New Progress in Therapeutic Modalities of Striae Distensae

Striae distensae (stretch marks/striae gravidarum) is one of the common cosmetic problems that can cause psychological distress and anxiety to patients due to its disfiguring damage, especially for women. The etiology of striae distensae is currently unknown, and risk factors include low maternal age, family history of stretch marks, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and high neonatal weight. This article reviews the latest literature on the most commonly used, most popular, and novel treatment modalities and analyzes the hot spots and difficulties in striae distensae treatment in recent years. Topical treatment modalities are mainly used as an adjunctive treatment. Ablative lasers and non-ablative lasers are the most popular, among which picosecond has been tried in striae distensae treatment in the last two years. Combined treatment modalities are currently a hot spot for SD treatment, and microneedle radiofrequency and fractional CO₂ laser combined with other treatments are the most common. Microneedle radiofrequency is the most commonly used and achieved therapeutic effect among the combined treatment modalities.