Stretch Marks
How To Get Rid Of Them
Stretch Marks Page 1
Stretch marks are narrow, streak-like lines that can develop on the surface of the skin. They
are also sometimes known as stria or striae. The skin is usually fairly elastic, but when it's
overstretched, the normal production of collagen (the major protein that makes up the
connective tissue in your skin) is disrupted, thereby giving rise to scars or stretch marks.
However, if a part of your body grows rapidly over a short period, the fibers can become thin
and over-stretched and some of them may break, and thus result to striae. Stretch marks
appear when your skin is suddenly stretched just like during the growth spurt in your teenage
years, or when you build muscle after months of working out, or as the belly grows to
accommodate a growing fetus.
Stretch marks can also be brought on by obesity and weight lifting. At the spot where those
fibers in the dermis split, tiny tears appear and the underlying blood vessels are visible from
the surface. This is why striae are a reddish color when they first appear. Eventually though
the blood vessels shrink to leave only the underlying fat visible, and the scars become less
prominent. They can affect anywhere on the body, especially in areas where adipose tissues
are usually stored like the abdomen, upper arms, and thighs. Although they pose no health
risks, and do not compromise the skin’s ability to function they do become a cosmetic
problem.
Despite the fact that these scars disappear at some point, this has never been really brought
comfort to ladies who wish of frolicking around the beach in their best-looking bikinis during
summertime. The good thing is there are several ways on how to cover up or get rid of
stretch marks, some easier and less expensive to do than others.
How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks Fast
Some individuals find that self-tanners and sunless tanning products can get rid of stretch
marks temporarily. Body makeup matched to the tone of your skin can make the striae less
noticeable. The major drawback with these products though is that they only work when you
use them, meaning, they are only temporary solutions. At the same time, they don't last the
entire day, and you would have to apply them quite frequently if you sweat a lot or every
after a few hours when at the beach.
While browsing the web for resources that teach how
to get rid of stretch marks fast, it's likely you stumbled
upon cocoa butter treatments. True, some studies
have shown that the emollient effects of cocoa butter
make it an excellent preventive treatment for striae.
However, with regards to diminishing striae that have
formed already, cocoa butter can only do so
little.Interestingly, there are also studies that show
that they have little or no effect to existing stretch
marks. Even though cocoa butter can only do so little
for the scars you already have, you can still benefit from using it since it will prevent new
stretch marks from forming.
Stretch Marks Page 2
The fact of the matter is, you simply cannot remove stretch marks completely without
dermatological intervention. These dermatologists can suggest the use of specially-
formulated creams and other skin products and educate you on the proper techniques as to
how to get rid of stretch marks.
They may also prescribe microdermabrasion and fractional laser resurfacing to get rid of the
scars. These techniques as you would expect can be a bit costly as you would need multiple
sessions to really even the tone out. If you're still in your teens, it would not be the best idea
to have those procedures done, as your growth spurt is likely to bring about stretch marks.
Stretch Marks Page 3