A Scar is an area of fibrous tissue that forms during the body’s natural healing process from trauma such as injury, diseases, skin conditions such as acne, or surgeries. Scars come in many shapes and sizes. If you have two or more scars, you may notice that the two scars look very different.
A Stretch Mark is a type of scarring that’s formed during a rapid expansion of the skin during periods of growth and body changes. Yes, stretch marks are a type of scar. Most commonly, they can occur during puberty and pregnancy, with up to 90 per cent of women get stretch marks during pregnancy. All the same, stretch marks can appear on anyone on just about any part of the body.
Scars are formed when the deep thick layer of skin (Dermis) is damaged and the body forms new collagen fibres to mend the damage. A scar can develop as a line (from cuts), a pitted hole (from acne or chickenpox) or abnormal overgrowth (Keloid or Hypertrophic).
Stretch Marks are caused by rapid growth or over-stretching of the skin tissue. Although the skin is fairly elastic, when it’s overstretched, the normal production of collagen (the protein that makes up the connective tissue in your skin) and elastin ( the protein responsible for skin bouncing to original shape after stretching or contracting) is disrupted. This causes scar formation, and as the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.
One of the best of these treatments for scars is microneedling and for good reason. Microneedling is a safe, fast, and efficient way to smoothen and even out scarring by breaking through the already formed scars. In turn, this will stimulate and induce new collagen production into the area. This results in scars with less defined edges and a softened, smoother texture. Microneedling can be used to treat various types of scars and works on all skin tones (research shows that the process does not cause hyperpigmentation.)
Microneedling can help smooth out the appearance of stretch marks and stimulate the production of collagen. At Dr Aesthetica, we use the SkinPen Precision – a medical-grade microneedling tool which is by far the best in the market.