I personally think that the person who creates the cure for stretch marks is going to be the richest person on the planet. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to happen any time in the near future. While technology continues to advance, we have yet to find a way to rid ourselves of those rigged looking scars. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t effective treatments out there that can reduce the appearance of these unsightly scars, but you’d be hard pressed to find an absolute cure Contrary to popular belief, stretch marks are not only a result of pregnancy. Anyone can get stretch marks, male and female alike.
They occur due to rapid growth and stretching of the skin. They occur during extreme weight loss. Obesity causes them. Those teenage growth spurts, the ones that have us quickly gaining height, causes them. Let me reiterate, those battle wounds we normally associate with giving birth are not the only association these scars have with our body. They are the result of many different stages of our lives. It is common knowledge that as a society we tend to look to celebrities, the popular kids in school, those picture perfect fashion bloggers, gorgeous co-workers, as measuring sticks as to what we should look like.
There is no one on this planet that is genetically blessed to perfection. Celebrities are genetically blessed with photoshop. Fashion bloggers use filters and photoshop in the photos you see them sharing on their blogs. We use technology to fake perfection, but photoshop doesn’t work in real life. I can assure you that there are many celebrities, and people we revere, who have the same issues with stretch marks that us average people do. Stretch marks don’t just happen to a small group of people, roughly 80%, if not more, of he American population has them. There are little things you can do to reduce the appearance of those unsightly marks. I do want to caution everyone that none of these treatments are one hundred percent effective. Age, skin tone, diet, the amount of sun damage, the depth of the marks – are all factors in determining the effectiveness of treatments. Creams and Lotions Creams and topical ointments, while most don’t work there are a few that show promise at reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
The simple reason why lotions don’t work is because stretch marks are scars, and if lotion healed scars we’d be using it on all the nicks and scraps we have ever received in our lifetime: razor nicks, acne pocks, even burns. Lotion smooths the skin, so while it will not heal, it can be used as a preventative measure. It’s important that when your skin is stretching that it retains moisture, lotions provide that moisture, so while they can’t treat they can keep your skin from getting overly dry and itchy during periods of stretching.
For many generations, women have recommended Palmer’s cocoa butter to other women as a way to battle stretch marks. Palmer’s is a brand that has been around for many years, and at an attractive price point, it’s an affordable solution. This product, has been tested by dermatologists, and was found to be safe to use during pregnancy; and with key ingredients like vitamin E, elastin, and collagen, it is often believed that this is not only a safe remedy, it’s also an affordable, and effective home treatment.
There are some woman that have had luck using just cocoa butter throughout their entire pregnancy and not getting even one of those unsightly silver streak scars. And then there are others who this remedy didn’t work for. While this treatment doesn’t have the same active ingredients as many branded stretch mark creams, it’s a good choice for those who suffer from overly dry skin. StriVectin is a well known brand and a leading name in stretch mark removal creams.
The claim this product makes is to drastically improve the appearance of both stretch marks and wrinkles, and promises visible results in as early as two weeks after being regular incorporated into your beauty routine, but only shows results if you use the cream as directed. Now, not all marks will show immediate improvement, some can take up to eight weeks before you notice any changes, if any come at all. Mederma, a cream ranked #1 as pharmacist recommended, is a clinically tested cream that is designed to treat both new and already existing stretch marks.
It is a preventative cream that has been show to reduce the chance of developing stretch marks during spurts where the skin is prone to stretch, and is safe to use during pregnancy. For older scars, it has been shown to effectively fade and reduce the appearance of existing marks. Those who have tested the product say it has a nice floral scent that lingers, which is a plus considering most stretch mark creams have a chemical smell to them. According to the manufacturer, it may take up to twelve weeks to see any visible results.
While there are no guarantees that stretch mark creams will work for everyone, still, if you want to take steps to prevent them, they are worth a try. At the very least, they do moisturize and soothe itchy dry skin during those growth spurts years and the months of pregnancy. If you develop stretch marks and you want to try and disguise them, you can try self-tanning lotions for a quick remedy. Microdermabrasion Microdermabrasion is a popular technique, using crystals to sand down, slough off, and smooth the top layer of skin. Once the exfoliation part of the process is complete a vacuum is then used to remove the crystals and old skin.
Usually preformed in a dermatologists office or with a plastic surgeon, this technique has been found effective at reducing the visibility of acne scars, photo ageing, and stretch marks. While microdermabrasion was once only performed in doctor’s offices, you can now purchase home kits. Microdermabrasion is a safe, non-invasive exfoliation process that leaves you with smoother more even toned skin. Laser Treatments Laser treatment is an expensive procedure that requires multiple treatments, but has been shown to be the most effective system for reducing the visibility of stretch marks.
Lasers do not remove them completely, but you should see a difference in your skin after a few treatments. Because stretch marks are tears in the skin they are permanent. The only remedy that has been shown to be effective is to force the collagen to respond and rebuild itself by using some of the collagen support layers adjacent to the stretch marks. Laser treatments force that response by use of heat being delivered to deep layers of skin causing the collagen to rebuild and thereby shrinks, but does not eliminate, the marks.
