Stretch Mark Removal For Men

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Stretch Mark Removal For Men

Men do you want to get rid of your stretch marks?.

The good news is something can be done, the bad news is – don’t expect miracles.

Treating stretch marks has come a long way recently. The old advice recommended you to apply natural oils like almond, olive or coconut.

Today stretch marks on men can be treated using the latest laser, radio frequency, sonar and light technology.  This new technology can greatly reduce their appearance so you are not so self conscious of them.

Gym, Bodybuilding & Lifting Stretch Marks 

Have you have worked hard adding lean muscle mass, hitting the gym regularly and sweating buckets doing your boring cardio?.

Then watching everything that passes your lips as you know abs are made in the kitchen not gym. You have avoided sweet treats like deserts, cakes and biscuits and religious stuck to your strict clean diet – day in and day out, week after week?.

As much as you like the ‘new you’ looking back at you in the mirror all this has come at a cost.

Stretch marks!…

…and in the back of your mind those annoying stretch marks seem to be taunting you trying to take the shine of your hard won achievements!.

Dieting or weight gain

Alternatively, maybe instead of stacking on the muscle you decided to do something about your weight.

Not recognising the person staring back at you in the mirror every morning you took the bull by the horns. You started to watch what you eat. Tried a new diet. And after months of cast iron discipline you transformed yourself. Revealing the person you know was hiding underneath the layers of fat many months ago.

The only problem once again – stretch marks!.

So what is the answer ?

Is there an answer ?

Will laser, creams, argan or bio oil remove your stretch marks ?

Whatever the cause it is reassuring to know that today something can be done to remove unsightly stretch marks.  Technology, as mentioned earlier, has come a long way, and it is technology we turn to for the answer.  Not creams , oils or butters.

But first a bit of background about stretch marks.

What Exactly Are Stretch Marks ?

The medical term for stretch marks is striae distensae, but most people call them stretch marks. They are red or darker, jagged marks. They can sometimes be a source of irritation. Stretch marks are considered a form of skin scarring – which sounds scary !

They can occur when someones skin gets stretched or shrinks rapidly.  This affects the collagen and elastin in the skin that has become damaged and stretch marks can appear due to self healing process of the skin.

If you notice new stretch marks your stretch marks may be purple or red jagged lines or darker brown lines depending on your ethnicity and skin tone. The skin may feel raised or bumpy.

Gradually stretch marks will fade and enter a second stage. At this second stage stretch marks usually have no colour to them as the red or darker pigment has faded and they may feel lower than the surrounding skin.

Stretch Marks Prevention In Men 

As you know it is not only women that get stretch marks!.

This may be because stretch marks are normally talked about and associated with women during pregnancy where their bodies undergo a massive change (and stretch) in a very short time. Men are no less self conscious about stretch marks then women and the impact can be equally devastating and harmful to a healthy body image.

What Common Causes Stretch Marks in men? 

There is no one exact cause for stretch marks. The medical profession think stretch marks are a combination of many factors including :

1. Genetics
2. Hormones
3. Changes to skin cells
4. Puberty
5. Weight gain

Many men shoot up in height when they hit puberty and can add several inches in height in a few months. They can also shed baby fat. These sudden and dramatic changes can leave stretch marks behind.

Sadly stretch marks can also be genetic, making it even harder to avoid. If someone in your family has stretch marks, you are more prone to also have them.

Reasons For Stretch Marks In Men Include:

• Adrenal diseases, such as Cushing syndrome,  Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or Marfan’s syndrome
• Growth spurts during puberty
• Fast weight gain or loss
• Muscle growth from weight training

Also If you use corticosteroid creams for a long time such as prescription-strength hydrocortisone for eczema, you may be more likely to see stretch marks as an unwelcome side effect.

Common Areas For Stretch Marks When Training Or Losing Weight

Stretch marks can occur anywhere. If they are because of training they may appear around your shoulders and pecs or at the top of your arms due to your biceps increasing in size and or forearms.

Other common areas are inner thighs where you may have packed on some muscle deadlifting or squatting or the back of your arms on your lats or traps where you may have added muscle on your back.

If your stretch marks are due to losing weight then common areas for them to appear would be upper arms, thighs, belly and chest area.  Loose skin can also occur if the weight loss was dramatic and fast.

Can guys Prevent Stretch Marks Using Oils ?

Like the snake oil salesmen of the wild west hundreds of years ago, there are many products on the market. All claim to magically make your stretch marks disappear or prevent them in the first place.

They promise to reduce or prevent stretch marks in both men and women. Most are highly moisturizing oils that you apply on top of your skin. Ingredients usually include oils such as :

• Cocoa butter
• Almond
• Olive oil
• Vitamin E
• Aragan oil
• Bio oil

Although claims state the appearance of stretch marks will be reduced the evidence is patchy and research and studies show they were not effective in reducing stretch mark appearances.

This doesn’t stop many people claiming the effectiveness of oils and creams. If you decide to try a lotion to maybe reduce the itchiness of fresh stretch marks the American Association of Dermatology suggest the following:

• Try using products when you first see stretch marks or are itching. Topical products tend not to work well on old stretch marks.
• Massage the products in as this seems to allow products to work more effectively and use the product consistently over the course of several weeks to months.

How To Hide Stretch Marks

While lotions and creams may not treat stretch marks, they can reduce some of the itching that occurs when they develop. You can also hide them using self-tanner or a concealer matching your skin tone but this is a temporary solution.

Tanning can make stretch marks appear more obvious, so be careful.  Also make sure that the concealer is a close match to your skin tone as it may look odd if not!.

Concealer can also get quite messy as you may forget it is on and will end up on your clothes or bedsheets!.

What Medical Treatments Are Available For Stretch Marks? 

To reduce the appearance of stretch marks a Dermatologist can prescribe hyaluronic acid or vitamin A, which have been known to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. The NHS recommend three treatments for stretch marks which they suggest

“may help make stretch marks look better, but they will not get rid of them”

They include:

• Retinoid (often called tretinoin) creams or hyaluronic acid as mentioned above – These might help on newly formed stretch marks.
• Light or laser treatments we offer a number at Premier Laser clinic including Ultracel, Dermapen or HIFU and recently mesotherapy which has been used to tackle stretch marks but it still very much in the experimental phase.
• Finally the NHS recommend microdermabrasion, which removes a thin layer of skin and is just like exfoliating the skin which we believe not be very effective in the long run.

 

These treatments are not available on the NHS as stretch marks generally are not a life or death matter, so you would need to find a clinic.

If you are interested in speaking to someone about your stretch marks and find out what options are available to you, you can book a free consultation with one of our experienced practitioners who will listen to your concerns and give you advice and recommendations.

Does Laser Stretch Mark Removal Work ?

There are many treatments on the market today which can be used to attack your stretch marks.  People have used laser or radio frequency and have been impressed with the results and the reduction in appearance of stretch marks.

The three most popular treatments on the market today are listed below. It can be confusing to know the difference between treatments so we will briefly describe each one so you will have a better understanding :

• Dermapen

Dermapen skin needling creates micro-injuries to the skin which trigger your body to produce the growth of fibroblast cells which stimulate the production of collagen improving the skin. Dermapen skin needling lets the skin repair itself after it has gone through damage like stretch marks, cuts, scars or any other physical damage.

So by damaging your skin in a safe and controlled way your skin will destroy the old, damaged tissue that causes stretch marks and will replace it with freshly produced collagen.

Dermapen skin needling treats can treat many parts of the body including the abdomen, legs, arms, and hands. It can safely treat all forms of scars like acne or surgery scars, abdominal scars, stretch marks, burn contracture scars and also loose body skin.

• Radiofrequency Using Ultracel

Using radio frequency as part of a treatment plan ULTRAcel offers three treatments in one. Firstly it uses a high intensity focused ultrasound which targets the SMAS skin layer creating a micro injury like the Dermapen which creates a healing process that involves tightening and lifting the skin.

The second part uses Grid Fractional Radio Frequency, or GFR. This stage applies heat to the dermis and epidermis, which smooths and creates new collagen.

The third part is Fractional Radiofrequency Microneedling. This uses both microneedling and radiofrequency to help generate collagen production that your body really needs to heal stretch marks.

• Radiofrequency Microneedling

For older stubborn stretch marks microneedling is an effective way to deal with them. Using a series of tiny needles which makes it sound far more painful then it actually is!, the skin is penetrated, which leads to the added collagen your skin needs to repair those stretch marks. Treatment time is quick makes it an ideal option as there is little downtime too.

• Ultrasound

Ultrasound technology made popular in the aesthetics world by Ultraformer HIFU is a high intensity focused ultrasound tool that is non-invasive quick and simple to perform. It is simply placed on the area where the stretch marks are like biceps, inner thighs, or pectoral muscles.

The energy targets and penetrate through to the lowest layers of the dermis and heat is generated. This pushes the collagen production rejuvenating the problem areas. After a single treatment you will start to notice results.

Can You Prevent Stretch Marks? 

As the saying goes prevention is better then cure.  But if your stretch marks are the side effects of puberty, weight loss or the results of months of blood, sweat and gut busting in the gym then this isn’t reassuring to hear.

There is no magic pill, the best advice to prevent more stretch marks in the future is to maintain a healthy weight avoiding rapid weight gain or loss as this will reduce the skin stretching, leading to stretch marks.

If you’re concerned about the appearance of stretch marks, talk to your GP who can refer you to a dermatologist who can recommend treatment options and prevention measures discussed above or you can visit a private clinic like Premier Laser for a free consultation to talk over your skin concerns.

Best Cure For Stretch Marks ?

So as you can see there is a lot to know about the humble stretch mark. If you already have them, hopefully you will have learnt how to prevent them and discovered ways to manage them.

It is  unfair that stretch marks appear like an unwelcome and uninvited guest, gate crashing a party, especially if it is on the back of your hard work in the gym or diet or if you just inherited genes making you prone to them.

Cost of treating stretch marks

The cost of treating stretch marks will depend on which treatment you choose to go for and how many session you need. Stretch marks removal well to a course of treatments so expect to pay for more then one session. Buying a course of treatments works out better value then buying individual sessions.

• Prices for microneedling start at £183
• Prices for Rf microneedling £270
• HIFU Ultrafomer also starts from £270

Next steps

You can start your fight back today. New technology and treatments on the market can make a difference so are worth exploring.  If you go for a consultation at a clinic make sure you discuss your expectations with your practitioner so you will have a realistic expectation of the outcome.

If you would like to discuss your stretch marks with an experienced practitioner at Premier Laser and you live in London we have 9 clinics across the capital. Please get in touch for your free consultation, we look forward to seeing you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]