The Art of Reducing Stretch Marks

Remove Stretch Marks the Easy Way

Rapid weight change during periods such as puberty or pregnancy is the common culprit in the development of stretch marks. However, you may be questioning what exactly causes stretch marks and how to fade stretch marks appearance if they develop. As a general rule, stretch marks are formed on the body in regions that store large amounts of fat, and they occur in the dermis, the skin layer which determines its shape.

What are Stretch Marks

Stretch marks begin as actual tears in a thinned or technically atrophic skin, with fine dermal collagen bundles arranged in straight lines parallel to the surface. This is your body’s defense mechanism at work in an attempt to heal these tears. The reality is that stretch marks are really scar tissue developed by the body to heal damage caused by thin skin stretched beyond its limits.

Recognized by doctors as “striae” (usually “striae distensae” or, in the case of pregnancy , “striae gravidarum”) stretch marks typically show up after rapid weight gain or loss. Stretch marks are most prevalent during pregnancy and the teenage years, when growth spurts and increased levels of steroid hormones cause significant changes throughout the body. The truth is that almost 90% of pregnant females develop stretch marks.

An interesting fact is that stretch marks are the most common types of skin lesions. Stretch marks, or Striae, are most commonly located on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and flank. Be aware that stretch marks are absolutely normal and aren’t considered a medical concern. The dilemma is that stretch marks can become an appearance issue and affect a person’s self esteem.

Stretch Mark Prevention - Your First Line of Defense

A secret to preventing stretch marks from developing is to maintain moisture in the skin during times of weight gain or loss. This will help reduce stretch marks and for those that do appear, repair themselve quicker. A process of exfoliation and massaging nutrient-rich natural oils into the skin ,such as wheatgerm, jojoba or vitamin E, will help erase stretch marks from your high risk areas.

The Art of Stretch Mark Removal

The practice of massaging the stretch mark affected location is critical and increases blood circulation to the affected area, also assisting the healing process. Exfoliation of the area will also help stretch marks removal by eliminating dead skin cells and allowing the stretch mark removal cream to penetrate deeper into the damaged skin. A word of caution is warranted though - be careful not to overdo with the exfoliation as it may cause your already damaged skin to become extremely sensitive. A little tenderness will go a long way to remove stretch marks effectively!

Stretch Mark Removers To Fade Away Your Stretch Marks

Stretch Mark Removers

Is there a totally effective stretch marks removal option that will work for everyone?  Not really.  However, there are a multitude of stretch mark removal methods that are used with different results.  A growing number of these tend to lean toward the natural approach while others involve a more extreme approach, such as laser surgery.  Fading stretch marks may be a complex process and require considerable time, depending on the removal procedure selected, with the costs ranging from about $30 to over $100 for an effective stretch mark remover to $1,000’s for plastic surgery or laser treatments.  

Which cure works most effectively for you will be determined by the age of your stretch marks, your skin type, and budgetary constraints.  A general summary of some of the most popular stretch mark removal methods are detailed below:

Be Smart and Hydrate Yourself

Ingest just as much or more water as you drink coffee, tea, or soda. Stretchmarks may also be caused by some nutritional dificiencies. Drink lots of water (at least 2 litres every day) - not soda or juices - because it aids your skin in staying elastic. If you are one of those individuals who are addicted to coffee or tea, drink 3 litres of water a day.

Take Skin Supportive Nutritional Supplements

Vitamin E is a critically essential vitamin to take during pregnancy to eliminate stretch marks. Also, a cream containing Vitamin D will aid in preventing stretch marks. But, because Vitamin E alone will not work due to the large size of their molecule; the addition of lanolin, which has smaller molecules, can be used to deliver the ingredients past the top layer of skin and help with skin elasticity.  If you possess stretch marks, Vitamin E is believed to improve them by lessening their appearance.  

Stretch Mark Products

The fact is that stretch mark cremes will not elimiinate your stretch marks totally, but can generally fade your stretch marks appearance to where the damaged skin blends with the surrounding normal skin.  There are many stretch mark creams and oils that have been specifically designed to mantain your skin taut and firm throughout pregnancy and actually help prevent stretch marks from starting.  The creams and lotions that enter the skin deeply will provide longer-lasting moisture that is essential to healthy skin. These cremes are best applied as night creams.

Surgical Alternatives

Surgical treatment is generally the most expensive of the stretch mark remover methods, though repeated laser treatments can result in similar prices.  The results suggest that surgical methods are considered to be the most effective and conventional method in removing stretch marks. This approach generally involves the removal of areas of skin where the stretch marks have developed.  The 2nd type of surgical procedure that can help remove stretch marks is laser procedures. This type of procedure is minimally invasive and does not involve scarring or incisions.

The treatment of stretch marks and scarring with lasers is claimed to stimulate collagen production under the skin as the dermal skin layer absorbs the laser light, which in theory fills out the skin and aiding to return pigment to the scarred area. But, there is still disagreement within the health care industry regarding laser use to treat scars and stretch marks.  Even now, many doctors and plastic surgeons believe that lasers can’t effectively treat stretch marks.

To sum it up, the stretch mark removal methods mentioned above are all proven to work to different degrees, depending on the individual’s skin type, stretch mark age, and available budget.  The least pricey of the stretch mark removal techniques are the creams and lotions, which fade existing stretch marks and give them the opportunity to blend in with the surrounding skin.  This method is one of the most pain-free treatments and should be considered first — you may just be very pleased with the results while saving your hard-earned dollars!