What skin keeps from a pregnancy, a change in weight or an operation. We will tell you plainly what is realistic, and what is not.
Both change the structure of the dermis, but they do not form the same way. A scar follows a wound or an incision the skin has to repair. A stretch mark appears instead when the skin expands quickly.
Colour gives a first clue about how recent it is, it does not decide the treatment.
We also look at the relief, the area and your skin type, because a recent stretch mark is not the same colour on every skin. One person often has both kinds, on different areas or from one pregnancy to the next.
The recent stretch mark
Red, pink, purplish or dark brown depending on your skin. This is the stage where several studied treatments do their best work, so it is the right moment to ask the question.
The flat mark where mostly the colour changed
A darker trace on skin that stayed smooth. It is not necessarily a scar: it can be pigment left by inflammation, and the two are not treated the same way. We sort that out before proposing anything.
The mature stretch mark
Paler, slightly sunken, settled. It is harder to improve than a recent one without being out of reach: some resurfacing techniques soften its texture and its contrast. ⛔ None of them is offered here, and that is the real reason it sits in this column.
A sunken or tethered scar
When what bothers you is the relief or something pulling under the skin, rather than the colour. That is not treated like a difference in tone, and it needs assessing somewhere other than here.
Erasing a scar completely
Its depth, its colour and its suppleness can all improve. Its presence cannot, and nobody can honestly promise otherwise.
A raised or keloid scar
A thick, raised scar, sometimes spreading past the original wound, needs a medical assessment. Do not massage it firmly and do not have it needled first: we point you to a doctor.
A surgical scar that is still recent
As long as the wound is not fully closed and the team following you has not given the go-ahead, no esthetic treatment goes near the area. A scar that opens, weeps, turns hot, very red or painful should be seen without delay.
*⛔ None of our treatments targets the stretch mark or the scar itself. What follows works on the skin of the area, and we would rather write that than let you find out after a series.*
| Treatment | Best for | Result | What to expect after | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood therapy | The suppleness and look of the area, not the mark | Cosmetic and temporary, over a series | Redness or tenderness, small bruises possible without being the aim | $50 |
| Back facial | Congestion and breakouts on the back, not the mark | Immediate on appearance | Redness that fades by evening | $200 |
Wood therapy
Back facial
Show us the area. The free body consultation is there for that: we will tell you which kind of mark it is, what it is realistic to expect, and above all when the treatment that matches is not found here.
Their experienceat Béa
Beautiful Spa that is a one stop shop for all your beauty, body and aesthetic needs. The staff is skilled, warm and inviting and the zen decor makes you want to never leave. I have loved all of my services thus far, and I will continue to come back to discover new services.
Kim B.
Fresha review
Everything people ask us before a first session, answered plainly.
No, and any other answer should make you suspicious, wherever it comes from. A stretch mark is a tear in the dermis that has scarred, and the replacement tissue does not have the structure of the original skin. What is genuinely possible is softening: a shallower mark, a texture closer to the skin around it, a smaller difference in colour. Some techniques do better on recent stretch marks than on mature ones, and how much depends on the treatment as much as on the skin. The word that matters is soften, never erase. That is the difference between an expectation that will be met and a disappointment paid for in advance.
As prevention, far less than people say. The oils and butters sold for it have not been shown to stop stretch marks forming, and rubbing harder changes nothing. On a stretch mark that is already there, a few actives do have data, mostly at the recent stage: tretinoin when a doctor prescribes it, hyaluronic acid in some studies. The effect stays limited, and more so on a mature stretch mark. ⚠️ Tretinoin is not suitable during pregnancy. A simple moisturizer stays useful for the comfort of tight skin. Do not choose it expecting it to make anything disappear.
That is the first thing to settle, and it comes before choosing a treatment. Skin that is still stretching is not in a stable state, and working on it while the tearing continues makes no sense. It is also better to wait until weight has stabilised after birth, because ongoing changes keep putting demand on the same area.
Yes, and that is exactly what makes timing matter. A red stretch mark evolves toward white over a few months to a few years, and at that point it has settled. In other words, the recent stage does not last. Several techniques do better there, which does not mean a mature stretch mark can no longer be improved at all. That does not mean you should rush. It means that if the subject is on your mind, the consultation is worth booking now rather than in two years.
Yes, and the most common areas often surprise people. Thighs, hips, chest, upper arms and lower back carry them too. Adolescence leaves them too, at an age nobody expects, and a rapid gain in muscle mass does exactly the same thing. What changes from one area to another is the thickness of the skin, how sensitive it is, and therefore what can be done on it. The stage of the stretch mark and your skin type count just as much. That is what the consultation looks at.
It depends on the treatment and the kind of mark, not on the simple fact that it is on the body. A broad area makes a session longer; it does not oblige the skin to need more of them. What is true is that anything remodelling tissue is judged over weeks or months, because collagen remodels gradually. We tell you how many sessions to start with and when we will look again at whether continuing is worth it.
Send us your questions and we will guide you toward the treatments that suit you best.
