Abstract
Striae Distensae (SD) or stretch marks are among the most common forms of atrophic scarring and cosmetic problems, especially in women, that negatively affect quality of life. The main causes of SD vary widely, but the most significant ones include obesity, pregnancy, high corticosteroid levels, weight changes, endocrine disorders and genetic predispositions. Various modalities are available for the treatment of SD; however, there is still no gold standard therapy for this condition. Given the many questions concerning the preferred therapeutic modalities for SD or their overall cost-effectiveness, this comprehensive systematic review discusses the most prevalent, recent and promising therapies for SD in three main categories, including single therapy, therapeutic comparisons and combination therapy. A systematic search was carried out in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for original articles published on the treatment of SD by May 20, 2019. One hundred articles were reviewed and divided into three categories. In the single therapy category, we found that laser and other light-based devices and topical treatments are the most commonly-applied interventions. In the therapeutic comparison category, we found that most of the common therapeutic modalities are equally effective and there is no significant difference between them in side-effects and treatment duration. In the combination therapy category, we found that the combination of two or more modalities is usually better than using each one alone.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2184-2198 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | JEADV: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 16 Jun 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 14 Oct 2021 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Rasool Akram Medical Complex Clinical Research Development Center (RCRDC) for their technical and editorial assistance.
Data Availability Statement
Supporting information: Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this articleKeywords
- Striae
- Stretch Marks
- Striae Alba
- Striae Rubra
- Striae Gravidarum
- Striae Distensae
- Scar
- Atrophic Scar
- Treatment Modalities
- Systematic Review
- Single Therapy
- Comparative Therapy
- Combination Therapy
- Light
- laser
- co2 laser
- IPL
- Micro-needling
- Needling
- Abrasion Therapy
- Topical Therapy
- Radiofrequency
- Platelet-Rich Plasma
- RF
- Phototherapy
- Tretinoin
- Chemical Peeling
- Peeling