STRIAE
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1) Laser
2) Retin-A
3) Glycolic Acid


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				LASER
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Has anyone has success treating striae with the Cyanosure or Candela
flashlamp pumped pulsed dye laser at 585nm?  Our laser technician from the
mobile laser service we use tells me that many derms and plastic surgeons he
works with are doing a lot of stretch marks with good results.  Cyanosure is
also hypeing this treatment.  Does anyone on the list have any information
regarding successful treatment of stretch marks with these lasers.   Thanks,

Mike Crowe
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I have had fair results using the pulsed dye laser.  I have treated about 20
patients, so the data are not reliable.  However,  I think this is a useful
treatment.  I will be more than happy to share the parameters of treatment
if you are interested.  This is the method as described by David McDaniel,
M.D. of Virginia Beach and by Adrianna Schieffer, M.D. on the west coast.  

Arthur Ugel MD
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I have seen patients who have had various visible light laser
treatments for striae and I and they were unimpresssed.  RetinA has been
something to do and patients are occasionally impressed but I am not.  At
the preent time, the only sure way to prevent the development of striae in
pregnancy is to not get pregant.

Daniel Mark Siegel MD, MS(Management and Policy)
Assoc Prof of Derm
SUNY @ Stony Brook
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I have treated about 6 patients with Candela PDL for striae.  Red ones get
less red.  Non-red ones haven't budged for me.  I'm following the
published recommendations (I can't remember them exactly now, but know I
read the paper before I walked in the room), but have been uniformly
underwhelmed.  As I own the laser with my neighbor, I elected to treat
these 6 patients at no charge.  I'm glad, since they would have been
unhappy paying a premium for minimal change.  How is it that reports of a
given treatment's success can be so variable in clinical practice?  I
really don't get it, but would be very interested in any tricks others
might have to get better success.

Eliot N. Mostow, MD, MPH 
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My buddy with ultrapulse CO2, Candela and Q-switch ruby lasers says none 
of them are useful for striae in his experience.

Michael Fetterman
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				TRETINOIN
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I would appreciate any help in taking care of stretch marks in a 19 year old 
girl, who is pregnant for the first time. She wants to know if she can do 
something on a preventive basis. Retin-A cream is about the only external 
medication that I am aware of, that has some reports of being slightly 
useful. Thanks for any information.

SHAMSHER SINGH, M.D.
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 				GLYCOLIC ACID
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You might consider to use glyolic acid topically for a few weeks and than do
a series af six glycolic acid peels.

Bardur Sigurgeirsson
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				9.16.96