Sadly, there are quite a few people that suffer from embarrassing stretch marks in a variety of areas on the body. They could be the result of a massive growth spurt in adolescence or they may be brought on by rapid weight gain. In adulthood, women often develop stretch marks during pregnancy, and they commonly appear on the abdomen, thighs, and breasts. But in all honesty, stretch marks could occur on nearly any area of the body where the skin can be stretched significantly due to rapid growth of some sort (in which the skin's normal elasticity and cell turnover simply can't compensate). And although there are all kinds of pricy treatments on the market claiming to make your stretch marks invisible, you might not have the dough to blow on professional therapies. In truth, they aren't likely to deliver all they promise anyway. Here are a few things you need to know before you start, as well as the 4-1-1 on low-cost treatments that may work just as well as far more costly procedures.
Malaika Arora's pregnancy stretch marks are clearly visible in this photo.
Let's just get one thing out of the way first: you cannot eliminate stretch marks. Okay, that's not entirely true. If you actually remove the skin that has stretch marks on it (through surgery), the stretch marks will be gone (along with a chunk of your skin, which is why most people forego this type of treatment). In some cases, women who opt for breast reductions or weight-loss patients that lose extreme poundage may gain the benefits of such surgical procedures. But pretty much everyone else has to find ways to simply reduce the appearance of stretch marks. And the reason you really can't get rid of them, in case you didn't know, is that they are scar tissue. Luckily, there are some treatments out there geared specifically towards reducing the appearance of these striae.
Your best bet, of course, is to prevent the occurrence of stretch marks as much as possible, so if you know that you're prone to the condition and you happen to discover that you're pregnant, you can treat potential problem areas with concentrated body butters (like Bio-Oil, vitamin E oil, or cocoa or shea butter formulas). The richer the better; the idea here is to keep skin as hydrated and elastic as possible, although even that might not be enough to totally stop the formation of new stretch marks. So what about reducing the appearance of those that are already present?
There are two good solutions. A vitamin A byproduct known as tretinoin (although more commonly referred to as Retin-A in consumer products) has been shown to promote collagen production (which is why many women use it in face creams as a way to stave off facial plastic surgery). This treatment is most useful while stretch marks are still forming as it can help to fade the stretch marks before they have fully formed so that they will blend in better with the normal skin tissue around them. Creams containing alpha-hydroxy acid (commonly used on acne scars) may also be beneficial as they speed exfoliation (and cell regeneration). And since both of these products are available in prescription strength products (the latter can also be found in OTC creams in lower concentrations), your insurance may actually cover them. Bonus!
(Guest Post by Carol)
Malaika Arora's pregnancy stretch marks are clearly visible in this photo.
Let's just get one thing out of the way first: you cannot eliminate stretch marks. Okay, that's not entirely true. If you actually remove the skin that has stretch marks on it (through surgery), the stretch marks will be gone (along with a chunk of your skin, which is why most people forego this type of treatment). In some cases, women who opt for breast reductions or weight-loss patients that lose extreme poundage may gain the benefits of such surgical procedures. But pretty much everyone else has to find ways to simply reduce the appearance of stretch marks. And the reason you really can't get rid of them, in case you didn't know, is that they are scar tissue. Luckily, there are some treatments out there geared specifically towards reducing the appearance of these striae.
Your best bet, of course, is to prevent the occurrence of stretch marks as much as possible, so if you know that you're prone to the condition and you happen to discover that you're pregnant, you can treat potential problem areas with concentrated body butters (like Bio-Oil, vitamin E oil, or cocoa or shea butter formulas). The richer the better; the idea here is to keep skin as hydrated and elastic as possible, although even that might not be enough to totally stop the formation of new stretch marks. So what about reducing the appearance of those that are already present?
There are two good solutions. A vitamin A byproduct known as tretinoin (although more commonly referred to as Retin-A in consumer products) has been shown to promote collagen production (which is why many women use it in face creams as a way to stave off facial plastic surgery). This treatment is most useful while stretch marks are still forming as it can help to fade the stretch marks before they have fully formed so that they will blend in better with the normal skin tissue around them. Creams containing alpha-hydroxy acid (commonly used on acne scars) may also be beneficial as they speed exfoliation (and cell regeneration). And since both of these products are available in prescription strength products (the latter can also be found in OTC creams in lower concentrations), your insurance may actually cover them. Bonus!
(Guest Post by Carol)
Hi i had stretch marks for many years now but I tried jojoba oil wich work great on my white strech marks maybe it could help some of you
ReplyDeletexoxo
Ness