The most common areas for the appearance of stretch marks are the breasts, the chest, stomach, upper arms, inner and outer thigh and buttocks. Growth spurts and sudden or excessive weight gain cause the skin to stretch, so roughly 90% of pregnant women develop these marks. Men often develop stretch marks from participating in body-building. 70% of adolescent females and about 40% of young males are affected.
Stretch marks are scars resulting from the breakdown of both the epidermal and dermal layers of skin stretched beyond recoverable elasticity. Dermal collagen is damaged and blood vessel dilation results in the formation of red or purple-colored early stretch marks. Clinic’estetica™ can significantly reduce the appearance of stretch marks using their proprietary in-office treatment. To date there is no treatment available that completely removes the appearance of stretch marks; their appearance can only be diminished.