Stretch marks: Why they appear and how to get rid of them

Stretch marks are thick lines on the skin which appear on various parts of the body like arms, breasts, hip, lower back, and especially on the abdomen. That is caused by the distension of the skin from obesity, muscle growth, or pregnancy

Causes of stretch marks

Stretch marks are also called striae it occurs when your skin changes due to weight gain.
They are not a sign of any wrong with your health.

Men and women can get stretch marks. Puberty and pregnancy are the leading cause of stretch marks.

The reason behind these awful stretches

A sudden change in the body results in stretch marks as our skin finds it difficult to stretch and cope with the changes occurring in the body and these long and thin rippled lines, called stria, appear.

This unexpected change may be due to pregnancy, obesity, weight loss, weight gain, over intake of steroids, vigorous physical exercises under bodybuilding, implant surgery of breasts, or a medical condition called Marfan syndrome, which is a genetic disease that results in the weakening of the skin fibers and uneven growth. Stretch marks also continue to persist in families.

During pregnancy, hormones get secreted because of which skin fibers weaken, and stretch marks are caused over the surface of the tummy.

The stretch marks that result due to pregnancy might become invisible once you lose those extra kilos, irrespective of the area affected.

There are several natural ways to get rid of these stretch marks

Use any of the mentioned home remedies. It may take several weeks or months to show effectiveness; please be informed that using it for 1st or 2nd time will not work. You have done this regularly until stretch marks are gone.

Preventing Stretchmarks

Preventing stretch marks is the key to not ever getting them in the first place. There are ways to make sure that during your pregnancy you won’t have stretch marks afterward and that all you will have is the wonderful baby you have been carrying for nine months.

Types of treatment for stretch marks

Treating stretch marks is easy and quick. Doctors tend to start the medication process just after having a look at your skin, even without undergoing any medical tests as such.

To a maximum extent, he can ask for your medical history, the cause of stretch marks, or the medications you have previously undergone for treating the marks.

The obvious make-up intends to hide the stretches to some extent. A variety of creams, gels, ointments, and oils are readily available in the market that boasts to cure stretch marks, but the results remain unsatisfactory most of the time.

A few suggestions that may help to avoid or get rid of the stretches are as follows:

Collagen:

Collagen is a kind of protein that increases the elasticity of the skin. An increase in the level of collagen in the body may reduce the chances of getting stretch marks. Both Lupin seed extracts and StriVectin-SD are known to increase the level of collagen in the body.[1]

Tretinoin:

The products that come with tretinoin, contain retinoid which is a complex substance relatable to Vitamin A and is famous for catalyzing the production of collagen in the body.

Besides, tretinoin helps in fading newer stretch marks but can cause red, irritated, or scaly skin as side effects. Wrinkles also get cured with the use of tretinoin. Buy Stretch Mark Removal Cream on Amazon for better discounts and deals.[2]

Centella Asiatica:

This is a kind of herbal oil that works in boosting up the cells in the body that produces collagen and build up the skin tissue. The oil is also used to heal wounds in some instances.

Centella Asiatica is one of the over-the-counter methods to fade away the stretch marks, but there is no substantial proof supporting the statement.

Almond Oil:

Certain studies show that women who were found to massage their belly area with bitter almond oil during their respective periods of pregnancy tend to have lesser stretch marks than those who used the oil but not with the massage.

Moisturizers:

Moisturizers such as vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, and olive oil are known to make the skin feel softer, but their effect on stretch marks has no solid proof.

Do stretch marks have any permanent solution?

With the growth of the dermatology department, there has evolved a series of solutions that can be used to get rid of stretch marks. A few of them are listed below:

Fractional CO2 laser therapy:

A new method of treatment, fractional CO2 laser therapy, tends to get rid of white old stretch marks. Studies show that women’s marks were removed after nearly five sessions compared to people who used creams having tretinoin and glycolic acid.

Microdermabrasion:

In this method, the topmost layer of the skin is removed with the help of tiny crystals and specific reports say that this treatment helped in removing reddish and new stretch marks when complemented with skin peels.

Pulsed dye laser therapy:

Treating the light as a tool, this treatment uses a painless beam of light on red and new stretches which works on calming the blood vessels under the skin that may have caused the stretch marks.

Cosmetic Surgery:

Surgery, being the ultimate solution can remove stretch marks, but often results in the formation of scars and are more painful and extravagant.

Stretch marks, though tend to fade away with time, look awful especially if any exposed body part is affected.

Along with the physique, the person gets affected mentally as well, which results in lesser confidence and avoiding a specific type of dress or even covering the area affected most of the time.

As every problem comes with a solution, stretch marks also come up with a range of remedies that will help the stretch marks either fade away or erase them.

Choose your answer take a dermatologist’s concern and work toward stretch mark-free skin!

How to get rid of stretch marks

There are many over-the-counter measures you can take that will help you accomplish this and I will talk about something you can make yourself, too.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A contains retinoids that help make skin appear smoother and more young.
Vitamin A is used worldwide for many cosmetic products.

According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, Vitamin A has been found to make the skin more youthful and healthy.[2]