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Veronese S, Bacci PA, Garcia-Gimenez V, Canel Micheloud CC, Haro García NL, Sbarbati A. V-EMF therapy: A new painless and completely non-invasive treatment for striae gravidarum. J Cosmet Dermatol 2024; 23:2007-2014. [PMID: 38549181 DOI: 10.1111/jocd.16220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
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. AIMS 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Veronese
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Pier Antonio Bacci
- Medical Centre for Vascular Diseases and Aesthetic Pathologies, Arezzo, Italy
| | - Victor Garcia-Gimenez
- Knowledge and Management in Physiological Aging Medicine Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Andrea Sbarbati
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Shu X, Huo W, Zou L, Li Z, Tang Y, Li L, Wang X. Treatment of Stretch Marks Using a New Formulation Combining Nanofractional Radiofrequency Plus Magnetic Nanofractional Radiofrequency. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2023:10.1007/s13555-023-00926-y. [PMID: 37171578 DOI: 10.1007/s13555-023-00926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stretch marks are common atrophic dermal scars with significant physical and psychological effects. Therefore, there is a need for effective cosmetics and procedures for stretch mark treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel treatment for stretch marks that is made up of topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency. METHODS This randomized, blinded control trial enrolled 64 Chinese women aged 20-45 years at > 6 months after delivery with obvious white or silver abdominal stretch marks. Participants were randomly allocated to group A (blank group), group B (topical product group), group C (product combined with nanofractional radiofrequency), and group D (vehicle combined with nanofractional radiofrequency). The stretch mark width, skin elasticity, skin color, skin thickness, and collagen density were noninvasively measured. Two trained assessors evaluated the severity, color, outline, and relaxation of the striae. RESULTS Group C showed the best treatment efficacy, with no adverse effects observed during the study period. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that stretch mark treatment using topical formulations containing beta-glucan, combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency, is tolerable and effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR2200056725.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Shu
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Huo
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Zou
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxia Li
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Tang
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Li
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
- Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Wang
- Center of Cosmetic Evaluation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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Luo Y, Lin Y, Wang M, Gao X, Liu X, Liu H. Treatment of striae albae with 1,550 nm Er: Glass vs. CO 2 fractional laser: A self-controlled study. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 9:1060815. [PMID: 36703883 PMCID: PMC9871643 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1060815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser and 1,550 nm Er: glass laser in the treatment for the patients with striae albae. Methods The female adults with striae albae in the abdomen for at least 12 months were recruited. After informed consent obtained, the patient received three treatments at 2-month intervals. The lesions on the left abdomen were treated with 10,600 nm CO2 fractional laser and right side treated with 1,550 nm Er: glass fractional laser. The pictures were taken before each visit and 3 months after the final treatment. The criteria for the evaluations using a quartile grading scale were excellent (76-100%), good (51-75%), fair (26-50%), poor (1-25%), and no improvement (0%). The safety and efficacy of the two lasers were independently evaluated using before and after photographs by two dermatologists. In addition, the self-reports to investigate the pain and satisfaction from patients were also recorded. Results Totally, 27 cases were recruited, and 25 patients completed the treatments and follow-up. The excellent and good results (improvement of 51-100%) were achieved on the right abdomen in 84% of the patients, while 48% on the left site (p < 0.05). Hyper-pigmentation was seen in 20% of the patients assessed on the left abdomen and only in 8% on the right abdomen. During the treatments, average score of the pain on the right abdomen was 5.41 ± 2.13, which was higher than that on the left (4.19 ± 2.12) (p < 0.001). No permanent hyper-pigmentation was found on the both sides. Considering the whole treatments, the patients favored the modality used on the right side (80 vs. 68%, p < 0.05). Conclusion Compared with CO2 fractional laser, 1,550 nm Er: glass fractional laser therapy provides the significantly better clinical outcomes and fewer side effects in the treatment of striae albae. Limitations The sample size and follow-up time were limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Luo
- Department of Dermatology, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Meiling Wang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Third People’s Hospital of Guizhou, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Gao
- Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Huaxu Liu
- Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Huaxu Liu,
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Study on the methodology of striae gravidarum severity evaluation. Biomed Eng Online 2021; 20:109. [PMID: 34696793 PMCID: PMC8547052 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-021-00945-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Striae gravidarum is a common occurrence in pregnancy and many women expect to prevent its development. At present, laser treatment has been used to improve the appearance of striae gravidarum, but the choice of laser type, treatment time, and frequency depend on the therapeutic effect. How to obtain an effective evaluation of striae gravidarum during and after treatment is very important. However, there is no unified evaluation parameter about striae gravidarum. In this paper, we studied the methodology evaluation of striae gravidarum severity. First, the laser therapeutic apparatus was selected as the experimental equipment and different striae gravidarum photos during treatment were obtained. Second, the subject evaluation parameters were chosen based on the literature research and the dermatologists’ guidance. Then, the striae gravidarum photos were divided into different groups by dermatologists based on these parameters. Finally, the objective detection parameters were designed based on the photos feature and subject evaluation parameters. Then, the objective detection parameters were used as the input of the support vector machine and the evaluation results were compared. Results Based on the subject evaluation parameters, the experimental data could be divided into mild, moderate and severe groups. The experiment results showed that the striae gravidarum severity of two randomly patients were improved before and after treatment, which verified the validity of the parameters. In addition, the chosen objective detection parameters were different among different groups. With all the objective parameters as the support vector machine input, we could achieve the best recognition rate (82.71%) in the striae gravidarum severity classification. The four parameters (color difference, average density, average width, distribution area) calculated from the photos as the input could achieve acceptable accuracy (81.69%). Conclusions The subject evaluation parameters and objective detection parameters proposed in this paper can be used to evaluate the striae gravidarum severity, which is of great significance for the construction of auxiliary diagnostic instrument for striae gravidarum treatment.
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Punj P, Agrawal S, Regmi MC, Pandey P. Prevalence and risk factors of striae gravidarum in a cohort of multiracial postpartum Nepalese population. J Cosmet Dermatol 2021; 21:1559-1569. [PMID: 34051042 DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Striae gravidarum (SG), popularly called as stretch marks, is a common pregnancy-related asymptomatic skin condition, but is a cosmetic concern for females. A few epidemiological studies have been reported from Asian countries. However, no such study has been done in Nepal. AIMS This study was aimed to know the prevalence and risk factors associated with SG in a cohort of multi-ethnic postpartum Nepalese women who had delivered after completion of 36 weeks. PATIENTS/METHOD A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 420 postpartum females who had delivered after completion of 36 weeks of gestation. Data were collected in the form of a questionnaire and relevant physical examination was done. The severity of SG was assessed by using Davey's scoring. RESULT Out of 420 females, 260 (62%) had SG while 160 (38%) did not. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, young age (<25 years), large abdominal circumference (>100 cm), increased weight gain during pregnancy (>15 kg), presence of family history of SG, gestational diabetes mellitus, altered bowel movement, and presence of striae on the breasts, thighs, and buttocks were found to be independent risk factors for SG. CONCLUSIONS Future expectant mothers must be informed about the risk factors of SG development. They need to be made aware that SG can be prevented by considering the modifiable risk factors, such as excessive weight gain. They should also be informed that SG is permanent and currently there is no definite treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Punj
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Sudha Agrawal
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Mohan Chandra Regmi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Prajwal Pandey
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
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Çintesun E, Aydoğdu M, Akar S, Çelik Ç. Is striae gravidarum a sign of spontaneous premature birth? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2020; 35:3467-3472. [PMID: 32957847 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2020.1821642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the association of striae gravidarum (SG) and preterm delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective cross-sectional study was performed between November 2018 and February 2019. In addition to demographic variables, SG score of the abdomen, presence of striae on breasts, arms, hips, and thighs were recorded. Davey's scoring system was used to define the severity of SG in the abdomen by the same investigators. Patients with cervical dilatation of 6 cm or more were included in the preterm labor group. RESULTS A total of 292 women were included in the study. Of these, 176 (60.3%) had no SG, 20 (6.8%) had mild SG, and 96 (32.9%) had severe SG. Davey's score was lower in the group of patients with preterm birth than in the term birth groups (p = .002). SG in the breasts was more common in the preterm labor group than in the term birth group (p = .007). Also, the presence of SG in the legs was less common in the preterm labor group than in the term birth group (p < .001). In a logistic regression model, stria in the breasts revealed most significant in preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS No difference was found in the pregnancy length in gestational weeks among groups of different SG severity. The Davey's score and the presence of striae in the legs and breasts were found different between the preterm and term birth groups, and the term birth subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ersin Çintesun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Selçuk University Medicine Faculty, Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey
| | - Meltem Aydoğdu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Selçuk University Medicine Faculty, Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey
| | - Serra Akar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Selçuk University Medicine Faculty, Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey
| | - Çetin Çelik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Selçuk University Medicine Faculty, Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey
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