How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Several women and young girls experience stretch marks on their thighs, hips, lower back, buttock, breasts or upper arms. Stretch marks is considered to be a common phenomenon in women, however, men also get stretch marks. They appear in those areas of the body where maximum amount of fat is stored. Stretch marks are spearheaded by various major changes in a woman's life such as puberty, weight loss, weight gain or pregnancy. Body builders and weight lifters who often experience rapid weight gain can become prey to these unwanted lines across certain body parts.

Stretch marks are primarily linear scars affecting a thin layer of skin, and are the corollaries of rapid stretching of the skin. Skin is fairly elastic, however, its rapid stretching results in the disruption of the collagen. Collagen is the protein, making up the connective tissues in the skin and when overstretched, gets damaged. The onset of stretch marks is characterized by reddish or purple lines, which eventually fade with time and become whitish in color. The stretch mark areas of the skin appear empty and soft to touch. The texture differs from the surrounding skin, however, these marks cause no pain. Here is some information on how to get rid of stretch marks through conventional and alternative forms of treatment. Today, various kinds of stretch marks are available to treat this condition.

Ways To Get Rid of Stretch Marks

One can either choose home remedies, medical or the cosmetic approach for stretch marks cure. However, before selecting any of the treatment methods, one should consult the doctor, especially if one is pregnant or nursing. While looking for stretch marks treatments, one should understand which part of the skin requires healing. The skin comprises three layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous stratum. The middle layer or dermis is the layer of skin responsible for keeping the skin in shape. Rapid stretching over a period of time causes the dermis to become less elastic. Moreover, the dermis loses its support, resulting in dermal and epidermal tearing or stretch marks.

Home Remedies For Stretch Mark Cure

Stretch Mark Creams: 0.1% Tretinoin creams are considered to work best for treating fresh stretch marks. This cream is specifically effective against stretch marks less than 6 weeks old, and work by rebuilding collagen. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use these creams as the Tretinoin ingredient can pass from the mother to the child. A study published in Archives of Dermatology (May 1996), revealed that these creams reduced stretched marks to a significant extent.

Homemade Lotion: To prepare this lotion, one requires some natural unrefined butter, coconut oil and jojoba oil. Mango, cocoa or aloe butter are the best to treat stretch marks. Into a bowl, take 3 cups of chosen unrefined butter and add half cup of jojoba oil into it. Stir the mixture well and add half cup of coconut oil into it, and stir well. One can add few drops of favorite fragrance into the prepared mixture. The lotion is ready, and is to be applied three times a day.

Vitamin E: Breaking open Vitamin E capsules and applying the oil on the stretch marks consistently for 2 weeks is believed to reduce stretch marks.

Glycolic acid and Vitamin C: Glycolic acid is believed to increase collagen production. When glycolic acid doses are combined with Vitamin C supplements (500 mg) three times a day, it will help reduce stretch marks.

Besides the above ways to get rid of stretch marks naturally, one can even try applying Vic's Vapor rub onto a wash cloth or paper towel and apply it forcefully on the stretch marks every night for 2 weeks straight. One should also use a loofah or scrunchy to exfoliate the skin on a daily basis. Frequent hot baths and massaging affected areas also helps a great deal. Tanning eliminates minor stretch marks, thus sunbathing with sunscreen on is a also a good idea.

Medical Procedures

Laser Treatment: One of the ways to get rid of stretch marks that are purple, red or white is the laser stretch mark removal therapy. In this treatment method, promotion of collagen formation takes place. This treatment is expensive and the effectiveness is limited. There are the vascular lasers which are effective against redness, as they treat the blood vessels behind it, and won't remove superficial skin. Then, there are the fractionated laser, pulsed dye laser, excimer laser, etc. which are considered to be effective to treat stretch marks.

Microdermabrasion: This procedure is popularly carried out in spas and salons. In this procedure crystals are blown onto the skin, to polish the skin surface. A vacuum tube then removes the crystals and skin cells from the affected area, thereby stimulating new growth. Microdermabrasion is effective against older stretch marks.

These treatment methods are believed to be effective, however, not all have been proved effective; which is why it is better to prevent the skin from stretching, rather than worrying about how to get rid of stretch marks. Since stretch marks are the consequence of skin being stretched to the limit of its elasticity, it is better to increase the elasticity of the skin or reduce the cause of stretching. Application of lotions comprising cocoa butter not only help reduce stretch marks, but also help prevent them. Drinking lots of water and staying hydrated also helps keep stretch marks at bay. Moreover, having vitamin A, E and C supplements are also beneficial to increase collagen elasticity within the skin, thereby reducing the chances of stretch mark formation.