Stretch Marks!!

[Guest]

Hi,

I noticed some people mentioning Derma Rollers. Where did you purchase yours from? and for how much?

I've never even heard of these before But after reading some posts I'm willing to give it a go.

I am in the United Kingdom, and I am not sure where I can get them from or for how much. Seen some on ebay, but they are in Australia or the USA. So a bit expensive p+p!

Thanks

[Bohemus]

Hello,
The Fraxel laser is a different laser emitting a light of much shorter wavelenght than CO2 laser (Active FX or Deep FX). Therefore the tissue penetration is much deeper with Active FX.
There was an interesting study comparying both with a "split face" approach. The subjects had half of their faces done with Fraxel and other half with Active FX. The side where Active FX was used was treated once and the Fraxel site 5 times, 3 or 4 weeks apart (I just do not remember).
Along the way all patients had skin biopsies done for objective comparison. The results were also evaluated using traditional scoring system used by the independent observers. The results were overwhelmingly positive on the Active FX side (only one treatment session).
However, please remember these were done on the face and not on stretch marks. Extrapolating is sometimes deceiving but logic suggests that similar results could be expected on other parts of the body.
When you add to Active FX the Deep FX (with even deeper skin penetration) one could expect even better results.
I am trying Active FX immediately after IPL in order to achieve tissue heating at various levels. Once I have anything to report I will share with you with my results. Yes, there is a good chance that this combination will not make a significant impact but this is the only way to find out.

Thanks!

MD from TN

Hi everybody,
I have decided to give lasers a try in battling my stretchmarks. The thing is, I am unsure of which laser I should have done. The new CO2 fraxel (fraxel re:pair) is said to only need 1 or 2 treatments as apposed to more with the older fraxel. I have also seen pictures of the results of this laser that look very promising. However, everybody on this board seems to talk about active fx. Does anybody know anything about the fraxel re:pair (NOT the old one) compared to active FX? Thanks!

[Bohemus]

Hello,
The Derma Rollers were introduce in order to enhance delivery of various ingredients into the skin. Certainly, I don't know too much about this technique but discussing this subject during recent World Congress of Medical Aesthetics in Paris I have an impression of rather woodoo method. There has never been an independent controlled study that would shed any light on this technique. I may be wrong but seems to me the rollers are "the newest" toys on the aesthetic playground. I would invest in something that is known to produce positive effects rather than in fancy rollers that will end up serving as a tool to tenderize your stake.
All the Best,

MD in TN

Hi,

I noticed some people mentioning Derma Rollers. Where did you purchase yours from? and for how much?

I've never even heard of these before But after reading some posts I'm willing to give it a go.

I am in the United Kingdom, and I am not sure where I can get them from or for how much. Seen some on ebay, but they are in Australia or the USA. So a bit expensive p+p!

Thanks

[Bohemus]

Just out of interest, what is the price of full face Active FX in UK? Neck? Chest? Hands?


Regards,

MD in TN

Bohemus,

Thanks for the reply! I had my Active FX done in the states (Maryland). The doctor did one pass on my whole abdomen, then did a second pass on just the stretch marks. She said it would take a while for final results and that at 6 months is when she has seen the most results, though she said things could still progress for up to a year or so.

I have no idea what settings were used, but I can tell you that it took at least a week before I could comfortably wear clothes around my mid-section and about 2 months for the hyperpigmentation to subside. There still is just a bit of hyperpigmentation, but very very slight. I have definitely seen results, most notably over the last few weeks. I asked my doctor to set a realistic expectation for me before she did the procedure and she said 80% improvement. I'd say I'm at about 40-45% improvement, though I'll be interested to see the photos the doctor took before the procedure when I go back in June for more photos.

Thanks again!
Tracy

[Guest]

Hello,
The Fraxel laser is a different laser emitting a light of much shorter wavelenght than CO2 laser (Active FX or Deep FX). Therefore the tissue penetration is much deeper with Active FX.
There was an interesting study comparying both with a "split face" approach. The subjects had half of their faces done with Fraxel and other half with Active FX. The side where Active FX was used was treated once and the Fraxel site 5 times, 3 or 4 weeks apart (I just do not remember).
Along the way all patients had skin biopsies done for objective comparison. The results were also evaluated using traditional scoring system used by the independent observers. The results were overwhelmingly positive on the Active FX side (only one treatment session).
However, please remember these were done on the face and not on stretch marks. Extrapolating is sometimes deceiving but logic suggests that similar results could be expected on other parts of the body.
When you add to Active FX the Deep FX (with even deeper skin penetration) one could expect even better results.
I am trying Active FX immediately after IPL in order to achieve tissue heating at various levels. Once I have anything to report I will share with you with my results. Yes, there is a good chance that this combination will not make a significant impact but this is the only way to find out.

Thanks!

MD from TN

The newest fraxel laser, known as the re:pair IS a CO2 laser.

[Guest]

Sorry, the last post was meant to be a reply to MD from TN but I accidentally wrote it in the quote area. It was meant to say..

The newest fraxel laser, known as the re:pair IS a CO2 laser.

[Guest]

Hi

I have taken a break for over a week from doing anything to my skin. What I have noticed is that the marks on my arms have continued to shrink/disappear during this week but at an accelarated rate. Will start on the peels etc again in 1 weeks time.

J

[cr]

For the guest who inquired about Dermarollers:
I purchased my roller _ at Amazon (the basic Leaf and Rusher model, about .50 mm, I think), and I paid about $100 US dollars. They are also available on ebay, but as you mentioned, they can be expensive. I have never felt like my dermaroller tenderized my skin, but then again, I have a model that has very short needles, and is the least invasive. There is the argument that the needles need to be above 1.0mm in order to reach the dermal layer and be effective. Although, I am not too sure of actual case-studies that support this. But, I can share my experience with you, and I have found that my dermaroller has maximized my results. I am using it with copper-peptides now, and before that I used it with Trilastin. I went through a few months of doing each topical cream without the roller, and then with it, and I found the benefits of needling to be pretty instaneous. When you work with your skin so tediously for such a long time, you begin to understand what works on your skin and what does not work. I have found that the dermaroller improves my marks moreso than without it. I would not say the improvement is immense, but enough to continue with it as part of my routine. The reason I like the roller is because a lot of my stretch marks are depressed and I feel like the needles push the CP's into the indentations more effectively than just rubbing it into the deep marks. If your marks are not indented then possibly doing other methods, such as copper-peptides and hydroxy acids, may yield better results for you. I hope this helps!

[cr]

Oh, also, I forgot to mention that I do not use my dermaroller everyday. Depending on each week and the condition of my skin, I do it between 2 and 5 times a week. By not doing it everyday seems to give my skin enough of a rest to maximize results.

[aussiemum]

Hello,
The Derma Rollers were introduce in order to enhance delivery of various ingredients into the skin. Certainly, I don't know too much about this technique but discussing this subject during recent World Congress of Medical Aesthetics in Paris I have an impression of rather woodoo method. There has never been an independent controlled study that would shed any light on this technique. I may be wrong but seems to me the rollers are "the newest" toys on the aesthetic playground. I would invest in something that is known to produce positive effects rather than in fancy rollers that will end up serving as a tool to tenderize your stake.
All the Best,

MD in TN

Hi Bohemus,

Would you mind sharing with us your motivation for being on this board as you do not seem to be afflicted with stretchmarks like the rest of us?

Are you really a medical professional and do you have a financial stake in promoting laser treatment?

I use a dermaroller regularly and purchased it from a well known dermatologist in Sydney Australia and not some quack on ebay.

Skin microneedling as the technique is called actually has quite a few independant published studies available which prove it to be highly effective in not just delivering ingredients further into the skin but promoting collagen formation without destroying the epidermis unnecessarily like most lasers do. Also without the huge price tag!

Regards
PJ

Top

[aussiemum]

Hi all,

I just wanted to say up front that I have no affiliation to, or financial interest in any product or service. I am not any expert in any medically related field, just someone that has suffered from stretchmarks for a very long time and has done hundreds of hours of googling!

If I have mistaken anyone's motives for contributing to this forum, I apologise but I am extremely suspicious of people that don't have their facts straight and set themselves up as some form of authority on a particular subject and naysay everything else.

People here are looking for help not biased opinions aren't they?

I hate to think that people could miss out on something worthwhile just because they were given the wrong information.

I for one never just blindly follow other people's advice I always do my own research, but I value highly those individuals that share their personal experiences.

Thank you
PJ

[aussiemum]

Me again,

Lost-girl I can really empathize with how you're feeling. Even though it doesn't sound like I've got as many marks as you have I do have a variety of marks from puberty, weight loss, weight gain, pregnancy and the most recent from poor diet and stress. In all honesty I can barely remember being stretchmark free and they definitely have played havoc with my self esteem as well. Please don't think that nothing can be done!

There are numerous reasons stretchmarks appear and similiar reasons why some people get them and others don't. It's all about the quality of your connective tissue and factors that affect its' production. For example age, gender, genetics, diet, nutritional status, bmi, smoking, lifestyle, exercise, hormonal levels, water intake etc.

To get your absolute best possible s/m removal result, all of these things MUST be taken into account and improved where possible.

I really cannot stress this point enough! A holistic approach will give you a far better and quicker outcome than a single methodology eg laser or creams ever could.

I could go on & on but I think I've probably said enough tonight.....

Regards
PJ

[girl-lost]

PJ, thank you so much for your kind words. Hormone levels was the cause of 90 percent of my stretch marks. Water intake, diet, stress and nutritional status covered the rest. I can't undo my past, but I'll try to create a future with less marks and pain. More than anything, though, I just want to feel free again.

I am going to take up my gym membership, because as you said, I need to work all angles of my body to get the maximized results. I have already started with vitamins, and I'm buying some zinc pills this afternoon. More veggies, fruits, water, less moping around, and maybe I'll get somewhere. I appreciate the input! You started off my day with a smile.

Oh, one more thing. Do you buy the products you use from local stores, or from the net? I think I'll start looking into copper peptides.

Girl-Lost

[Bohemus]

Hello,
The Fraxe II is a CO2 laser indeed. The "traditional" Fraxel is slowly disappearing since the results were rather suboptimal for what it was designed. The Fraxel II, by design, allows to cover 20-25% of treated area. This allows much shorter downtime (avg. 2.3 days) but requires from 2-5 treatment sessions every few weeks.
There is no question that it is much more impressive than Fraxel I and for those who can not afford longer downtime it seems to be quite good choice.
The major problem, in my opinion, is that there is a possibility that with adjustment of settings one can produce, and expect, better results. Even with Fraxel I
Thanks!

MD from TN

Sorry, the last post was meant to be a reply to MD from TN but I accidentally wrote it in the quote area. It was meant to say..

The newest fraxel laser, known as the re:pair IS a CO2 laser.

[Bohemus]

Hello,
No, I am not associated with any company. I am quite conservative with all the treatments but I am also interested in practicing medicine and not quasi medicine.
I believe you are overestimating the "studies" you may have in mind. No, there is not a single scientifically valid study that shows any effect of the technique; not positive and not negative.
Please look in the biggest scientific library in the world, Medline, that has all medical studies done around the world within the last several decades. These include studies published in all imaginable languages.
If you find one I will be grateful to advance my knowledge.
The problem is that too many big and small companies around the world take advantage of the aesthetic needs of mostly women.
Only you can decide whether it works in your estimation or whether you need true science to tell you that it works. I just think it is silly to pay for something that is "hot" but not proven although one can claim to to the study.
Always look at: who sponsors the study? what financial involvement exist between investigator and the company? how the study is design? how many subject completed the study? and many more variables.

Anyway, I think the forum like this is great and, believe it or not, very educational for me.
Thanks!

MD from TN

Hello,
The Derma Rollers were introduce in order to enhance delivery of various ingredients into the skin. Certainly, I don't know too much about this technique but discussing this subject during recent World Congress of Medical Aesthetics in Paris I have an impression of rather woodoo method. There has never been an independent controlled study that would shed any light on this technique. I may be wrong but seems to me the rollers are "the newest" toys on the aesthetic playground. I would invest in something that is known to produce positive effects rather than in fancy rollers that will end up serving as a tool to tenderize your stake.
All the Best,

MD in TN

Hi Bohemus,

Would you mind sharing with us your motivation for being on this board as you do not seem to be afflicted with stretchmarks like the rest of us?

Are you really a medical professional and do you have a financial stake in promoting laser treatment?

I use a dermaroller regularly and purchased it from a well known dermatologist in Sydney Australia and not some quack on ebay.

Skin microneedling as the technique is called actually has quite a few independant published studies available which prove it to be highly effective in not just delivering ingredients further into the skin but promoting collagen formation without destroying the epidermis unnecessarily like most lasers do. Also without the huge price tag!

Regards
PJ