Stretch marks are caused due to excessive stretching of the skin as a result of rapid weight gain. The skin, being elastic, stretches in order to accommodate this new body volume. At some point, though, the skin will reach the limit of its ability to stretch and the deepest layer will break. The surface skin remains undamaged when this happens, but will appear to be thin and striated. These striations are known as stretch marks, and once created, they will remain permanently.

Opinions on whether laser surgery can actually remove stretch marks or not is divided. One school of thought concedes that there is no evidence in support of the theory that laser treatments can remove stretch marks. Here is why: lasers are supposedly useful in eliminating, vaporizing and breaking down tissue. They are not capable of repairing tissue, as it were. Since stretch marks are a sign of broken tissue, they cannot be fixed by laser therapy. According to them, there is proof from clinical research that stretch marks are not treatable through laser therapy.

However, there is another school of thought which says that stretch marks are a purely cosmetic issue and can be treated as such. They say that cosmetic lasers are a new method of eradicating stretch marks because lasers can stimulate the production of collagen, which will fill these marks from below. The energy of the laser is, theoretically speaking, soaked up by the dermis, stimulating the manufacture of fresh collagen. This new collagen thickens and fills the stretch marks bottom up. Apparently, no pain is to be experienced from the procedure.

For the first couple of days post-treatment, the area could turn a little pink, as in the case of mild sunburn. Subsequent treatments will darken the skin, and no bleeding or bruising has to be dealt with. However, even they admit that such treatment does not make the skin look one hundred percent normal. Improvement is a question of degrees, and can vary greatly from person to person.