How to Cope with Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are said to be very common with a high percentage of people developing them at some stage - usually during or after pregnancy or following another sudden or rapid change in weight. Stretch marks can appear on different parts of the body, typically with the look of bands of lines running across the skin. Even rapidly growing adolescents can notice some stretch marks appearing.
While stretch marks can appear anywhere, they are most common on:
- The stomach
- The breasts
- The upper arms
- The thighs and
- The buttocks
What are the signs and symptoms of stretch marks?
- You might feel a slight ridge or indentation on your skin when touching your skin. The indented lines or streaks on the skin can vary in length and width.
- Stretch marks can sometimes feel itchy or painful.
- Stretch marks are not harmful to your health but like other types of scars, they can be permanent or they may change and fade over time.
- The colors of stretch marks can be pink, purple, red, bluish, or dark brown - often depending on your skin color.
The appearance of your stretch marks can depend on:
- Your natural skin tone.
- Your skin’s health and elasticity.
- The body part affected.
How to reduce the appearance of stretch marks
- Moisturizing. Gently massage moisturizer into any new stretch marks over the course of several weeks.
- Self-tanning lotion. Applying a self tanning product to stretch marks can offer a temporary way to minimize the difference in color between your typical skin tone and the color of stretch marks.
- Pulsed dye laser therapy. This treatment encourages the growth of collagen and elastin. This therapy typically works best on newer stretch marks. It may cause some skin discoloration if you have a darker skin tone.
- Fractional photothermolysis. This uses a laser to target small areas of your skin. It works similarly to pulsed dye laser therapy, with less potential for skin damage.
- Microdermabrasion. This involves polishing the skin with tiny crystals to reveal new skin under the more elastic stretch marks. This method may, in some cases, help improve the appearance of older stretch marks.
- Excimer laser therapy. This stimulates skin color (melanin) production so that stretch marks match the surrounding skin more closely.
While there is no guarantee that any medical procedure can cure stretch marks, there is also a risk of side effects - including swelling, skin irritation and redness.
The good news is that there is an all natural stretch mark solution
H-Stretch Marks Formula is a completely natural, cruelty-free solution for all types of stretch marks. Simply apply topically to reduce the appearance rapidly.
SOURCES:
Donejko M, et al. (2014). Influence of caffeine and hyaluronic acid on collagen biosynthesis in human skin fibroblasts.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206198/. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
El-Domyati M, et al. (2016). Microdermabrasion: A clinical, histometric, and histopathologic study. DOI:
doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12252 .(Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
Kang S, et al. (1996). Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) improves early stretch marks.
archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=557725. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016). Stretch marks.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stretch-marks/symptoms-causes/dxc-20169157. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.