Unit 7.15- Stretch Marks & Scars Copy

Atrophic Scars

Indented scars typically observed from prior acne breakouts, chicken pox, piercings.

Keloids

Raised and often discolored scars typically arising from serious injury or in genetic predisposition for some ethnicities that correlate to Fitzpatrick type 4-6.

Contracture

Typically occurring after a serious burn. These appear very fibrous, and at times shiny.

Stretch Marks

Trauma to the skin from rapid change in weight or pregnancy. Fresh stretch marks appear pinkish for several months or years once formed. Older stretch marks appear as skin toned often lax and wrinkly skin at times shiny in appearance.

Hypertrophic Scars

Slightly raised scars, but differing from the severity of keloid scarring.

Treating Stretch Marks & Scars

Atrophic Scars: Evaluate the depth of atrophic scars according to their depth. We utilize the Grade 1,2 or 3 system for atrophic scars just as we evaluate fine lines and wrinkles. The litmus test for a scar relating to a grade 3 scar that we consider Ice pick scars, a deep circular hole in the skin, we will treat these scars around the rim of the ice pick scar. For grade 3 scars if the tip of your probe must enter below the level of the skin, it is a grade 3 and you should avoid treating inside scars at this depth. Treating around the scar at this depth will help improve the depth of the scar in most instances so that the future treatment can be provided across the surface of the scar.

For wider flat atrophic scars the appropriate treatment is to perform the DICE pattern across the full width & length of the scar.

Keloid Scars

The appropriate treatment for keloid scars is regular treatments with the Plamere fractional applicator tip. This should improve the appearance of the scar without any risk of further keloid scar development.

Contracture

The appropriate treatment for this scar type is consists of regular treatments with the Plamere fractional applicator tip. This should improve the appearance of the scar without any risk of further scar development.

Stretch Marks

There are two major phases for stretch marks. Fresh stretch marks that appear pink and white stretch marks. We will use the DICE pattern for stretch marks of BOTH types covering over the full width and length of the mark. You can also place dots on the perimeter of the stretch mark, the line where the skin first starts to appear as lax skin versus the firmer skin of the regular skin surrounding the stretch mark.

WE DO NOT SPRAY STRETCH MARKS. Spray method is also known as scanning or avatar or sweeping. * (see note below)

Hypertrophic Scars

The appropriate treatment for hypertrophic scars consists regular treatments with the Plamere fractional applicator tip. This should improve the appearance of the scar without any risk of further risk of worsening the scar.

***IMPORTANT NOTE***

WE DO NOT SPRAY STRETCH MARKS. Spray method is also known as scanning or avatar or sweeping. We do not do this because these methods will result in your clients stretch marks turning pink or red for several months longer than typical healing times. There is no benefit to treating the stretch marks in this way, especially considering how displeasing red stretch marks are to anyone who has had them. This also applies to fresh/red/pink stretch marks. Clients are very upset when this happens!