The doctors term stretch marks as striae. These are red & purple colored fine lines that are formed when the skin is stretched due to sudden weight gain. Women have striae owing to pregnancy, puberty, hormonal changes, etc. Among men, the usual reasons for these wrinkles are excessive workouts at the gym and over use of the steroids. The medical researchers have now devised a new technology to cure this problem - Fraxel. Let us review the Fraxel Laser Strech Marks technology.

How does Fraxel Work?

Fraxel is a term used for fractional laser resurfacing. In order to understand the working of this technology we first need to understand how the stretch marks are formed. Our skin has three layers. The top layer is known as epidermis and the middle layer is dermis. The middle layer forms the shape of our body and expands with the body size. It has a certain limit of elasticity that allows it to expand. When dermis is stretched more than its elasticity, the collagen (a protein that is formed naturally in the body in order to repair the skin tissues) gets destroyed and parallel reddish lines can be seen on the epidermis.

In the Fraxel Laser treatment the affected area is cleansed and then a local anesthesia is applied over it. Now a hand piece is rubbed over the marks. It flashes rays even thinner than the human hair on the middle layer of the skin that is the dermis. It creates microscopic wounds that stimulate the skin to heal. This way the lost collagen gets restored. One sitting costs $ 600 and takes 20 to 25 minutes. Usually the doctors recommend 4 to 6 sittings, but this depends on your body and the marks that you have. The results are visible in 2 to 6 months.

Is this treatment safe?

Fraxel is approved by the FDA for curing wrinkles and age spots. The clearing is in process for the stretch marks. However, it has yielded good results in almost 75% cases. It is safe provided one takes care of all the procedures prescribed by the therapist. Some of the important ones are given here:

· One has to apply some body lotions and ointments during this treatment.

· You must cover the affected area while you are out in the sun. Direct sunlight on the patch can be hazardous sometimes. Make sure to use sunscreen lotions as well.

· You must not have food that is rich in Vitamin A. You must quit it at least 10 days before starting Fraxel.

Does it have any side effects?

It has some side effects but they are not permanent. They are gone within 2 to 3 days of the sitting. Some of the common side effects are listed here:

· Itchiness

· Dryness

· Swelling

· Redness

· Pain

We can not deny the fact that Fraxel is an expensive and tedious procedure. Before opting for this last resort, one should try using the natural stretch mark removing creams and lotions. Captiva is one of the most effective anti-stretch mark creams that promise to diminish these scars within 2-3 months. It is made up of all the conventional and tested ingredients that are known to cure this issue for years. The list includes aloe vera, shea butter, emblica fruit extract, licorice extract, peptides, etc. This ointment contains tremendous moisturizing and healing properties. Captiva also claims to prevent other skin complications such as age spots, hyper pigmentation and birthmarks.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martha_Winslett