Cosmetic Surgery & Stretch Marks

Understanding cosmetic surgery and stretch marks and how to remedy them.

Removing stretch marks surgically is the most effective treatment simply because it completely removes the stretched portion of the skin.

However as effective as this treatment is, it's still heavily invasive, which means it's painful and there's recovery time.

However, there are a few types of minimally invasive surgeries that are just as effective in reducing or even removing stretch marks without being as painful.

For example, Dermabrasion is a type of quick cosmetic surgery that has had some proven success in treating stretch marks.

This procedure scrapes away of the skin with a specially fitted tool. The skin showing the visible stretch marks will be cut down to reveal new skin. The procedure takes just a few minutes, but may have to be repeated over time.

Chemical peels are also used for treating stretch marks. A chemical peel treatment uses a high-powered topical formula that is applied to the stretch mark. This chemical peal procedure thins out the skin chemically which removes the external stretch marks.

These two procedures are minimally invasive, though some rare side effects do exist. Depending on your age, skin tone, medical history or other factors, you may have varying or different results when treating your stretch marks. Your treatment will undoubtedly involve some combination of procedures and the application or prescription of ointments, dressings, or other types of compresses.

One other thing to consider with cosmetic surgery is the cost. It's difficult to put an exact dollar amount on this as it can vary depending on the severity of the stretch marks, but here's a ball park breakdown:

Microdermabrasion: $75 to $150 per treatment

Chemical Peels: $75 to $600 per peel

Laser Scar Reduction: $200 and up

Abdominoplasty: $3,000 to $8,500

Of course any professional procedure or surgery will cost more.

Stretch marks and their prevention, treatment and removal can certainly vary however unless you are absolutely determined on treating them with cosmetic surgery you might want to consider a more natural alternatives.

For example, because stretch marks are a form of scar there are ways to remove scars naturally and that applies to stretch marks as well.