If having flawless skin and feeling beautiful is what makes you happy, then white stretch marks shouldn’t stand in your way. If you want to remove white stretch marks, there are several skin treatment options available.
However, there is also a lot of misinformation surrounding skin treatment options. Conclusively, there are only a few effective methods for reducing stretch marks.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to treat white stretch marks for good.
What are White Stretch Marks?
Generally, stretch marks are tears on the skin’s surface as a result of weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, growth spurts during puberty, or rapid muscle growth. They often appear in the:
- Breasts
- Upper arms
- Abdominal area (stomach)
- Lower back
- Hips
- Buttocks and
- Thighs
New stretch marks form as red or purple marks that gradually become white or silver with time. The color differences between white and red stretch marks distinguish how old they are.
Newer stretch marks have a red tinge. The presence of blood vessels under the skin is the reason why they are often red in color. We don’t recommend treating them prematurely because it can cause more harm than good.
On the other hand, older stretch marks are often less responsive to treatment. Skin aging and other factors contribute to the narrowing of blood vessels, making it hard for the body to stimulate collagen production.
Potentially, we can treat white stretch marks but the results are often not as significant in comparison to those of red stretch marks. That being said, there are available options that can help stretch marks fade more naturally and quickly.
What are the symptoms of stretch marks?
Interestingly, one stretch mark looks different from another stretch mark. They actually don’t look exactly alike at all. The appearance of stretch marks varies depending on:
- What caused them
- Your skin type
- What part of your body they’re on and
- How long you had them
Common symptoms of stretch marks are:
- Irritation
- Itchiness
- Sunken lines in your skin
- Skin discoloration (red, pink, purple or brown, blue, black)
- Silver or glossy white streaks gradually appear on the skin
Who is more prone to stretch marks?
Anybody can develop stretch marks. But according to a study, stretch marks affect women more than men. Specifically, 90% of pregnant women develop them during pregnancy.
Further, stretch marks tend to be more noticeable in people with darker skin tones.
You are more likely to develop stretch marks if:
- You’re pregnant, especially if you have a darker skin tone.
- You’re muscles got bigger through lifting weights
- You’re in your teens experiencing growth spurts
- Having stretch marks runs in the family
- You have Marfan syndrome or Cushing’s syndrome
- You have been taking prednisone for quite some time
What Causes White Stretch Marks?
When your skin stretches or shrinks at a faster pace, it causes collagen and elastin fibers in your skin to break. Elastin allows your skin to stretch while collagen makes your skin stronger.
However, your skin’s collagen production slows down when the blood vessels become thinner with age. As your skin heals, stretch marks become visible, particularly in areas where elastin breaks.
How to Prevent Stretch Marks
Frankly speaking, you can’t completely prevent stretch marks. With that being said, there are a few treatment methods that can help reduce stretch marks.
- You can use cocoa butter to moisturize your skin. Apply lotion twice per day to keep your skin hydrated. Doing so will improve your skin’s elasticity and strength, which can minimize tearing when it is stretched.
- Allow the skin to slowly adjust without overstretching and damaging any connective tissue. You can do this by regulating weight gain and avoiding rapid changes (fluctuations) in weight.
- Applying hyaluronic acid can also help stimulate collagen production and hydrate the skin.
Can You Get Rid of Stretch Marks?
There are no cheap and easy ways that can effectively get rid of stretch marks. Exfoliation or topical creams can’t penetrate deeper into the skin. And thus, they can’t produce any noticeable results.
One study shows that there are no existing over-the-counter topical creams that can fully remove stretch marks.
Treating Stretch Marks
Exfoliation
Because regular exfoliation removes excess dead skin cells from your body, it also gets rid of new skin from your white stretch marks. You can get better results if you apply exfoliation together with other treatment methods as removing dead skin alone will not result in a fast noticeable effect.
Topical treatments
Topical treatments can help lighten the tone of your stretch marks but not completely remove them. Some topical creams require a doctor’s prescription, others are available over the counter. Almond oil is likewise one topical treatment that may help improve stretch marks.
Microdermabrasion
The appearance of stretch marks can be minimized through Microdermabrasion. This painless procedure targets the epidermis layer or the skin’s surface. Microdermabrasion can tighten collagen and elastin fibers by stimulating the skin.
In this procedure, the technician uses a special-tipped wand to spray tiny exfoliating crystals into the affected area. And then, the crystals, together with the dead skin from the epidermis layer, are carefully removed using a wand-like device. To effectively treat stretch marks, you will need to participate in several sessions over a period of time.
Microneedling
The Microneedling procedure targets the dermis or the skin’s middle layer where your stretch marks develop. This procedure works to trigger collagen production by poking tiny needles into your skin. Microneedling promotes skin regeneration, which will reduce stretch marks and thereby improve your skin’s appearance.
You will have to wait for 4-6 weeks to start seeing significant results, and will continue to improve after several months.
For best results, more than one treatment will be performed for several months.
Laser treatment
Laser therapy is a popular skin treatment option. The procedure involves using lasers from a wand like device to penetrate the skin thereby triggering skin regeneration.
Laser Tattoo Removal Wikimedia
Laser therapy works by activating pigment cells by stimulating melanin production in the affected area. Several laser therapy sessions are recommended to obtain the best results.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, however, laser therapy cannot remove a scar. It can make it less noticeable, but not make it disappear completely. It may also trigger a scar itself, and will need some pre and post procedure precautions.
Even the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery states that it may take several laser treatments spread over several weeks. Even so, it will not make the stretch mark disappear completely.
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery is an option if other skin treatments fail. The main issue is, this might also, by itself, cause a scar, or worse, a keloid if you are a keloid former.
Stretch Mark Camouflage Tattoo
A camouflage tattoo is excellent at concealing scars and stretch marks. This method involves using a custom permanent ink pigment to match your normal skin tone. A well-trained and highly-skilled technician will insert ink pigments into your skin thereby concealing your unsightly white stretch marks in the process.
The best thing about the Stretch Mark Camouflage Tattoo is that it can help conceal stretch marks using tattoo ink that matches your skin tone.
FAQs on White Stretch Marks
1. Can you have white stretch marks?
White stretch marks appear when the skin has been stretched for a long time and then suddenly shrinks, leading to harmless yet unsightly scars. White stretch marks are often found on the breasts, stomach, upper arms, buttocks, and thighs.
2. What does it mean if you have white stretch marks?
White stretch marks are common and are not something to be concerned about. They’re stretch marks that have healed with time. Stretch marks are a type of scarring that occurs when the skin shrinks quickly after getting stretched for a long time.
3. When do stretch marks turn white?
Early stretch marks are red and fade to white over time. In other words, white stretch marks are older stretch marks, which tend to be more difficult to treat. Stretch marks can take 6 months or longer to fade.
4. Do white stretch marks fade with weight loss?
Most stretch marks are caused by weight gain. They typically become more visible with weight loss and are less likely to fade. Sometimes, the rapid weight fluctuations can increase the chances of having more stretch marks.
Find Out How Studio Conceal Can Help Remove White Stretch Marks
A stretch mark, particularly a white stretch mark, is a very common skin issue. They are older skin scars that are quite difficult to treat.
While there are several skin treatments available, they don’t fully remove stretch marks at all. The best option is to conceal your white stretch marks with a camouflage tattoo.
To find out if you’re a good candidate for a White Stretch Mark Camouflage Tattoo, book your complimentary consultation at Studio Conceal today!