Why do stretch marks appear?
Stretch marks happen when the skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching and is also why scars may form. They affect not only women after pregnancy but also:
- Teenagers that grew suddenly
- Athletes who are very physically active
- Bodybuilders who gain and lose weight
- People on steroids
- People who have lost weight rapidly
- People who have put on weight rapidly
- Women who have had breast enlargement surgery
- Individuals with thick skin
- People with hormonal failure
- People suffering from Cushing's disease or Marfan syndrome.
Many popular products that claim to get rid of stretch marks are just a marketing trick or myth. If you want to prevent stretch marks, these products do work well, but they do not help get rid of already existing scars. Some tips to bear in mind:
- Special creams and lotions are just moisturizing creams and lotions, which cannot eliminate stretch marks from the skin.
- Cosmetic products containing tretinoin (vitamin A that works against pimples), collagen and hyaluronic acid won't help you get rid of stretch marks despite their properties of active substances.
- Oils like coconut, almond, olive and those with vitamin E, shea oil, and others, won't erase stretch marks even if you massage the skin regularly.
- Medicinal herbs like aloe can't remove scars, even if the wisest representatives of traditional medicine promise it will.
An effective home method:
While it is impossible to get rid of stretch marks, it is not that bad because scars don't affect our health. But for marks that do annoy you, you can try to make them less visible and make the situation better with scrubbing and peeling.
Ingredients like coffee, honey, and sugar body scrubs can help simply because these products are scrubs. They remove the upper layer of scars and slowly make your stretch marks look more like healthy skin so that they become less visible.
Reliable professional methods:
Perfect results can be achieved with the help of a cosmetologist or surgeon. In fact, there are lots of methods to help fight against stretch marks using modern technology. Below are some recommendations:
Peeling: Scrubs are made of smooth natural components, peeling procedures imply the effect of aggressive chemical substances. Local anesthesia is usually used.
Microdermabrasion: This is a rather painful procedure as it removes several layers of the epidermis with the help of aluminum oxide crystals. This method is supposed to force newer and younger skin to grow faster.
Laser: Laser therapy is a new and effective method against stretch marks. As well as microdermabrasion devices, it removes skin and affects deeper layers too. There are instances when laser is performed under general anesthesia. One of the advantages of laser therapy is that it is not all that expensive and there's a low chance of having any adverse reactions.
Plastic surgery: Sometimes people turn to this method of removing the damaged skin, replacing it with healthier skin. While such operations are quite expensive and take much more time to recover from - possibly even up to 8 months in some cases. In addition, surgical scars may appear after the operation.
Mesotherapy: A number of useful substances such as hyaluronic acid and vitamins are included in the mesotherapy injections. It's especially suitable if you want to prevent stretch marks and it's more effective than creams and lotions containing the same substances.
A creative solution: Today you can cover your scars with tattoos. But the success rate will depend on your skin, the ink and the tattoo artist's experience and style.
There are instances when it is not recommended to get a tattoo. Think twice before doing so if stretch marks are new and still purple. In this case, it is better to wait as your tattoo can get damaged or ink can fall out. Women should also not get a tattoo while breastfeeding. A reliable tattoo artist won't let you do this and it is recommended to wait at least 1 year. If you plan to have a baby in the future, you should not get a tattoo as the image can become damaged.
How can you prevent stretch marks?
Even if you have stretch marks, there are ways to go about preventing new ones from forming. Keep these tips in mind:
- Make sure your diet is balanced, containing all the necessary vitamins and elements. Most of them influence the skin's bounce and elasticity.
- Be sure to drink enough water. Your skin's elasticity depends on the amount of moisture in it.
- Watch your weight, don't lose or gain weight too fast.
- If you play sports. Don't try to achieve rapid results and take care of your weight.
- Keep your skin moisturized and nourished. If you don't have scars, lotions, oils, and creams work well. If you apply them during a massage your skin will become more bouncy, elastic and healthy.
