Non-ablative ResurFX remodeling, our workhorse for stretch marks on the body.
Skin Resurfacing
Stretch Marks & Scars
What’s going on?
Stretch marks are tears in the skin's deeper structure, from growth spurts, pregnancy, or weight change, and scars are the skin's rushed repair job. Neither fades much on its own after the first year, and no cream meaningfully rebuilds them.
Laser remodeling and collagen induction can: both trigger fresh collagen inside the mark so it flattens, smooths, and blends toward your surrounding skin over a series of sessions. Honest expectations matter here: improvement is real, invisibility is not the promise.
Sound familiar?
Teaching skin to rebuild itself
A stretch mark is a tear in the dermis that healed thin, and a scar is a repair job the skin rushed. Neither contains the organized collagen of normal skin, which is why they catch the light differently and why creams — which never reach that depth — can’t fix them. Every treatment that genuinely works does one thing: it convinces the skin to rebuild collagen inside the mark itself.
ResurFX does this with light. It’s a non-ablative laser, meaning it heats columns of tissue beneath the surface without removing the skin above, and each treated column triggers fresh collagen as it heals. Microneedling does it mechanically: thousands of controlled micro-channels that prompt the same repair response. Different tools, same destination — new collagen where the thin, slack tissue sits, so the mark flattens and blends toward your surrounding skin.
A series, not a switch
Collagen remodeling is slow biology, so both options work as a planned series — typically several sessions spaced weeks apart, with improvement continuing for months after the last one. That’s the rhythm to budget for: a defined series up front, then results that hold, rather than a maintenance treadmill. Downtime is modest either way — redness for a day or two — which is part of why these are the workhorses for the body.
Choosing between them, and whether to combine them, is what the consultation settles. ResurFX is our first pick for stretch marks across larger areas; microneedling earns its place on scars and marks where a mechanical approach suits the skin better, and the two can alternate in one plan. Expect the honest version of success: marks that are flatter, smoother, and far less noticeable — not airbrushed away. Anyone promising invisibility is selling something.
The treatments we reach for.
Listed in the order we most often recommend them. Your consultation decides which actually fits your skin, goals, and downtime.
Collagen induction that softens and flattens marks and scars over a planned series.
MicroneedlingWhere to next?
Common question
How many sessions does it take to fade stretch marks?
Most people need a series of 3 to 6 or more sessions. Fresh reddish-purple stretch marks respond faster and better; older silvery-white ones are harder…
Read the answerCommon question
How many microneedling sessions do I need?
Most people need 3 to 6 sessions, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. General glow and texture may take 3, while acne scars and larger pores usually need the…
Read the answerRelated concern
Acne Scars
Rebuild smooth texture after acne
Explore the concernNot sure which is right? That's what consultations are for.
Bring the concern.
Leave with a plan.
Prefer to talk? Call 630-541-8413 — same-day appointments available.
Medically reviewed by Barbara Kowalczyk, FNP‑BC and Michael Fressola, ACNP‑BC, board-certified nurse practitioners at Skin Med Spa. This page is for education and is not a substitute for a personalized medical consultation.