For a long time, many people have been told that conventional stretch mark treatments only work on newer red and purple colored marks. Those of us with the silvery white stretch marks that were formed years ago have been out of luck for treatment options. We could either have cosmetic surgery to remove our marks or we could learn to live with them. Now we have more options since new forms of light therapy have been shown to drastically reduce the appearance of older stretch marks that have turned white and silvery.
The Food and Drug Administration or FDA has recently approved the ReLume Intense Pulsed Light device to treat marks and scars that have lost their natural skin color. Keep in mind that this procedure does not remove stretch marks. It simply causes them to return to your natural skin color so they will be much less noticeable. ReLume stretch mark treatments work best on scars that have lost all natural skin color and that are shallow. This type of phototherapy is great for all skin types.
Normally, between 6 and 12 visits are needed to observe a 75% to 99% return to normal skin color. You can expect each ReLume treatment visit to be about 30 minutes long. During your visit, the 290 to 320 nanometer pulsed light is targeted onto the marks being treated. The light is a therapeutic UVB light which jump starts melanin production in the areas where pigmentation has been lost.
After treatment, you will be advised to avoid exposure to sunlight for a couple of days. You will also be expected to use a sunscreen as protection throughout your treatment time. Maintenance treatments are usually recommended to keep melanin production stimulated in your marks. Some people choose to have maintenance ReLume treatments approximately every 4 weeks. There are a few people who may not need maintenance treatments.
Treating your stretch marks with ReLume light therapy is a painless procedure. Very mild side effects include redness or irritation around the treated area. These symptoms could occur 4 to 24 hours after treatment and usually go away with no additional remedies being required. ReLume combines the benefits of safe and effective UV phototherapy with the latest advances in targeted light technology to achieve selective re-pigmentation of hypo-pigmented skin. The procedure is painless and safe for all skin types.
Treatments using ReLume are fast and non-invasive. Many people schedule appointments during their lunch hours. Patients usually require brief sessions once or twice a week; improvement in the appearance of mature marks is routinely achieved within six to fifteen treatments. Talk with your doctor to see if your stretch mark could benefit from ReLume light therapy treatments. ReLume treatments could offer you a way to noticeably reduce the appearance of your older mature marks without having to resort to cosmetic surgery. It is safe and non-invasive unlike cosmetic surgery that may carry with it side effects.
Related Articles:
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A




Natural Acne Treatments
By: Dr Holly Jones | 28/11/2009Acne is a very common skin disease today that is characterized by pimples on the face, chest, and back. This generally occurs when the pores of the skin become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Virtually almost every case of acne can be resolved.
Getting Rid Of Acne For Good
By: Dr Holly Jones | 28/11/2009Acne is a common skin problem not only in the USA but in many parts of the world. For many, they resort to the use of medicines in order to get rid or even prevent acne. It has to be taken note of that there are natural and easy ways to get rid of such a skin problem. We would be pleased to share with you tips that would let you be acne-free.
Fed up with acne? Help is here
By: Dr Holly Jones | 28/11/2009Lets Face it, acne, as superficial as it may seem to those who don't suffer from it is a very serious condition. It takes it's toll on the sufferer mentally and physically, crippling confidence and scarring the skin of the victim.
The Best Home Remedies For Skin Hydration - A Natural Skin Hydration Formula
By: Sharon McCarthy | 28/11/2009What are the best home remedies for skin hydration? Find out what natural ingredients actually work for hydration of your skin.
Natural Face Moisturizer - The Secret To An Effective All Natural Face Moisturizer
By: Sharon McCarthy | 28/11/2009What everybody should be using on their skin is a natural face moisturizer, and not some of the other moisturizing formulas on the market. Find out what natural compounds make for the best natural face moisturizers.
Lines On Your Forehead - The Secret To Reducing Forehead Wrinkles
By: Sharon McCarthy | 28/11/2009I have to admit that it took me many years before I was successful in eliminating the lines in my forehead, and I wasted a lot of time and money along the way. Find out what natural formulas can effectively eliminate lines on your forehead.
Face Lotion To Reduce Age Spots - Best Face Lotion For Age Spot Removal
By: Sharon McCarthy | 28/11/2009Are you in need of an effective face lotion to reduce age spots, and are having trouble finding one that works? Find out what natural ingredients you need in a face lotion to reduce age spots.
Removing Cellulite Without Surgery - The Pros and Cons of Anti-Cellulite Surgery
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | Skin CareSurgically removing cellulite is a well-known process in the known world. There are plenty of experts who would be more than happy to get rid of the problem for you at the right price. However, it is advisable that you get to learn more about the process, as well as weighing the options carefully to ensure that you are getting your money's worth without putting your health at risk.
Salt Intake and HBP - How Sodium Intake Affects Blood Pressure
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthLiving with this condition is in itself a very stressful event. Not to mention its present danger, having high blood pressure is like playing a game of chess. You have to defend your territory from being captured by an enemy
HBP and Cholesterol - The Relationship Between Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthSince the time high blood pressure has been diagnosed, cholesterol has already been tied to it. An overwhelming percentage of HBP cases have blamed cholesterol as the culprit and only few has another kind of causes like an underlying complications in the body and as a result of the present medications.
Diet Plan to Lower HBP - Foods That Help Lower High Blood Pressure
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthAll things must be done in moderation. This must be the best rule when you want to maintain and live a healthy life. Sometimes due to the good taste that that many sumptuous foods are offering to us, we have a propensity to forget that the effect of those unhealthy ingredients contained in those mouth-watering foods can get back to us in an unexpected manner bringing in unfriendly maladies that include high blood pressure.
Foods That Increases Cholesterol Levels - Avoiding Foods That Can Trigger HBP
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthEveryday we are surrounded by mouth-watering temptations that prove very hard to resist. They can be easily found in parks, outside our office buildings, adjacent to our doorways, food courts in malls and in many other strategic places.
How Weight Increase Affects HBP and Cholesterol
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthEvery single part of our body compliments each other in order to perform one bodily function perfectly or as it may seem. If one of those body parts become erratic and malfunctions, all other body parts that has direct connection with it could break down as well, and the domino effect continues.
Lowering Your High Blood Pressure - Managing High BP
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | HealthHigh blood pressure is a condition wherein the blood passes the arteries having a force that is significantly higher than the normal pressure. Once your blood pressure shoots up and it is left uncontrolled many undesirable things could follow including heart failure, and eventually death. Having this condition is not a joke. It means sacrificing many of your favorite foods and many other routines in life. Living with this condition is not easy, thus, taking good care of your health is necessary.
Teeth Whitening at Home - What Procedure Works at Home and What Does Not?
By: Raj Kumar | 12/08/2009 | Dental CareOur teeth become discolored primarily from the food and teeth-staining beverages that we ingest and drink everyday. Very minute food residues cling to our teeth forming stains and are there for the rest of our lives if we are not careful enough with our teeth