Correcting Stretch Marks Using PCI

Several treatments have been proposed that offer better results in reddish striations when compared to alba striations. Topical tretinoin in cream in high concentrations, applied as home therapy, improves the appearance of these lesions; however, it may not be well tolerated by the patient, considering climatic conditions and maintenance of her average activities. Interventions such as chemical peelings, microdermabrasion, fractionated lasers, and intense pulsed light, alone or in association, are some of the therapeutic options used by dermatology for the management of these lesions. However, there is no treatment considered ideal, and the results many times modest signal its challenge. PCI, regarding treatments with microneedles that induce collagen production, offers a stimulus in the production of this protein, without causing the deepithelialization observed in ablative techniques. The epidermis and dermis are perforated but not removed. Thus, the penetration of its needles in the skin causes micropunctures in the stretch marks, modifying their surface, destructuring the abnormal collagen and favoring neovascularization and neoangiogenesis. Both violent and white stretch marks respond to PCI, but the former commonly present satisfactory results with a smaller number of sessions, while the former need a longer time to achieve such results.