Striae distensae are common dermatological complaint. Cold laser using low-level light/laser therapy (LLLT) offers healing and analgesic effects and was not yet compared to \'hot lasers\' efficacy. Study objective: to assess the efficacy and safety of LLLT in the management of stria alba compared to fractional carbon dioxide (FCO2) laser alone and to the combined use of both devices. Thirty patients with stria alba were randomized to receive either LLLT using diode 808 nm; 8-12 sessions, 2-3 sessions weekly (Group A) or FCO2 laser; 2 monthly sessions (Group B) or combined both devices simultaneously (Group C). Follow up was at 1 month and 3 months after last session. The efficacy of LLLT was statistically comparable to FCO2, despite numerical superiority of the latter. The combined group had the least numerical values in all efficacy outcomes. Patients in LLLT group did not experience any downtime. LLLT is effective in the management of stria alba comparable to the FCO2 laser. The lack of downtime with LLLT is reflected positively on patient\'s satisfaction. However, this is counterbalanced by the frequent weekly visits. Although adding LLLT to FCO2 laser palliates the laser side effects but it offers the least efficacy. Trial registration number NCT04165226 (clinicaltrials.gov).

UNASSIGNED: Striae distensae (SD) is a skin condition that frequently causes dermatological consultations and although asymptomatic, it may can cause itch and burning sensation. Green tea extract contains polyphenol, including flavanol, flavandiol, flavonoid, phenolic acid, amino acids and minerals which play a role in the repair of stretch marks through anti-inflammatory mechanism, increase collagen production, fibroblast proliferation, and skin hydration.
UNASSIGNED: To determine the efficacy of green tea extract cream on striae distensae.
UNASSIGNED: This is a pre-experimental clinical trial with a pretest-posttest design on 36 subjects with striae distensae. Diagnosis establishes through history taking and clinical evaluation. Imam Nelva Alviera (INA) score was used as SD severity before and after the application of the 3% green tea extract cream carried out at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Side effects and subjects\' satisfaction were also recorded. Cochran test was carried out to see the difference before and after treatment, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant.
UNASSIGNED: Majority of study subjects were 18-25 years (77.8%), had history of pregnancy (75%), had a history of menarche at the age of 12 years (27.8%) and all subjects had striae alba. There was significant decrement in INA score for striae distensae (p<0.001) after eight weeks administration of 3% green tea extract cream. Clinical improvement and no side effects were also noted. All subjects were satisfied.
UNASSIGNED: The use of 3% green tea extract cream can improve the appearance of SD.

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD), or stretch marks, result from rapid stretching of the skin due to various factors. Conventional treatments often yield unsatisfactory results, leading to the exploration of alternative methods. Laser-induced microjet technology offers a promising approach for drug delivery to target areas. This study investigates the efficacy of using a microjet injector with poly-d,l-lactic acid for treating SD.
METHODS: Four female participants with SD were treated with poly-d,l-lactic acid solution using a microjet injector over five sessions. Patients were assessed based on severity scales before and after treatment. Topical anesthetics were applied to minimize discomfort. Injection techniques were optimized to reduce side effects such as bleeding and pain.
RESULTS: All patients showed significant improvement in SD appearance after 5-7 treatments. Assessment scales indicated positive outcomes both immediately after treatment and at the 32-week follow-up. Minimal side effects, primarily petechiae, were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Laser-induced microjet technology offers several advantages, including rapid drug delivery and mechanotransduction effects, promoting skin regeneration. Poly-d,l-lactic acid injections demonstrated effectiveness in treating SD, particularly when delivered via microjet injectors. Patients expressed high satisfaction due to the procedure\'s minimal invasiveness and quick recovery.
CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing a needleless microjet injector with poly-d,l-lactic acid shows promise as a treatment for SD, typically requiring 5-7 sessions for optimal results. Mild petechiae may occur as a common side effect. This approach offers an effective and minimally invasive alternative for addressing this common cosmetic concern.

Striae distensae or stretch marks are a common complaint among women and can be distressing. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of a mixture of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and six amino acids when applied with a specific intradermal injection technique known as intra-mural fluid technique. A clinical study was carried out in 32 patients (with a dropout rate by 9.4%) with striae distensae alba (SA) in one or more of the following anatomical areas: breast, abdomen, inner thigh, trochanteric area, gluteal area, posterior supra-iliac area, and lumbar area. Product efficacy was assessed by the investigator using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, while a Likert scale was used to evaluate to score the treatment tolerability and a QoL stretch marks questionnaire was used to investigate the patients\' self-body image. The treatment was effective in improving the appearance of SA fifteen days after the second treatment and 6 months after the first treatment (and after a total of 4 treatments). The product efficacy and tolerability were also perceived by the patients during each treatment session. Our results suggest that the test treatment is a valid treatment option to decrease the appearance of SA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors https://www.springer.com/00266.

BACKGROUND: The appearance of striae gravidarum (SG) during pregnancy is a common problem. The most common SG are abdominal striae, which can cause the greatest sequelae after pregnancy, and in the long term. There are several solutions to prevent and treat these striae, but not all are completely effective, and not without side effects.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment that applies an electromagnetic field under vacuum (V-EMF therapy) on the abdominal SG.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 26 women affected by abdominal SG and treated with V-EMF therapy. The results were evaluated using two different 5-point Likert Scales: one administered to the treated subjects to evaluate their satisfaction, and one to the doctors who performed the treatment, to evaluate the improvement of the striae. The presence of side effects, and the effects of sun exposure after treatment were also considered.
RESULTS: Only two treated subjects rated their level of satisfaction with a Score III on the Liker Scale. Everyone else expressed higher levels of satisfaction. Only one doctor rated the improvement of the striae with a Liker scale score of III. All the others reported greater improvements. No discomfort or side effects were noted either during the individual treatment sessions, or at the end of the treatment. The striae showed a newfound ability to tan.
CONCLUSIONS: V-EMF therapy proves to be a valid, safe, and effective treatment modality for SG.

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD), linear scars of derma, caused by disproportionate skin stretching, which indicates a cosmetic problem and even endangers individuals\' psychosocial health. Microneedling, representing a relatively new procedural therapy, has shown brightening but diverse results in the remedy of SD. Our study systematically investigates and further evaluates the efficacy of microneedling for SD.
METHODS: This study was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. According to the preplanned search strategy, four electronic databases were comprehensively searched for eligible clinical controlled studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for continuous data and dichotomous data, respectively.
RESULTS: According to the predetermined criteria, eleven eligible articles of six RCTs and five non-RCTs were included. Concerning clinical improvement, a significant difference was observed in the microneedle radiofrequency treatment subgroup (SMD: 0.57, 95% CI 0.20-0.94, P = 0.003). The pooled result of the second subgroup revealed that microneedling and lasers producing almost comparable effectiveness for treating SD with no significant difference (P = 0.35). The analysis result of the third subgroup of microneedling versus non-laser therapy indicated significant difference at the 5% significance level (SMD:1.01, 95% CI 0.51-1.51, P < 0.0001). With regard to patient satisfaction, the pooled estimate concluded that participants\' satisfaction with therapeutic effect between MRF and laser group was comparable (P = 0.26), whereas microneedling exhibited significant superiority than both laser (P = 0.04) and non-laser treatments (SMD: 0.95, 95% CI 0.52-1.38, P < 0.0001). Occurrence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) was not obvious in microneedling therapy compared to other treatments, and a statistically difference was observed (P = 0.0003). Microneedling treatment caused significant pain compared with laser therapy (P < 0.00001).
CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis has provided initial evidence of the efficacy and safety of microneedling technology for SD.
METHODS: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae are a permanent skin defect that can affect 50%-90% of the population. The appearance of the changes resembles spindle-shaped skin bands. The skin in this area is wrinkled, thin and looks like a scar. Most often, the changes are found on the skin of the abdomen, buttocks, breasts, thighs, and back. The appearance of striae means that the skin in this area has no hair follicles, sebaceous, and sweat glands. This skin is flabby, not very elastic and, what is very characteristic, the pigmentation of the skin affected by striae is much lower than in healthy skin. Cosmetology in the 21st century is developing very dynamically, new technologies are being developed, new cosmetological devices are being created and combined with treatments that have been known for a long time. Today\'s science offers hope for people who have struggled with reducing striae for many years and nowadays, nothing is impossible.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to provide information about cosmetological treatment used to reduce striae.
METHODS: In this article, we reviewed the published literature, article published in peer-reviewed journals.
RESULTS: Today\'s cosmetology offers a wide range of numerous treatments, but the best results are achieved through a synergy of two or more treatments. But we should not forget that we should respond to each customer individually.
CONCLUSIONS: The striae are not a problem that should be ignored. The beauty therapist is able to reduce them and help the client to improve the appearance of their skin.

BACKGROUND: Striae are fine lines on the body that occur following rapid skin stretching (i.e., following pregnancy, puberty, weight change). The aim of this systematic review was to assess the current literature on treatment outcomes associated with striae.
OBJECTIVE: (1) To assess the efficacy and safety of different treatment options reported for striae and (2) to determine the most efficient treatment options for each subtype of striae.
METHODS: A systematic search was performed on MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed with no publication date or language restrictions. All articles with original data and treatment outcomes were included.
RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one studies on the treatment of striae met inclusion criteria (83% female, mean age at diagnosis = 30.2), and 4,806 treatment outcomes of striae were described. Energy-based devices were the most reported modality (56%; n = 2,699/4,806), followed by topicals (19%; n = 919/4,806) and combinations (12%; n = 567/4,806). The highest rates of complete response were injection-based devices for striae distensae (7%; n = 12/172), CO 2 lasers for striae alba (4%; n = 12/341), and platelet-rich plasma injections for striae rubra (31%; n = 4/13).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment options for striae are varied, likely indicating a lack of effective treatments due to the diversity in striae subtypes. Improved outcomes in striae management may be achieved with additional research on factors that predict treatment response.

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae is a disfiguring atrophic skin condition that impairs the body\'s aesthetic image. Despite the variety of conducted studies, there is controversy regarding the best modalities. Human mesenchymal stem cells are considered a rich source for scar treatment. Skin needling is among the most efficient and safe aesthetic and therapeutic devices. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of needling and intradermal injection of mesenchymal stem cells compared to skin needling alone for treating striae distensae.
METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial involving 10 women aged 18-60. Each striae lesion was divided into two parts, with one side receiving needling and intradermal injection of conditioned medium, while the other side received needling and intradermal injection of normal saline. This treatment was administered in three sessions with three-week intervals. Patients were evaluated before the first intervention and three months after the final session. Three months after the completion of the intervention, patients\' lesions were evaluated using biometric criteria, physician evaluation, and patient self-assessment.
RESULTS: The results demonstrated a significant improvement in dermal and complete thickness and skin density in patients treated with microneedling. All skin ultrasound parameters improved significantly in patients receiving the combination of needling and conditioned medium. When comparing the two groups, significantly higher physician and patient satisfaction was observed in the combination group. However, the comparison of biometric indices improvement wasn\'t significant between these groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of human mesenchymal stem cells with microneedling could be considered a novel effective option for stretch marks.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportions of anatomical breast characteristics suggestive of breast hypoplasia among breastfeeding women self-reporting low milk supply. We also explored breast hypoplasia risk factors.
METHODS: Online survey conducted between October 2021 and January 2022.
METHODS: Five low milk supply Facebook groups.
METHODS: 487 women reporting low milk supply with their first child born ≥ 37 weeks gestation within 5 years of participation in this study, and residing in the USA, Australia or the UK. We present data on the primary outcome (\'breast type\') for 399 women. Women were excluded if the dyad was separated for more than 24 hours during the hospital stay, or if the mother reported removing milk less than 6 times per day from each breast on most days before being aware of having insufficient milk production.
METHODS: The proportions of proposed breast hypoplasia markers including atypical breast type, widely spaced breasts, breast asymmetry, stretch marks on the breast and lack of pregnancy breast growth. We also estimated the odds of having breast hypoplasia markers in at-risk groups compared to reference groups, adjusting for covariates.
RESULTS: Approximately 68% reported at least one atypical breast (270/399; 95% CI: 62.9%, 72.1%). Around 47% reported widely spaced breasts (212/449; 95% CI: 42.7%, 52.7%), 72% a lack of pregnancy breast growth (322/449; 95% CI: 68.3%, 77.4%), and 76% stretch marks on the breast (191/250; 95% CI: 70.7%, 81.3%). Multiple logistic regression analyses identified being overweight during pubertal years as a risk factor for atypical breast type and lack of pregnancy breast growth.
CONCLUSIONS: Participants in low milk supply Facebook groups reported high rates of breast hypoplasia markers. Being overweight during adolescence was a risk factor for breast hypoplasia markers. These findings should be confirmed in well-conducted large cohort studies to determine the strongest combination of hypoplasia markers in predicting low supply.