Striae

Striae are red to purple lines of different sizes. Striae are also called stretch marks. Stretch marks are common, especially in pregnant women and people who are fast growing (adolescents) or gaining weight.

Origin

Striae are fractures in the skin. The upper layer remains intact but the deeper layer, which contains support tissue, in particular, slackens and tears. Striae occurs when the skin is stretched. In pregnancy, this process is stimulated by hormones slackening the supporting tissue.

You are more likely to get Striae if people in your family also suffer from them. Striae that is caused from gaining weight rapidly are found on the abdomen, upper arms and thighs. In young people, Striae may appear on the lower back during the growth spurt. In young people who follow intensive fitness training or often go horseback riding, Striae can develop due to an increase in muscle mass.

Striae that are newly formed are red to purple. The length and width of the stripes may vary. In the stripes, the skin is slightly wrinkled. Older Striae marks are less noticeable and have a pearly colour, but the wrinkle remains. Striae marks are not painful.

Treatment

At Solution Clinic we treat stretch marks with fractional laser therapy. The laser beams of the fractional laser penetrate deep into the skin, stimulating connective tissue cells to produce collagen. The production of new collagen ensures that the skin looks smoother and feels suppler. In addition, pigment cells recover, making skin discolorations in the scar less visible. More information about the treatment can be found in the heading Laser Therapy Striae.