Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Richard Buckley Comments on Recent Tweet by Madison Beer that “Stretch marks r sexy….”
Singer and outspoken body positivity advocate Madison Beer recently tweeted her 7.4 million followers a picture of her décolletage in a bikini. The photo reveals stretch marks on the tops of her breasts. The caption: “Stretch marks r sexy….”
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Madison Beer’s “Stretch marks r sexy” tweet is an empowering message, but let’s face it – not all women feel the same way. Luckily there are non-surgical treatments available for the not-so-sexy ones.
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“Madison Beer is a beautiful young woman, and her messages about embracing body imperfections are impressive and admirable for someone in the limelight, who is only 17 years old,” says Dr. Richard Buckley, cosmetic surgeon and Medical Director of MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, Penn. “But many women feel stretch marks mar their appearance. The good news for those women is that there are noninvasive and minimally invasive options available today that work to soften the sometimes harsh appearance of stretch marks—making them virtually undetectable.” Dr. Buckley says stretch marks are common, especially among women. When they first appear, they’re often bright red, purple, blue or black. With time, they fade to a color, usually lighter than the surrounding skin.
“Not all stretch marks are alike,” Dr. Buckley says. “Some are indented, some are colored streaks. They can appear in a small area of the body or on a larger part, such as the abdomen, thighs or breasts. Often, they impact women in the third trimester of pregnancy, as the abdomen expands and the skin isn’t equipped to handle the stretch. They can also appear after dramatic weight gain. Genetics can make people more at risk for stretch marks, as can having high levels of cortisone in the body, which weakens the skin’s elasticity.”
There is no one-size-fits-all stretch mark treatment, according to the cosmetic surgeon. For immature, often red, stretch marks, Dr. Buckley uses the VBeam pulsed-dye laser. “The VBeam is a gold-standard among pulsed-dye lasers,” Dr. Buckley says. “It treats stretch marks, as well as vascular (red) and pigmented lesions, so it addresses the brighter colors of newer stretch marks.” The VBeam laser system is so gentle that it can safely be used on infants’ skin, but it’s powerful enough to treat early stretch marks and a variety of vascular skin conditions, according to Dr. Buckley. “VBeam’s maker Candela developed the Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) technology, which cools the skin prior to each laser pulse, preventing pain,” Dr. Buckley says.
For more mature, or older, stretch marks, Dr. Buckley uses the Fraxel re:store 1550 nm laser. Fraxel re:store treatment for most areas of stretch marks takes from 20 to 25 minutes. Patients might need three to five treatments to achieve desired softening or blending of the marks; though, most men and women see results immediately. And there’s little downtime. In most cases, patients can return to regular activities the day of treatment with the Fraxel re:store.
“I’ve often talked about how using combinations of noninvasive and minimally invasive approaches can achieve even better results. In the case of stretch marks, we’ll often use a trichloroacetic acid, or TCA, peel to reduce skin discoloration in the area. We can adjust the concentration in this peel according to how deeply we want to go to resurface the skin,” Dr. Buckley says. “The TCA peel results in some downtime and wound care, but it really brings out the vibrance in mottled, discolored skin, but removing the top layers and revealing new skin.”
Dr. Buckley also injects stretch marks with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or applies the PRP topically, then uses micro-needling to help the skin absorb the stem-cell rich PRP. PRP treatment results in localized collagen building, which fills the shadows and indentations of stretch marks and diminishes their appearance.
“As is always the case, it comes down to treating what bothers the patient in a way that works with his or her lifestyle,” Dr. Buckley says. “For patients who are bothered by the appearance of stretch marks but have schedules that are too busy to accommodate downtimes, we have noninvasive options. And those who want more dramatic results, we have combination approaches that work together to improve the overall look of not only the stretch marks, but also surrounding skin.”
About MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center:
The MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center offers state-of-the-art highly specialized procedures in laser and cosmetic-surgery and aesthetic skin care. In addition to its AAAHC accredited surgical center and extensive laser surgery capabilities, MilfordMD offers physician designed skin care products for home use. Milford Pennsylvania’s MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is sought out by patients from around the world for expertise and innovation in cosmetic treatments performed by Richard E. Buckley, M.D. and Marina Buckley, M.D.
MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is located at 303 W. Harford Street, Milford, PA 18337. Tel: (800) 664-1528. For real patient video testimonials, visit our MilfordMD YouTube channel.
