Hello, I am Lee Sam-ju, a dermatologist. Following the previous video on stretch marks, I would like to take some time to answer your questions about stretch marks, focusing on the questions many of you have left. If you are curious about the previous video, please refer to the video above.
Why do stretch marks appear?
The causes of stretch marks can be broadly divided into two categories:
- Rapid skin changes: This occurs when the rate of body growth or weight gain cannot keep up with the rate at which the skin stretches, causing it to tear.
- Steroid hormones: Stretch marks can easily appear when steroid hormones are taken orally or applied excessively.
Even with exercise, stretch marks can appear on the chest, shoulders, and thighs. In the early stages, when they are red stretch marks, it is generally acceptable to continue exercising while receiving treatment. However, if the stretch marks are too large or have settled into white stretch marks, it is advisable to adjust your exercise volume. Especially if you are taking protein supplements, stretch marks may appear more easily, so you might consider discontinuing supplement use.
Once stretch marks appear, do they never disappear?
Stretch marks, like scars, tend to persist once they appear. Just as scars can improve with early treatment when they are red, but fully settled white scars are difficult to treat, the same applies to stretch marks. In the early stages, when they are red stretch marks, treatment can help them return to their original state. However, once they settle into white stretch marks, they can persist semi-permanently.
Why stretch marks become more visible when you lose weight
Occasionally, some people say that stretch marks appeared suddenly as they lost weight. However, stretch marks generally appear as one gains weight.
You can think of it as stretch marks becoming more visible as you lose weight. The skin in the stretch mark area is very thin, so it looks taut when you gain weight, but as you lose weight, that area becomes sunken and more noticeable. Losing weight does not create new stretch marks.
Types of stretch marks and timing of treatment
Stretch marks are broadly classified into two types by color. The first is red stretch marks, and the second is white stretch marks.
Red Stretch Marks vs. White Stretch Marks
- Red stretch marks: These are early-stage stretch marks, and it is best to start treatment as soon as possible. If you notice red stretch marks while on a diet, treating them while they are red is more effective.
- White stretch marks: These are stretch marks that have become chronic over time. White stretch marks are not significantly affected by the dieting period. Therefore, there is no major issue with treating them concurrently with a diet or after the diet is complete.
It is easy to think that red stretch marks always progress to white stretch marks, but sometimes they go directly to white stretch marks, and other times red stretch marks persist for a long time. If red stretch marks continue, it generally indicates that the stretch marks are progressing, so early treatment is important.
Effectiveness of stretch mark cosmetics and moisturizers
Stretch marks tend to worsen when the skin is dry. Most products called stretch mark cosmetics or creams are primarily moisturizing agents. Powerful moisturizers like Vaseline can also help with stretch marks. However, it is best to consider their effect to be less than 5%. Moisturizers may be more helpful when red stretch marks are present.
Stretch mark laser treatment, what about the pain?
Stretch mark laser treatments primarily use vascular lasers or fractional lasers. The pain is generally considered to be less compared to other lasers.
- V-beam Vascular Lesion Treatment (pigment laser): Treatment is possible without anesthesia.
- Fractional laser: Topical anesthetic cream is sufficient for pain control.
For topical anesthetic cream, it usually needs to be applied for at least 30 minutes for the treatment effect to appear. If you have enough time and are very sensitive to pain, applying the cream for 50 to 60 minutes can allow for a sufficiently comfortable procedure.
Today, we looked into common questions about stretch marks. If you have any other questions about stretch marks, please feel free to ask in the comments or via KakaoTalk. Thank you.