Scars and stretchmarks on your face and body can be unsightly and negatively impact your self-esteem. At deRMA Skin Institute in Guelph, we offer a variety of treatments to help improve the appearance of your scars and stretchmarks to help you feel your best.
Acne & Other Scars
Now that you’ve outgrown your acne, there’s no reason to live with the scars left behind. Acne scarring can cause scarring on the face, neck, jawline, and even the chest and shoulders. It often includes uneven skin texture, redness, and depressions in the skin. Sun exposure can darken the scarring, making it appear worse. Thankfully, we offer several treatments to address acne scarring on the face and body.
We also treat other scars on the face and body. No matter the cause of the scar, we offer several treatment options to help improve the appearance of your scars to help restore smooth, healthy-looking skin and your confidence.
At deRMA Skin Institute, we use radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to address all types of scarring. Depending on the size and depth of the scar, multiple treatments may be necessary. Your provider will assess your needs and create a custom treatment plan for you to follow in order to help reduce the appearance of your scars.
Stretchmarks
Whether you have stretchmarks from childbirth, weight gain, or other experiences, the uneven skin texture and tone can be hard to live with. To help improve the appearance of stretchmarks, we use a combination of treatments.
Similar to treating scars, we use RF microneedling and PRP, either in combination or separately, to improve the appearance and texture of skin, and Evolve Tite to tighten and lift the skin to achieve a full restoration of the skin’s tone and texture.
For the best results, we recommend a series of treatments to improve the appearance of stretchmarks. Our team will perform a physical assessment and design a customized treatment plan for you during your consultation.
How Are Scars & Stretchmarks Treated?
In order to address the discoloration and texture changes caused by scars and stretchmarks, our providers must address both the exterior and interior layers of the skin.
RF microneedling uses tiny needles to penetrate the skin down into the dermis, triggering your body’s natural healing process to address scar tissue. It affects the interior structure of the skin on your face and body to promote collagen and elastin production, which help improve the appearance of discoloration and tightens skin to smooth out indentations. By delivering radiofrequency energy to the dermis and penetrating the subdermal layers of the skin, your body responds to the controlled RF heat by producing new collagen and elastin at a deeper level than microneedling alone can reach. Over time, your skin begins to heal and develop a smoother, brighter appearance.
PRP harnesses the growth factors in your own blood to improve skin’s texture and appearance. During treatment, your blood is drawn, then the blood is placed in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the plasma and remove impurities. The platelets are then injected into the treatment area to stimulate cellular turnover and growth to smooth and brighten the skin. PRP can also be paired with RF microneedling. The microneedles open tiny channels in your skin, allowing the PRP solution to be absorbed directly into the skin where it’s needed most to improve skin’s tone and texture, resulting in an improvement in the appearance of scars and stretchmarks over time.
Evolve Tite is used in combination with RF microneedling and PRP to tighten skin and improve its texture. Since skin’s upper internal layers are stretched and damaged by stretchmarks and scars, Evolve works below the surface of the skin to tighten and restore skin’s appearance.
What Happens During Scar & Stretchmark Treatments?
Before treatment, we apply a topical numbing cream or inject a local anesthetic in the treatment to prep you for treatment.
If you are undergoing a PRP treatment, one of our certified phlebotomists will draw your blood and prep the platelet formula before the treatment.
Once your skin has been prepped, the provider passes the device over your skin, using microneedles to penetrate the skin and delivering RF energy into the deep layers of tissue. The device makes noise as it works, and you will feel a slight warming sensation in the treatment area as the device goes to work.
Each treatment is different, so the amount of time will vary depending on the severity of your condition and the combination of treatments used. Your provider will customize a treatment plan for you to address your specific needs, and will advise on the number of treatment sessions you can expect.
After the treatment, your skin will be slightly red and sensitive, but any discomfort should fade within a few hours. Your skin will heal over the course of the next few weeks, revealing improved texture and coloration.
What Is Recovery Like After Scar & Stretchmark Treatments?
Because RF microneedling is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure, there is little downtime associated with your treatment. Most patients find they are comfortable returning to work the day after the procedure. You may experience mild, pinpoint bleeding immediately following the treatment, which should resolve within a few minutes. Your skin may look and feel as if you have a sunburn for up to 7 days. Swelling rarely occurs and usually only lasts a few days.
It is especially important to avoid sun exposure after stretchmark and scar treatments because the newly treated skin is susceptible to darkening and discoloration.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
You can expect to see some improvement of the appearance of scars and stretchmarks within the first few days after treatment, and the results will continue to improve as your skin heals. For best results, we recommend scheduling a series of 5 to 6 treatments spaced 2-3 weeks apart to obtain the best possible results. Depending on the severity of your scars and stretchmarks, you may require additional treatments. Your provider will create a customized treatment plan to help address your specific needs.
Men and women who are interested in improving the appearance of their scars and stretchmarks in Kitchener, Cambridge, and surrounding areas in Southwestern Ontario choose deRMA Skin Institute for their treatments. Request a consultation using the online form or call us at (519) 836-8558 to schedule an appointment with one of our dermatologists.