Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Stretch Mark Surgery: All You Need To Know

By Maia Pells

Some women want to get rid of stretch marks quickly. This is why a lot of women today resort to stretch mark surgery. There are a few surgical treatment options to choose from and even if you try to learn more about the different methods, it is still best to be under the care of a surgeon or a dermatologist so he or she can determine which treatment will suit you.

Tummy Tuck

If you have had multiple pregnancies already, then abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is the best treatment option for you. Some people's stretch marks are more severe than others, which is why they have to consider undergoing this type of surgery. A tummy tuck procedure carries risks like any other surgery. Because this is a major operation, some physicians will administer full anesthesia before making an incision on your abdomen in order to remove the abdominal skin covered with stretch marks.

This procedure will leave the patient with a large scar afterwards but if it is done expertly, the scar will be less noticeable than the stretch marks that were removed. The tummy tuck was actually not meant to remove stretch marks but was intended to contour and tighten the stomach wall by removing excess fat and skin. However, once the extra skin and fat were taken away, physicians realized that there was an added bonus because stretch marks were eliminated as well. Although effective, abdominoplasty is still the most expensive method for removing stretch marks and the average person can hardly afford this treatment.

Laser Surgery

Generally, this is a non-invasive surgical procedure. But some doctors still regard it to be a surgical method because the treatment involves the penetration of the skin with a beam of light. Although the cost for this treatment is less expensive in comparison to tummy tuck, the money spent for this procedure will still depend on a number of factors. Below is a list of factors that can affect the cost of your laser therapy.

- Condition of the stretch marks - Location of stretch marks on the body - Region or country where patient undergoes treatment

To learn more about the potential costs, effectiveness of the treatment, and results that the procedure will bring, simply consult with a physician. The individual can also ask the doctor which treatment will work best on her because there are a variety of laser therapies.

Generally, lasers work by focusing a beam of light on the affected area. The laser disrupts the scar tissue particles until they disintegrate. Once the scar tissues are gone, the redness of the scars is diminished and the look of the skin is improved. Laser surgery is usually effective only on scars that are newly formed because the beam can only detect scars that are red or brown.

Laser only detects fresh stretch marks that are pinkish and purplish. Therefore, typical laser surgery would not be a good option for stretch marks that have aged. If the laser beam is also not carefully controlled, this might result to burning or scarring of the skin. However, people still prefer laser surgery over other surgical procedures for the important reason that there is only minimal pain involved during or after the procedure. - 16004

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