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Lasers, Lights and Other Technologies pp 105–112Cite as

Non-ablative Lasers for Stretch Marks

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Abstract

Striae distensae (SD) or stretch mark (SM), a common skin condition, does not cause any significant medical problem; however, it can cause significant distress to those affected. They are dermatologic lesions, usually asymptomatic, that often arise as a result of mechanical stress, certain endocrine conditions, pregnancy (striae gravidarum), or prolonged exposure to steroids. It can be initially erythematous (striae rubra) but over the time become atrophic with a white color (striae alba). Although there is no “gold standard” treatment for stretch marks, various laser parameters alone or in association with other modalities of treatment have been studied. Over the years, the non-ablative fractional lasers have shown good clinical results and become very popular, especially because it is well tolerated and safe, even in patients with higher phototypes (IV E V). Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the most common complication; however, it is transitory in most cases and its incidence is lower than with ablative lasers. This chapter will approach the use of non-ablative lasers for SD treatment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Luciana Archetti Conrado, Melina Kichler, Priscilla Spina & Isis Suga Veronez

Authors
  1. Luciana Archetti Conrado
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  2. Melina Kichler
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  3. Priscilla Spina
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  4. Isis Suga Veronez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luciana Archetti Conrado .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Medicine – Dermatology, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Maria Claudia Almeida Issa

  2. Clínicas Hospital of São Paulo of the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Bhertha Tamura

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Conrado, L.A., Kichler, M., Spina, P., Veronez, I.S. (2018). Non-ablative Lasers for Stretch Marks. In: Issa, M., Tamura, B. (eds) Lasers, Lights and Other Technologies. Clinical Approaches and Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16799-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16799-2_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16798-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16799-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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