Regardless of how natural stretch marks are, nobody likes them. Possibly because these streaks would ruin a perfectly smooth skin. Or possibly because of what they represent: sudden weight gain or dramatic changes in body and life.
Yet in the end, it does not matter how you have gotten stretch marks, if they bother you and you look for a way to get rid of them. There are plenty of ways for treating stretch marks, even though statistics say that 50 to 90 percent of women have these streaks.
Microneedling is one of the most efficient ways to treat stretch marks. If you do not have enough information on what microneedling is, and how it can remove signs of stretch marks, keep reading!
What are stretch marks?
If you look for a way to treat stretch marks with microneedling, the least you should do is learn how you get them in the first place. Mainly because removing it would not guarantee your stretch marks will never show up again.
The first thing to know about these marks is that everybody can have them: men, women and even teenagers.
When for whatever reason you have a sudden growth in your body, your skin will not have enough time to adjust to the changes already happening. The lack of collagen in the area creates lines called stretch marks.
We should also add that yes, it is normal to have them, simply because sudden body changes happen to almost everybody. And no, they are not harmful or a sign of any important health condition. And finally yes, sometimes they do go away over time, but mostly they stick around.
You can have stretch marks anywhere over the body: hips, breasts (for teenage girls during puberty), lower back (for teenage boys), stomach (especially in pregnant women), and even unexpected places like arms and knees.
What are stretch mark’s causes?
Here are some of the reasons you may get your stretch marks from:
- Pregnancy; Exactly like it was said already, sudden changes to the body can cause stretch marks.
- Puberty; The body goes through a lot of changes during puberty. If collagen would not keep up, stretch marks appear.
- Body implants; Implants in the breast and hips can stretch the skin and since the growth is faster than the skin can anticipate, the marks will show up as a result.
- Hormone changes; Some hormone malfunction can affect the collagen amount in the body. Plus, hormones have always affected body weight. The combination of these two creates stretch marks.
- Bodybuilding and using steroids; As strange as it may sound to you, even athletes with low body fat can look into the mirror and find stretch marks on their skin. And exactly for the same reason: sudden weight gain. If they work out hard and their body fails to produce collagen to create new skin, they also have to deal with stretch marks. Using steroids would have the same outcome.
How does microneedling stretch marks work?
As we said before, there are multiple ways to treat stretch marks, but microneedling is one of the most efficient. It is cost-efficient when compared to other methods, the side effects and the aftercare is not as scary as other options, and the results are almost immediate.
If you probably do not know what microneedling is and how it does its magic, here we will break it down for you:
Microneedling treatment is a procedure that aims to provoke your body into releasing natural collagen to some specific areas of the body. That is why this treatment is also known as Collagen Induction Therapy. The mechanism works to rejuvenate the skin. The derma pen, the microneedling device, creates puncture wounds on the outer layers of the skin to achieve this goal.
After microneedling, the body comes into action to heal the wounds by producing collagen and elastin. This process helps the skin treat stretch marks, alongside wrinkles, acne marks, and other skin conditions.
So as you may notice, microneedling procedure does nothing but stimulate the body’s internal and natural healing mechanism. In other words, you treat yourself! Microneedling and other treatments such as Plasma Pen just give it a nudge.
As for stretch marks, the process is the same as other purposes for using microneedling. Dermapen, as it suggests by its name, has a shape like a pen, with needles at the tip of it. They are made of either stainless-steel or ceramic. It penetrates the dermis layer of the skin by creating puncture wounds. The result is firm, smooth, and young-looking skin after a few sessions.
How does microneedling help treat stretch marks?
A microneedling session contains a few steps:
- Immediately after each treatment, the puncture wounds traumatize the immune system, triggering it into creating new skin and increasing the blood flow in the treated area. Let’s call this step inflammation.
- Thanks to the blood flow the cells can construct new skin as fast as possible. The presence of collagen in that area rebuilds the skin, even though the new skin is temporary. This step is called proliferation.
- In the final step of the rejuvenating process, more collagen is released to the treated area. This time, the constructions are visibly stronger. The skin is new and the result is more permanent. This step is known as remodeling.
There is a lot more to the treatment and you definitely have tons of questions. We have tried answering them as best as possible here. Yet, keep in mind that you should consult with an expert before booking an appointment.
How often should you microneedle stretch marks?
Before the sessions start, you should meet up with an expert to examine your skin and check-in on your condition. Based on that appointment you could know how many sessions you need. The number of sessions depends on your health, skin, the abundance of stretch marks, your skin type, your lifestyle, etc.
Even factors such as the length of needles, the derma pen brand, and the practitioner’s skill set can affect the number of sessions you need, so do your research thoroughly before picking a clinic.
Is Microneedling better for stretch marks or lasers?
Both microneedling and laser therapy aim at rectifying the damaged skin, whether it is stretch marks or any other skin condition. But their differences lie in side effects and cost.
One of the laser therapy side effects is discoloration and uneven skin color, especially for people with darker skin types. The laser rays can damage the melanocytes. The process can trigger the body into making too much or too little skin pigments. On the other hand, microneedling does not harm any part of the skin and after the treatment, the epidermis layer stays intact.
The microneedling treatment also has better results regarding healing scars on the skin tissues while burning skin cells, as laser therapy suggests can have only poor effect. The same goes for removing acne scars.
There are even more differences between the two methods. Microneedling recovery process is faster, the discomfort is less, and the repetition of sessions is not harmful to the body. Still, in both methods, some redness, inflammation, puffiness, and minor discomfort is expected.
But overall these differences have lead microneedling to be the most desired treatment for removing stretch marks these days.
Does Microneedling help “old” stretch marks?
Basically, the age of the stretch marks has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the result. As soon as the treatment starts, the process of replacing the new skin gets to work. So in general it does not matter if you have gotten your stretch marks recently or it has been a while. The effectiveness of the treatment is based on the other factors we mentioned before.
How much does Microneedling for stretch marks cost?
Microneedling prices vary from different parts of the body. In Australia, the average price of each microneedling session is mentioned below:
- the face: 350 – 400 AUD$
- the stomach: 250 – 330 AUD$
- the neck: 250 – 330 AUD$
- the hips: 250 – 330 AUD$
- the breasts: 260 – 300 AUD$
In our clinic in Perth, regardless of the place, the area, or other factors, each session has a cost of 280 AUD$.
How many microneedling sessions are needed for stretch marks?
There are different routines for microneedling treatments. The number of sessions depends on your skin condition. Here are two examples of normal microneedling routine:
- It takes 3 sessions to see the final result. Each session has a time gap of 10 to 14 days between them. 4 months after the first treatment, you should repeat the whole routine.
- The second routine is similar to the other, with 3 sessions and a 10-14 days time gap, but after only a month there should be another session until the next month and a month after that.
How long do microneedling for stretch mark results last?
The lasting of the results is based on some factors which vary from person to person. Although the average result is between 4 to 6 weeks after the whole sessions are finalized. Keep in mind that this is before the follow-up sessions.
What are microneedling stretch marks before-after care?
Unlike the others, the list of what you should do before your microneedling session for stretch marks is short.
3 to 5 days before your session, you should stop taking topical medications in addition to Vitamin A, Retin A, and the Retinals. Instead, there are some other topical products to use beforehand. If your treatment area is exposed to sunlight, use sunscreen. The sunburn and dead skin cells can affect the treatment result.
After the microneedling treatment do not apply make-up or sunscreen to your skin for at least 12 hours after the treatment. Wash the area before bedtime.
There is some aftercare product your clinic will suggest for you to follow. Only after 48 hours of the treatment, you can return to your skincare routine. Keep applying the sunblocks with an SFP to 25 or higher, but you should avoid being under direct sunlight anyway.
You can go back to your daily activities 48 hours after the treatment, yet physical activities such as sunbathing, swimming, or heavy exercise are forbidden for almost a week.
Does microneedling for stretch marks have any risks or side effects?
Microneedling is considered to have fewer side effects than other treatments, in fact the side effects are so low that it makes it almost risk-free. This is one of the main reasons behind the popularity of this treatment. Still, there is a list of side effects you might face after your session. These side effects do not happen to everybody and the intensity of them differs in each case.
- Feeling of discomfort at the treated area
- Redness
- Inflammation
- Bruises
- Dryness of the skin
- Swelling
- Flaking of the skin
Bleeding is uncommon but do not panic if it happens, since it is probably due to deeper needle penetrations.
The list of microneedling risks is even shorter:
- Infection; this usually happens with the use of an unsanitary product in the treatment or when the device was poorly sterilized. So make sure your clinic keeps the tools hygienic.
- Skin pigment changes; this is another uncommon risk of microneedling. Yet in the process of replacing the new skin, the new pigments might be slightly different from other parts of the skin around it. This usually happens in people with darker skin color.
- Reactions to topical medications; your session might be fine but your body could have some allergic reactions to the aftercare product. It should not happen if your health and skin condition were examined by an expert before treatment, so if you have picked the right clinic, there is nothing to worry about.
Is microneedling for stretch marks painful?
Before the practitioner starts the treatment, he or she takes a good amount of time applying numbing ointment on the area and only begins when assured the patient can not feel pain. The numbing ointments do not fade away the pain completely, but the pain is not much to be concerned with.
Everybody has a different pain tolerance, but most people report the pain as a tolerable discomfort. Plus, so many can go through their treatments without any numbing. Keep in mind that microneedling is also a domestic method, which means the pain is low enough that you can do it yourself.
The gist
Microneedling is famous for treating facial wrinkles and rejuvenating the skin, but it is also popular for other parts of the body for other clinical reasons, such as acne marks, stretch marks, surgery scars, etc. Microneedling has the fastest result and the lowest side effects with the best prices. It makes sense if it is your Plan A in your skin treatments.
Check out our service pages for more information or use our booking system to see the prices and reserve a session if you are already sure.
