae distensae, are a form of dermal scarring. They form when tissue stretches faster than the surrounding matrix can adapt. The fast stretch breaks up collagen and elastin.
Because the marks are scars, the honest goal is better appearance, not removal. The stage of the mark matters a great deal, and so does how much of the skin is involved. Results vary, and what is realistic for you is discussed at assessment.
Red marks and white marks
The early red or purple stage. Blood vessels are still active and the tissue is still remodelling. There is a live tissue response that treatment can work with.
The mature stage. The redness has gone. The tissue has thinned and is low in pigment, and the scarring is complete. These are harder to improve with any method.
Why the stage changes the plan
Red and white marks are not at the same point in healing. In a red mark, the tissue is still active, and treatment has a response to work with. In a white mark, that activity has ended and the scar has matured. This is why the same treatment cannot be expected to do the same thing for both. It is also why your doctor looks at the stage first, before any method is discussed.
Why creams tend to disappoint
Creams act on the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. The change in a stretch mark sits deeper, in the dermis. A product on the surface does not reach it. This depth problem is the usual reason creams fall short, and it is why treatment targets the dermis directly.
Stretch mark treatment in Singapore: the approaches used
Works on collagen in the dermis and also acts on shallower skin. See FSX Laser.
Creates columns of controlled injury, so that tissue reorganises as it heals.
A broader approach aimed at the same layer of skin.
How the treatment is meant to work
These approaches share one idea. They produce a controlled healing response in the dermis, and the tissue remodels during that healing. Which approach applies to you is decided at assessment. Some presentations call for one method and others call for more than one. Work spread over time is also planned differently from work done in a single visit. The approach follows the findings. It does not start from a fixed device or a fixed number of visits.
Who may suit it
Suitability is decided one person at a time, at examination. The two main questions are what stage your marks are at and how much skin they cover. Red marks generally offer more room for change than white ones. If your marks are white and mature, it is reasonable to ask a doctor plainly how much change is likely. Treat strong claims for white marks with caution.
Who should wait
Treatment is generally not planned during pregnancy.
Timing is individual, and it depends on factors such as whether you are still breastfeeding. It is discussed at consultation.
What treatment cannot do
Treatment cannot remove stretch marks completely, because they are established scars. White marks remain a challenge for every method. No plan can promise a particular outcome, and what is realistic differs from person to person. Stretch marks are scars, and treatment works with scars by helping them look better. It does not return the skin to how it was before the mark formed.