Hi! I’m Dr Loo Keng Shien.

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Patient Mailbox series, where we collect handpicked questions submitted by patients suffering from various skin diseases and condition, and personally answer them with our best efforts. I hope to help any one of you who face challenges from similar situations.

Editor’s Note: Dr Loo Keng Shien is a Consultant Aesthetic Physician with a special interest in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine. She has highly certified qualifications from the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, and in Practical Dermatology from Cardiff University. She currently practices at Peter Ch'ng Clinic Skin & Laser Specialist in Desa Park City.

Question:

Hi Dr Loo,

I’m Joanne, a 35 years old new mummy. I recently delivered my first baby, about 3 weeks ago. I didn’t know that stretch mark can be so serious! Perhaps it was due to my huge baby and it stretched my tummy skin very much during my 3rd trimester. My scar from my C-sec delivery is still visible, too.

I used to go for swimming classes before my pregnancy and I want to resume now. I wish to get rid of these stretch marks and scars before getting back into the pool again. I have bought and tried several stretch mark removal cream online but they are not effective and even worsen my skin.

Is there anyway to return my skin to its original condition?

Answer:

Stretch marks and C-sec scars are two pretty common complaints from women, especially new mums (trust me, I'm a mother of four myself). To start with, we need to know more about what exactly these stretch marks or scars of ours are.

Stretch Marks

Stretch marks appear due to a breakage in the middle layer of our skin, usually due to sudden weight gains or sudden growths. These can also be influenced by hormones and certain medications.

There are two types of stretch marks:

• Fresh stretch marks: Linear red/purple colour
• Old stretch marks: Silvery white colour

Stretch marks can appear anywhere where the skin has been stretched, but they usually affect areas where fat is stored, such as the tummy, breasts, upper arms, buttocks, thighs and shoulders.

It is common to develop stretch marks after pregnancy, and it depends also on your skin type and how elastic your skin is.

C-sec scars

C-sec Scars can be flat, hypertrophic or keloid. Hypertrophic scars grow within the scars, whereas keloid scars grow out from the original scar.

Some patients are genetically more susceptible to keloid scars.

To treat these skin conditions, laser treatments are usually used.

Treatment for Stretch Marks

Honestly, it is actually impossible for our skin to return to its original condition once we develop stretch marks, but we can improve the condition via laser treatments.

The laser creates micro injuries on the skin, allowing the delivery of PRP (platelet rich plasma) into the middle layer of the skin.

PRP is made from the patient's own platelets and fibrin, and play a role in enhancing the "growth factors" that activate and rejuvenate cells in our body.

Both these steps stimulate the regeneration of collagen and improve the healing of stretch marks.

As seen in the image above, the uneven layer of stretch marks in the left picture (before the treatment) have been smoothed out in the right picture (after the treatment). The red marks are the aforementioned micro injuries made by the laser. These marks will subside and disappear within a few days.

*Editor’s note: If you’re interested in getting a laser treatment for your stretch marks, call us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

Treatment for C-sec Scars

To treat C-sec scars, we first inject anti-inflammatory medication that can flatten the hypertrophic or keloid scars.

After that, a laser treatment is used to help reduce the size of blood vessels over the scar, lightening the redness of the scar.

*Editor’s note: If you’re interested in getting a laser treatment to get rid of your c-sec scar, call us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

Stretch Mark Removal Cream and other Home Remedies

Some products like stretch mark removal cream or products are also commonly used by patients, and they can be easily found in shops or through internet shopping - but are they safe to use?

Products that are sold online are seldom registered under the Drug Control Authority (DCA), and may carry ingredients that can cause more harm than good.

There was a patient who used a stretch mark removal cream she bought online which seemed very effective, with whitening effect too. But we later found out that the product actually contained mercury to cover up and make the stretch mark invisible.

Mercury in medications or skin products are highly toxic, and can lead to mercury poisoning. Some of the illegal ingredients used in unregistered products are mercury in skin cream, or the lead chemical element in lipsticks.

So please be very careful when choosing your treatment method!

*Editor's note: If you are unsure of the legality of a product and wish to verify if it is registered under the DCA, you can contact our National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.

Furthermore, the absorption of topical cream (DCA registered products) into the middle layer of the skin where the scar or stretch mark originates from is very minimal. Therefore, the effect of the cream on the scar or stretch marks will also be minimal.

When to do the treatment

One common question I always get from patients is When can I start my treatment for stretch marks/C-sec scar? Can I do it so soon after my delivery?

My advice would be: Wait until 6 weeks after your delivery before you start your treatment!

So, do you have a clearer idea on stretch marks and c-sec scars, and how to get rid of them now?

Stay tuned next week as we go through some of the other causes of stretch marks other than pregnancy.

See ya!

*Editor’s note: As an esteemed aesthetic physician, Dr Loo is well known for always putting patient's safety and satisfaction as her number one priority. If you’d like to ask more about stretch marks or C-sec scars, or have a discussion with Dr Loo, call us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

---

If you’d like to ask more about your skin condition or have a discussion with Dr Loo, call us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!