Laser stretch mark removal

LaserStretch Mark Removal

Followingthe recent development of LASIK eye surgery, a new procedure wascreated in 2002 to remove stretch marks around the abdominal areawithout scarring. By cutting away layers of the skin that has beenscarred or blemished by stretch marks or other factors, the procedurecan expose healthier, young looking skin.

Aconcentrated beam of light is used to ablate very thin layers of skinaround the blemishes. This process does not involve burning orphysically slicing the skin in any way, as the excimer laser that isemployed for this procedure uses high-power UV light. The area willheal very quickly after the procedure, forming new, healthier skin.The stretch marks will not be visible any more and the result isfresh, young looking skin instead.

Risks

Althoughthe laser treatment with the excimer laser is very precise, there isalways a very small risk of minor damage to the surrounding tissue.As with all surgical procedures, the medical professional must bereliable. Even with a great dermatologist and a flawless procedure,some stretch marks may be so deep that they simply cannot becompletely removed with laser treatment. Some people may experiencenegative reactions to the laser, so a consultation with a doctor andproper preparation is advised.

Afterthe Procedure

Theskin in the affected area will be quite tender and red after thelaser treatment. This is due to the fact that new skin is replacingthe old, scarred skin that was removed. Temporary blisters may befound on the affected area; this is completely normal. Healing fromthe procedure typically takes only a few days, although some patientsmay take up to a few weeks to fully recover following more extensiveprocedures.

Thisprocedure is extremely effective for the most part, although certainfactors can negatively impact the effectiveness. These factorsinclude the age of the stretch marks, the severity with which theskin has been scarred and the size of the affected area. Multipletreatments are often necessary to remove the marks in their entirety,and some marks are so severe that even laser treatment will only makethem less visible instead of removing them completely. This procedureis definitely preferable over body sculpting surgeries as it is muchless invasive, costs less, heals much more quickly and there are notas many potential post-operative problems that can occur. Also, sincethe laser is very precisely controlled, there is less risk ofcomplications resulting from the actual procedure.