Fractional laser for stretch marks removal
During my second pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight, more than I ever expected. During the last months, I saw that I had gotten a bunch of stretch marks. After the birth in February 2021, I lost 20 kilos in the first month. However, the stretch marks were still there and very much visible. I realize that stretch marks are a part of pregnancy and some people even see them as a trophy. Unfortunately, I thought it was too much. I didn't mind having a couple, as I did after the first pregnancy. But now my whole stomach, hips, and thighs were full of stretch marks. I just didn't feel like myself anymore.
I visited my beauty physician eight months postpartum to talk about losing more belly fat. She reassured me that I can lose the access fat without any treatments. She also informed me about the Fractional Laser that they use to, among other things, heal stretch marks. This was like music to my ears. I was so happy to hear about this treatment that I decided to start right away.
What is a Fractional Laser?
Fractional laser treatment is a non-invasive treatment that uses a device to deliver a laser beam divided into thousands of microscopic treatment zones that target a fraction of the skin at a time. It penetrates your skin to encourage new collagen and elastin growth.
How long does the treatment take?
For my stomach, hips, and thighs it takes about 45 to 60 minutes. It depends on the area that needs to be treated. The game plan for my treatment was 3 sessions with 6 weeks in between each session.
My first session was exciting, I was afraid of the pain because I was told that it does hurt. I used Emla cream, which is a numbing cream that helps to ease the pain of cosmetic and medical procedures that involve needles or lasers by temporarily numbing the skin. Elma cream takes about an hour to work and you need to rub it thickly onto your skin.
When my beautician started the fractional laser I felt nothing, I even started to laugh, was this what I was afraid of? However, I noticed very soon that some parts of my skin were not as numb as I assumed. And let me tell you, it hurt like a mother! OMG! Like a thousand hot tiny needles stabbing you. Ouch!
Luckily, most of the spots were numb and therefore nearly painless.
After the treatment, it's clear that you have had something done. It's swollen, red, and warm. It seems like the stretch marks are no longer deep. They seem to become thicker as if the skin popped out of the stretch mark.
The aftermath
The day of the treatment is doable. There is swelling and redness. The skin looks irritated, is warm, and sensitive. But you can go on with your regular daily tasks without any issues. Just be sure to stay clear of direct sunlight to the treated section and make sure to use sunscreen.
Day 2 to 4 are fine, you barely notice anything.
Day 5 to 10 are the worst! Your skin starts healing and recovering. The treated areas itch like crazy and guess what, just like during the pregnancy, you are not allowed to scratch it! It drove me insane!!! Make sure to wear loss fitted clothes that are made of breathable materials. Luckily, we're working from home so I could sit in a crop top and shorts all day.
After day 10 you will notice that the area is full of tiny little scabs. Be sure not to remove or scratch those as well.
The results
I saw results almost immediately. After the skin has healed, about 3 weeks after the treatment, my stretch marks have become lighter. The healing effect is still going on from week 3 up until week 6. At week 6 some of the smaller ones had already disappeared.
My beautician said that it was up to me if I wanted to continue with the treatments or stop. I definitely saw results and was excited about the next treatment so decided to continue. I had the same experience after the second treatment as I did after the first one.
The itching feeling was so horrible that I questioned doing the last treatment. After the second treatment, the results were so good, I could still see the stretch marks but they were so much lighter. I could really find peace with these guys.
Janet on the other hand had a different experience. After her second treatment, she noticed that her stretch marks were more visible.
Right before I wanted to cancel my third treatment, there was another lockdown. We weren't going back to the office anytime soon and everything else was closed. I decided to continue with the last treatment.
So, the last treatment was on December 28, 2021. The experience was once again the same. I'll update this story in 6 weeks to tell you more about the results!
What have you tried for your stretch marks? Did you get a lot during the pregnancy? Are you planning on having them removed? Or do they not disturb you? Let me know in the comments!
I hear crying, gotta run!
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