Good news: There's a new skin treatment procedure that promises decrease the appearance of stretch marks by a whopping 90 percent! But before you get your hopes up, you should know there's a catch. The treatment requires patients to undergo a procedure so painful, it's been compared to actual torture. Still game? Well, then keep reading for the rest of the cringe-worthy deets.
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DermaEraze is the new craze among women looking to rid their skin of stretch marks, once and for all. Developed in the U.K. by Lorena Oberg, DermaEraze uses a combination of lasers and a tattoo gun-like device to purposely harm the skin. Yeah, HARM the skin. On purpose. It sounds crazy, but apparently there's a method to this madness.
You see, when skill cells are damaged, they react by making more collagen, which in turn has a tightening effect on the skin. But in order to enjoy that baby butt-like skin, you first have to be willing to go through two hours' worth of pure and utter torture.
Wise patients minimize the pain associated with the procedure by applying a topical anesthetic cream, which they'll definitely need. Next, lasers (aka intense pulse lights) are used to even out the skin's texture and tone. Last, but certainly not least, the skin is punctured using a needling gun which can hold as many as eight needles at a time. The needles are then oscillated back and forth across the skin, like a sewing machine, effectively damaging the skin. Mission accomplished … I guess.
The entire procedure, from start to finish, takes up to two hours, and promises to be a real pain in the … well, whatever body part you're working on. But if you're willing to go through the pain, it may be worth your while. According to Oberg, fully healed results can be seen in 6 to 8 weeks although the area continues to improve for up to six months after the treatment.
There once was a time when I thought I'd do just about anything to rid myself the pesky stretch marks that run along my hips and thighs. But now I realize I'd rather live with my stretch marks than have the scars needled away, one by one. I guess I'm just not tortured enough by my stretch marks to consider enduring the physical torture required to rid myself of them. Yeah, thanks but no thanks.
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