How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Stretch marks appear when due to different reasons the skin stretches and causes dermis damage. This condition is rather hard to treat and it’s impossible to remove old stretch marks without aggressive approach. But stretch marks are easy to prevent if you know what to pay attention to.

Obesity, pregnancy, adolescence and old age – these are the 4 states, which increase the risk of stretch marks. In first 3 cases the rapid growth of muscles or tissues may not coincide with the speed of skin growth and the dermis is damaged. To prevent it, you have to use anti-stretch marks creams and gels and pay more attention to skin care and physical exercises. Regular exercises outdoors improve the color and tone of skin and have a positive effect on body in general. Take a shower with an anti-stretch mark scrub at least 3 times a week and avoid hot baths, as hot water decreases skin elasticity. Smoking and over consumption of caffeine are also skin enemies.

Another frequent cause of stretch marks is hormonal imbalance. It’s common for pregnant women, 13+ children and people over 50. In all these cases a consultation with your doctor is needed. Corrective treatment and/or changes in lifestyles help to decrease the risk of stretch marks by 3 and more.

Sea salt and sea water are perfect for skin and nails and help if not to remove stretch marks then to prevent them. Regular baths with sea salt can be a perfect way to relax and make your skin smoother and firmer and your nails less brittle. Sea water also helps to eliminate small acne and irritation of skin. But remember that if you don’t have a chance to swim in sea water and want to have a bath with sea salt, then the temperature of the water must be no higher than 98,6-100.4 degree Fahrenheit and you don’t have to use soap or other chemical liquids. Take a shower without any gel or soap after the bath and make a gentle massage of the body with a moistening cream.

You can make a wonderful scrub, which helps to make stretch marks thinner and lighter in color. Take a spoonful of sea salt and a teaspoonful of coffee grounds. Mix them together and use as a scrub in a shower. If you have a sensitive skin, you can add several drops of olive oil or lavender or tea tree oil not to scratch it.

My previous posts lack photos and some of the readers may have only a slight notion of stretch marks and can confuse them with scars or other imperfections of skin. Today I decided to change the situation and to add stretch marks pictures with comments. So, let’s start:
1. Small stretch marks, the ones, which can be totally removed with stretch marks creams or massage:

Can see nothing? Correct, because, as a rule, they can be seen only when examined very carefully. They are minor slight lines or dots in problem areas.
2. Next stage. You can get rid of stretch marks, but slight signs will be left.

3. And the most serious stage – when stretch marks are thick keloid scars, which can be removed with the help of a surgery only. You’ll never have such awful stretch marks of you take care of your skin. These scars are easier to prevent than to cure!

That’s it. Take care and be beautiful!

Stretch marks are more difficult-to-get-rid-of than cellulite, belly fat or acne scars. Why is it so? The problem is that stretch marks appear as a result of dermis tearing, so the upper layer of skin is damaged as it’s a real problem to restore it or make new cells of dermis appear in the place of the damaged ones. That’s why if you have thick and old stretch marks, you can make them smaller, but if you want to get rid of stretch marks with no signs, you’ll have to use not only creams and massage, but look for more radical methods (laser and chemical skin dermobrasia, surgeries, etc.).
When we asked our readers to write what they think about the possibility to get rid of stretch marks, the opinions divided.

As a mother of 2 kids, I can say that only a surgery is the solution, as stretch marks will never go away if you use creams or lotions only.

When I was pregnant, I noticed that small stretch marks started to appear at the bottom of the belly. I started to use Revitol stretch marks cream and they disappeared in 1, 5 a month. My luck!

I have lost 20 pounds and only then noticed in what poor condition my skin was! I have tried everything I could to get rid of stretch marks and cellulite and only coffee grounds and cocoa butter massage, combined with fitness worked.

A lot depends on the age, individual skin type (light skin is more prone to stretch marks), hormonal level, lifestyles and many other factors. No wonder, that different approaches work for different people, as only individual scheme of stretch marks treatment helps to reach good results.

Massage and physical exercises are the quickest and the most effective way to remove stretch marks naturally. Of course, they require money and effort, but you have to sacrifice something to have a beautiful body. No pains, no gains, so don’t believe the creams, which promise to make you slim without diets and at no cost. It’s a scam. The situation with stretch marks is the same.

Stretch marks often appear during pregnancy or after it when you try to lose weight. To prevent is easier than to cure, but what to do if you already have stretch marks?

Tip #1

You won’t get rid of thick stretch marks without a surgery, so if your stretch marks are more than 1 cm wide, you have to know that you can make them smaller, but you are unlikely to get rid of them.

But massage not only helps to get rid of stretch marks, it also heals us, it stimulates the circulation of blood in the body, relaxes muscles and helps to get rid of psychological tension. It helps to lose weight, make skin smoother… . The list of massage pluses can be really endless.

I advice everyone who has problems with skin or wants to lose weight to do massage at home or go to a special saloon. If you choose to do massage at home, remember that you have to warm your body before it, so different types of massage in the shower with the use of aroma oils (to remove stretch marks, I recommend orange oil with honey, take 3 drops of oil for 1 teaspoon of honey), cocoa butter or coffee grounds will suit self massage best. You can use a special flesh brush, which helps to increase the circulation of blood and polishes skin to have a better effect. Massage is the thing you will never regret!

Clinical studies have shown that the use of stretch marks creams and regular massage with the use of cocoa butter and used coffee grounds help to diminish the risk of stretch marks by 30-50%. Cocoa butter has proved to have a strong healing power. It helps to get rid of stretch marks that already exist and prevent new ones. It’s not an old wives’ tale, as the effect of cocoa butter has been carefully examined in many laboratories and now it is one of the main components in stretch marks creams and massage gels.

When absorbed by skin, cocoa butter repairs damaged tissue and nourishes it, thus prevent further damage. To get rid of stretch marks, you can use either ready-made creams or buy cocoa butter and use it at home. It has a very low melting point and when applied to skin, it immediately melts and is quickly absorbed.

You can make an effective scrub for stretch marks at home. Take a spoonful of used coffee grounds and add a spoonful of cocoa butter. Use this scrub when in the shower. Take it in your hand and hold for some time to let it melt, then mix cocoa butter with coffee and apply this scrub to your skin. Massage problem areas for about 5-10 minutes with your hand or with the help of a special shower flesh brush. The effect will be seen after the first procedures, as this scrub not only helps to get rid of stretch marks, but it also cleans skin and polishes it, so you’ll have smooth and healthy skin at no cost.

If you have stretch marks and they poison your life, you have to choose a safe and effective way to get rid of stretch marks. Nowadays there exist quite a lot of stretch marks removals, but not all of them help to reach the desired effect. Some can even be harmful and potentially dangerous for health.

The most common stretch removals include:

• Chemical removals
• Laser treatment
• Dermabrasion
• Prescription meds

Some doctors claim that prescription retinoids help to remove stretch marks. Retinoids are chemical substances related to Vitamin A. They play an important role in the creation of epithelial cells and help to get rid of stretch mark on early stages.

Chemical, mechanical and laser stretch marks removals are all based on the same principle: they remove the upper layer of skin, thus erasing slight stretch marks. The evident minuses of all these removals are: after them skin looks red and raw and one needs a long period of rehabilitation (about 3-5 months) and it doesn’t help to combat deep scars, wrinkles and stretch marks.

To get rid of stretch marks, you have to follow these recommendations:

1. Neutralize the causes of stretch marks
2. Massage your skin with creams containing retinoids, vitamins A and E, cocoa butter and coffee extracts regularly
3. Consider the variant of chemical or laser stretch marks removal in case you have many bigscars
4. Don’t expect quick results. As a rule, the process takes from 6 months to several years.
5. Reconsider your diet and make it more balanced, as extra weight is one of the main causes of stretch marks.

Stretch marks, often also called striae, are white, purple or reddish scars on skin caused by hormonal misbalance or weight gain. They are common for overweight people, pregnant women and teenagers in the period of rapid growth. Stretch marks are easier to prevent than to cure, as in most cases it’s very difficult to get rid of stretch marks completely.
To prevent stretch marks, you should know what causes them and diminish the risk factors. Stretch marks can appear:
• During the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, as this is the time of the most rapid growth of the fetus and woman’s skin stretches to adopt to the size of the fetus
• During the process of puberty, as it’s also associated with rapid growth
• If one has hormonal misbalance or is under hormone replacement therapy
• If one is fond of muscle building
Stretch marks are also common for aged people and those prone to weight gain. The immediate cause of stretch marks is decreased skin elasticity, so if you know how to prevent it, you know how to prevent stretch marks. Read about stretch marks removals and creams in our next article.