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A lot of people are concerned about stretch marks, although this is a totally natural occurrence.
There are some key stages in life when we may experience stretch marks, such as during growth in adolescence, during pregnancy, and fast weight gain or weight loss.
It is unlikely that the marks will go away completely, but they will fade over time and this is a process that can be made faster with some products and procedures.
Can you prevent Stretch Marks?
Stretch Marks can not be prevented completely as they are something that naturally appears on the surface of your skin when there is a sudden increase in weight gain. But if you keep your body at a healthy weight by eating well and exercising regularly, you can help to prevent marks.
Also, certain products can help to penetrate the skin better and to keep the skin soft and supple which improves early stretch marks.
Looking after your skin and your body is the best way of preventing stretch marks. Skin hydration is also important, so make sure you moisturise your entire body regularly- especially any areas affected by stretch marks and ideally after showering.
The appearance of stretch marks does upset a lot of people so it is understandable that a lot of people want to avoid them.
Why Do I Have Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks appear whenever your skin has grown quickly, the skin stretches, and the elasticity of your skin cannot keep up, meaning they can appear on both men and women throughout several stages of life.
This usually happens when you gain a lot of weight (sudden
Stretch marks are very common and they look like lines or streaks ac
weight gain) which causes the skin to stretch across your body. Another cause of this could be rapid muscle growth. The most important thing being anyone can develop stretch marks.
ross your skin. A Stretch Mark can be pink, red, brown, black, silver, or purple, but are usually red. As stretch marks become older they usually become white stretch marks. The appearance of stretch marks can vary due to skin types.
Whether you have experienced a growth spurt, have gained some weight, or are pregnant, your skin sometimes cannot keep up with the changes. The skin stretches across the body, causes your skin fibers to be a lot weaker, and we get stretch marks.
A stretch mark is a long, rippled, and often red mark that appears on
the skin during times of growth. These marks can also be called stria or striae distensae when they are caused by the rapid growth of the skin. Mature stretch marks will generally still have a slightly depressed texture.
We get a stretch mark when our skin does have enough collagen production. Collagen is a protein that makes skin more elastic, which would make better equipped for growing without getting stretch marks.
There are many different reasons you may get stretch marks, even if you have a healthy lifestyle. It is common with pregnant women when they gain weight. Sometimes after an accident, you can get stretch marks, As the skin heals, the marks may appear.
Those who are into bodybuilding and muscle toning can also experience stretch marks like those who get them through weight gain because these processes cause the body to grow in some way.
Marks can also run in families, so you may be genetically disposed to getting stretch marks.
What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of A Stretch Mark?
Stretch marks are a natural occurrence and something everyone is likely to experience at one point or another, but this doesn’t make them any easier to deal with. You can’t get rid of stretch marks completely.
Even though stretch marks may not pose any risk to your health, many people feel self-conscious about them and want to get rid of them as fast as possible. Getting rid of stretch marks in a completely natural way isn’t likely, as no topical solution is completely effective at getting rid of stretch marks.
Stretch marks fade over time, often without any medical or cosmetic intervention, but this can be a long process. It also should be noted that a self-tanner cannot get rid of stretch marks.
There are lots of treatment options out there when it comes to removing stretch marks, but the fastest to act is perhaps laser therapy.
In some cases, some marks can fade within a couple of sessions of laser therapy which is considerably quicker than the years it can take for them to fade naturally. When trying to get rid of or prevent stretch marks, you should make sure that you are using medically reviewed procedures to keep yourself safe.
Removing stretch marks with laser therapy should be painless. The blast of light from the laser, which is directly applied to new stretch marks, will calm the blood vessel under the skin making the marks fade.
This is a treatment that can also prevent stretch marks, as it targets the blood vessels that create these red marks in the first place.
Getting A Medical Diagnosis
In most cases, you will not need a doctor or medical professional to diagnose, provide medical advice, and advise on treating stretch marks. This is an issue you can clearly identify yourself.
However, if you are concerned about the quality of your skin and are looking for a professionally recommended treatment then you can speak to your doctor about stretch marks on how to improve stretch marks and how to remove stretch marks.
They will be able to determine what has caused the scarring on your skin and help you find the best medically reviewed treatment to remove them as part of your stretch mark treatment. Treatments to improve a mark are directed at rebuilding the integrity of the collagen in the area of the mark.
Many creams and lotions claim to prevent, reduce or remove a mark but there is very little evidence that these work.
Natural Remedies and Home Remedies For Stretch Marks
As well as seeking medically reviews treatments for stretch marks, there are some natural remedies and home remedies that you can try at home to make them fade.
This kind of treatment typically relies on natural products and ingredients, so there should be no side effects. Stretch mark creams may not be effective, but taking proper care of skin can help it look and feel its best.
Even though it is unlikely that the stretch mark will go away completely, the following treatment types aim to increase collagen in the skin, alleviate the redness and swelling of the scars, and moisturize the skin for better overall health and appearance.
Almond Oil
Massaging bitter almond oil into the areas of the skin that are most likely to be affected by stretch marks is a great way to prevent them. This oil has healing properties that can moisturize the skin, preventing streaks of stretch marks from appearing during growth.
This is an over-the-counter treatment that has been shown to offer improvement in the skin of women who are having a baby or nursing, as it prevents marks from appearing on the skin.
Retinoids And Vitamin A
There are various lotions and oils available on the market today that contain tretinoin, which is a compound derived from vitamin A.
This is a well-known skincare treatment that is normally found in anti-aging skincare products due to the fact it increases collagen in the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is also a great ingredient that is used to stimulate collagen production and is great at preventing dry skin by retaining the skin’s moisture and protecting the skin barrier- all good stuff when it comes to preventing stretch marks. Hyaluronic acid can be absorbed by consuming a capsule or an extract.
Retinoids also help with early stretch marks. Usually, Retinol is a type of Retinoid and it is used to help early stretch marks to fade. Newer stretch marks tend to feel slightly raised and can be itchy. Retinol will help to loosen and lift dead skin cells which in turn will help new skin growth.
This is a medically reviewed treatment that can help fade new stretch marks and make the skin appear plumper. By increasing the elastin in the skin, this lotion can also prevent stretch marks in the future by helping your skin stimulate collagen production to generate new, slightly thicker skin over time.
However, you should not use retinoid creams if you are pregnant.
Laser Treatment
A skin doctor would recommend using laser treatments or other treatments to help make them fade but only if you are not pregnant. The treatment removes a thin layer of skin. You would most likely have to pay for this treatment.
Pulsed dye laser therapy is another form of laser treatment it should be a painless blast of light used on new, red stretch marks.
Excimer laser therapy exposes stretch marks to targeted ultraviolet B (UVB) light. A small study shows that it’s safe and treatments over 1 to 4 months can correct pigment problems from marks.
Cosmetic surgery like a tummy tuck may remove the skin with marks but can also leave scars.
Collagen Boosters
Stretch marks typically appear on skin that does not have enough collagen due to poor collagen production, as it is not elastic enough to support growth.
This means that a great way to stop them from appearing in the first place is by using regular collagen boosters.
There are lots of natural products that are medically reviewed to increase collagen in the skin, including lupin seeds.
Aloe Vera
Stretch marks can appear more vivid on skin that is dehydrated, meaning some of the best treatments for this issue involve good moisturizers.
Aloe Vera is a great natural moisturizer for the skin that can provide a lot of hydration to the epidermis layer of skin tissue.
Using Aloe Vera can make the skin appear more plump and youthful, which can reduce the appearance of stretch marks. This is a natural ingredient in many lotions available from health food stores, drugstores, and other website services, making it quite accessible.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa Butter is a popular moisturizing lotion that is used by women during pregnancy to keep the skin supple and hydrated. This is an intense moisturizer that can be used to prevent and treat stretch marks. From user experience, the mixture of natural ingredients in this type of lotion is very soothing on the skin.
Oils
There are some reports that certain plant sources can be used to treat stretch marks. Coconut oil and olive oil can be applied directly to the striae rubrae to even out skin tone and help stretch marks fade.
These kinds of oils can also be used on acne scarring as they are said to rejuvenate skin cells and reduce inflammation that can make scars appear more noticeable on the skin. Similar effects can be found using products like Bio-Oil which contains natural ingredients.
These are all forms of topical treatment that can be applied directly onto the skin to help fade stretch marks. Using topical creams such as coconut oil will keep your skin moisturized and make stretch marks less likely.
Final Notes
No one solution will fade stretch marks completely.
You will have to be patient and willing to experiment with different home remedies and procedure types to get the best results. And remember: Keep your skin hydrated!
