Carbocysteine: A New Way for Stretch Marks Treatment

Background/Purpose: Although stretch marks (or striae) do not represent a medical problem, they are considered as the cause of psychological distress for women of any age that need to be treated. There are many cosmetic products or procedures claiming to improve the appearance of striae, but most of them are able to affect only striae appearance rather than physical characteristics or, even worse, they are provided with untoward effects. Our aim was to find a more efficacious and safe alternative to the existing tools. Methods: A randomized, blind observer study was conducted on 33 women to test the efficacy and safety of P-3059, a new product containing carboxymethylcysteine, Vitamin E and sweet almond oil. P-3059 was applied twice daily for 8 weeks and it was tested intra-subject in a split-body design versus an untreated area (negative control), comparing two symmetric areas with striae selected on the body/legs of each subject. The main study endpoint was the visual evaluation of striae, by means of the validated POSAS scale (consisting of two parts, OSAS and PSAS), at the end of treatment in comparison with baseline. Results: The comparison of the individual parameters of OSAS, showed significantly improved mean values for striae thickness, relief and pliability at the end of treatment (p < 0.05). The PSAS evaluation showed a statistically significant benefit in the improvement in thickness of the striae towards that of normal skin (p < 0.044). Conclusion: The new product based on carboxymethylcysteine leads to an improvement in the appearance and in the physical characteristics of striae, reducing their thickness and improving relief and pliability, as well as subjects satisfaction.