What causes and how to treat stretchmarks
Are you tired of the bands of ugly stretchmarks around your tummy, buttocks and thighs? Are you looking for some veritable method to treat those marks? Stretch marks are common among most women, and while they can be caused due to a variety of reasons (including both pregnancy or obesity) we can unanimously agree on one point: treating these stretch marks is excruciatingly difficult. Yes! Whether you’ve experienced them before/after your pregnancy or have developed them because of your underlying obesity- treating these ugly bands seem to be the next to impossible. But isn’t there any proper way to deal with stretchmarks? Will stretch marks fade naturally over time? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to find out in the following section.
What Causes Stretch Marks?
Even before we figure out the correct treatment for stretch marks, it is extremely important to decipher the causes. Usually, stretchmarks are deemed as a direct result of the stretching of your skin. This is further backed by a rapid surge in the level of cortisone (a hormone produced in your adrenal glands) in your system. While cortisone isn’t really bad, yet, having too much of this hormone can cause your skin to lose its firmness.
Several women experience stretch marks at the time of their pregnancy. This happens because their skin stretches in several ways to make enough room for the growing baby. This constant tug and stretch of skin and can lead to stretch marks. As evident from the cause, the stretch marks developed before, during or after your pregnancy is widely touted as pregnancy stretch marks or post baby stretch marks.
Obesity is yet another reason why you get these ugly bands of skin. At times, teenagers too might find stretch marks after a sudden spurt of growth. Additionally, corticosteroid creams, pills and serums too can lead to stretch marks by impairing your skin’s inherent ability to stretch.
What Are The Best Treatments for Stretch Marks?
While stretch marks do seem to be a daunting issue, you can always address it by using the best treatments. In the following section, I’ve listed a couple of simple treatments that’ll definitely work in reducing the marks.
Home Remedies for Stretch Marks
Use Sugar– Several people use sugar as a method of homeopathic micro-dermabrasion. While micro-dermabrasion is usually conducted in clinics, this simple method involving sugar can be easily practiced in your homes. For this, you’ll have to mix one cup of sugar with one fourth cup of any softening agent. This can be something similar to almond oil or coconut oil. While you mix the ingredients, make sure they get a consistency similar to wet beach sand. Once it’s ready, add a dash of lime to it and scrub this mixture on the areas which have been affected by stretch marks. Repeat this for a few times while taking a bath for best results. While you do this, also make sure that the mixture is rubbed for around 8-10 minutes.
Use Olive Oil– Olive oil plays a major role in moisturizing and exfoliating your skin. And that’s not all! It also improves the circulation of blood and removes your stretch marks to a significant extent. In order to try this treatment, take some olive oil on your palms and massage the affected area. Now let it seep in for around half an hour so that the necessary vitamins from the oil (A, D and E) are well absorbed to your skin. Take a quick bath right after the massage. Although this method is pretty time consuming, the results you get are truly rewarding.
Use Aloevera– Although there’s no proper clinical proof for aloe vera as a remedy for stretch marks, it definitely makes sense. High quality aloe vera not only acts as a skin softener but also as an excellent natural healing agent. Due to this reason, it turns out to be an excellent home remedy for treating your stretch marks. For best results, make it a point to apply pure aloe vera directly from some plant.
Apply Honey– This is yet another effective way of treating stretch marks. Honey works as an excellent agent because its antiseptic properties work in significantly reducing your stretchmarks. In order to start out, take a damp cloth and apply some honey on it. After this, place the cloth on your stretchmarks and let it seep in until the substance turns dry. Once it starts stretching your skin, rinse it off with warm water. In case you’re looking to walk the extra mile, prepare a honey scrub by adding salt and glycerin to honey. Now apply this on your stretch marks, leave it till it dries up and finally rinse it off with water.
Laser Stretch Mark Removal
If you’re not comfortable or satisfied with the home remedies, you can also try laser treatments for treating those ugly marks on your skin. During this procedure, a strong light beam works in removing the thin layers of skin along your stretch marks. The light disrupts the stubborn molecular bonds on the tissue of your skin, which finally results in the disintegration of the tissue. This process is also touted as ablation. After the process is completed, the concerned area will automatically heal itself.
Dermatological Treatment
If you’re looking for a simple and quick way to treat this issue, you can always seek dermatologist help for stretchmarks. In this case, you can consult a dermatologist, who will address your issue and treat it by asking you to use certain over the counter prescription drugs. In most cases the dermatologist asks you to take Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin A capsules. If, however, the situation is serious you are required to opt for microdermabrasion. This is a non invasive treatment that diagnoses your affected area by polishing small crystals on your skin.
If I Lose Weight Will Stretchmarks Go away?
In many cases, your stretch marks automatically fade away once you lose weight. But in case it doesn’t, it’s always better to choose one from the several treatments I’ve mentioned in the previous sections.
