STRETCH MARKS

CAUSES AND REMEDIES

Stretch marks are as much a part of life as is need for air to breathe and the fact that we will grow old, they are a natural part of life.

There are many reasons #stretchmarks occur and many people can get them, regardless of their age, race, gender, condition, fitness, health, and because of a variety of contributing and varied factors.

Here are some examples:

 Pregnancy

 Puberty

 Medical conditions (Cushings disease and others)

 Growth spurts

 Sports and body-building

 Weightlifting

 Steroids or drug, medical treatment side-effects; and of course

 Sudden weight gain or loss.

Male and female, young and old, can all suffer from this and no two people will have the same severity, symptoms or treatment. It is therefore essential that whatever your diagnosis, prognosis, stage of development or treatment, that you have a customized solution that is just right for you and your needs and requirements.

Unfortunately there are no quick-fixes or one answer fits all advice to prevent or remove stretch marks. Moisturizing and caring for your #skin is very important, general skin conditioning strategies are a great way of protecting and ensuring the overall health and condition of your skin – the largest organ your #body has! It is so much than a mere protective layer. The condition of our skin is really a reflection of what’s going on inside of our bodies.

#Pregnantwomen have long believed that tropical cocoa butter is the answer for preventing stretch marks. And as a topical treatment, it has been growing in acceptance and toted as THE topical treatment and therapy to make stretch marks less visible, even disappear.

Most experts are in agreement however, that stretch marks have to be treated and caught early, for the best results from any kind of treatment. The premise and logic here is very simple. It has to do with the fact that you can minimize the impact and damage that can be caused by these skin culprits.

Stretch Marks and Pregnancy

Stretch marks. Striae Gravidarum. The marks of pregnancy. Call them what you will. But they are the one thing that all women dread will occur as soon as they get pregnant.

But what are stretch marks anyway? And why do they occur?

Well, the reason lies in the anatomy of the skin. The skin has two layers – a thin upper layer called the epidermis, and a thicker, lower layer called the dermis. Scattered in the dermis are fine protein filaments called elastin that, like a piece of rubber band, are capable of stretching on being pulled. But just as a rubber band can stretch only so far and no further, these elastin fibers can also be stretched only to a certain extent. If stretched further, they snap. The increasing bulk of the uterus during pregnancy causes the skin to stretch to a great extent and the elastin fibers are torn. The torn elastin produces scars on the skin called Stria Gravidarum or stretch marks.

They occur on the lower abdomen of all pregnant women, right?

Well, right and wrong. They appear in most pregnant women, but not in all and not just on the lower abdomen. Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched in a very short period of time, as in pregnancy or in obesity.

They occur:

 In the lower abdomen in pregnancy.

 Along the sides of the breasts either in pregnancy or in obesity.

 Upper thighs.

 Occasionally even on the inner sides of the upper arms.

But can stretch marks be prevented?

Thankfully, the answer is yes, to a certain extent. Although some women are genetically prone to develop stretch marks, it has been noted that athletes and women accustomed to heavy, physical labor get very few or no stretch marks. This is regardless of whether their female relatives have stretch marks or not. The reason for this is that that these women have very well-developed and strong abdominal muscles. These muscles can easily take the weight of the growing uterus and prevent it from pressing forwards on the skin – rather like wearing a strong muscular belt under the skin. The skin is thus stretched less, less elastin fibers are damaged, and there are fewer stretch marks.

Again a supple, healthy, well moisturized skin is capable of stretching more without any lasting damage. So if a woman can strengthen her abdominal muscles and keep her skin healthy and supple, there is less chance of her developing stretch marks.

But how do I develop my muscles and keep my skin moisturized?

Gentle exercises for the abdominal muscles can be started as soon as pregnancy has been confirmed or even as pregnancy is being planned.

Exercise 1: Standing erect, raise both arms above the head. Bend forward slowly to touch your toes. Hold the position for a count of 100. Then slowly straighten up. Do this exercise at least once daily.

Exercise 2: Standing erect, raise both arms above the head and clasp your hands. Now bend slowly to your left as far down as you feel comfortable. Hold for a count of 10. Straighten up slowly and then bend to your right. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.

Exercise 3: Stand straight with feet about 12 inches apart. Place hands on your back at the waist. Slowly bend back, as far back as you feel comfortable. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Now bend forward slowly, hold the position to a count of 10. Then straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.

These three exercises will strengthen the abdominal and back muscles as well as gently stretch the skin. They also improve the posture during pregnancy.

Caring for the skin:

Keep the skin moisturized by applying oil – olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil or any good baby oil – thoroughly over the skin of the abdomen, hips and thighs. Massage it in with sweeping upward strokes. You can do this before you exercise so that the oil is properly absorbed as the skin is stretched during exercise. This will make the skin supple and healthy and capable of stretching without damaging the elastin fibres.

Good Diet:

Take a good diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and adequate liquids. And do not forget your daily vitamins. This will ensure a healthy and supple skin.

But what happens if the stretch marks have already occurred? How do I get rid of them?

The good thing about stretch marks is that they fade over time. When they are first formed, they are reddish or purplish, but later they become thin silvery lines that may not be visible at first glance. The bad thing about stretch marks is that they can be removed permanently only by surgery. The elastin and collagen growth can be stimulated to some extent by cocoa butter, Vitamin E, wheat germ oil and lanolin. But to remove the marks completely, laser surgery, blue light therapy and other surgical treatments are the only options. Many creams and lotions available on the market also claim to be able to remove stretch marks but have yet to be medically proved.

Stretch Marks And Skin Changes In Pregnancy

There are countless physical changes to your skin, both pleasurable and painful attributed to your pregnancy only.

The common skin change that most pregnant woman experience is the stretch marks. Stretch marks are separations of the outer layers of skin caused by the overstretching of underlying layers.

Beside pregnant women, stretch marks are found on children who are obese, adolescents who have a sudden growth spurt during puberty and athletes and body builders who do constant exercises. The most commonly affected areas by stretch marks are hips, abdomen, breasts, thighs and buttocks. Stretch marks are itchy reddish marks.

In pregnancy, heredity plays an important role in determining who will have and will not have stretch marks. If your mother has had them, chances are that you will get them too, unless you were born with stretchy skin. There is no sure shot remedy for stretch marks as mostly they fade after delivery. The only way to avoid stretch marks is to prevent them.

I recommend the following –

• Massage vitamin E or olive oil on the abdomen areas from the start of your pregnancy. Massage it liberally over the marks after a shower. Incase you skip a shower, clean the area with a wet cloth and then apply the oil.

• Regular exercise helps to tone your muscles and keep your skin firm.

• Maintain healthy diet and drink plenty of water. Plenty of proteins and vitamin C & E foods should be included in your diet. Increase your intake of minerals such as zinc and silica to maintain healthy skin.

• One ounce of sweet almond or jojoba oil with 7-8 drops of lavender and chamomile oils is a good homemade recipe.

• Avoid excessive weight gain in a short time span.

• Cocoa butter reduces stretch marks and helps to keep the skin supple.

• Wear a glove and massage your skin to increase circulation.

• While massaging your body with body oil, add coconut and almond oil.

• Daily massage with Olive oil, flaxseed oil, cod liver oil or vitamin E oil after shower or before sleeping is an excellent home remedy for either preventing or treating stretch marks.

• To avoid stretch marks around breasts, wear a supportive maternity bra.

To make stretch mark cream,

mix 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1 tsp wheat germ oil, 1 tsp apricot kernel oil, vitamin E oil and 2 tsp grated beeswax. Heat the mixture until cocoa butter and beeswax melt, stir well and store in air tight container.

Stretch Marks Avoidance

Stretch marks are not for women only. They affect many teenagers and body builders. What are stretch marks? The fine lines that change in color over a time and appear on different parts of body generally after pregnancy or after sudden weight increase.

Stretch marks don't form only because the skin stretches during certain periods. Let us look at this carefully. Most of the women believe that they get stretch marks because of their body expanding during pregnancy. This is true, but please note that the marks that you see in your skin get formed when the skin does not stretch and therefore tears.

This not stretching of skin is believed to be because of certain hormones. These hormones don't allow the dermis to make more collagen and elastin. If the skin had made enough collagen and elastin to support the stretching, no marks would have appeared. This hormone called glucocorticoids is responsible for formation of stretch marks.

Stretch marks form during pregnancy in women, in teenagers when they gain weight very fast, in body builders and in some conditions such as Cushing's syndrome. Use of steroid creams over along period may also form stretch marks.

There is no proven treatment available for stretch marks. Rather than trying any product that claims to treat stretch marks, please consult your doctor.

Chemical peeling and laser is being tried to remove them.

Vitamin C creams and retionoids are said to help.

Your doctor is the best judge. Please consult him/her and find the remedy if possible.

Even otherwise don't get disheartened. They fade away over time.

Stretch Mark Reduction Tips

There are a variety of different reasons that people end up dealing with stretch marks. Some deal with them due to pregnancy, others deal with them because of weight loss, and some because of weight gain. While they don't cause any physical problems, they do make many people frustrated and self conscious. If you are tired of dealing with your stretch marks, while there are no actual cures, there are some things you can do to reduce the appearance of your stretch marks.

First of all, if you want to reduce your stretch marks, you may want to consider trying to stimulate the circulation of the skin. Doing so will help the blood to get to the skin, which can help with healing the area as well as reducing the appearance of your stretch marks. Some ways to do this include using a skin brush or a loofah to brush your skin regularly.

Cocoa Butter

Another great tip to use if you want to reduce those stretch marks is to start using cocoa butter. Many people have found that using cocoa butter is a wonderful way to prevent stretch marks; however, it is also a great way to treat them as well. So, smooth on some cocoa butter each night before bed and watch as your stretch marks begin to fade.

Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E is an essential vitamin for your skin and you can actually get Vitamin E oil to use on your skin. After you take your shower, massage the oil onto your skin each day. Many people have had excellent results with this method of stretch mark reduction.

Eat Foods High in Vitamins

Eating foods that are high in vitamins can also help you when you are trying to reduce the appearance of your stretch marks as well. Some of the most important vitamins for your skin include E, A, and C. You can try to eat foods that contain these vitamins or you may want to try taking supplements instead.

However, it is important that women that are pregnant never take any more than 25,000 IU of Vitamin A.

Foods or Supplements with Zinc

Zinc is also important to your skin, so adding foods to your diet that are high in zinc or taking zinc supplements can really help. Silica can also be added and is found in brown rice, leafy green vegetables, peppers, whole grains, and soy beans. Both zinc and silica are important for collagen production with is important to skin support.

Essential Fatty Acids

Eating foods that have essential fatty acids in them can also help you out. They help to make up the cell walls and keep the skin healthy and supple. You can find these fatty acids in a variety of different vegetables, in fish oils, as well as vegetable oils.

So, if you want to start seeing improvement in your stretch marks, make sure that you begin to use these tips. No doubt you'll start to see some changes quickly as you use them from day to day.

How to Erase Stretch Marks

The way to erase Stretch Marks can vary greatly depending on how much money you want to spend and your pain tolerance levels.

Surgical and Laser Treatment to erase Stretch Marks :

As most Stretch Marks occur on the abdomen, a tummy tuck is a popular cosmetic surgical procedure that helps get rid of them. The affected area is cut away and then the remaining skin is stretched taut, creating a smoother skin appearance. A similar procedure can be done for other parts of the body as well.

Laser treatment as a way to erase Stretch Marks has come a long way and many people have benefited from this option. Lasers essentially excise away the affected tissue and the energy from the laser stimulates new collagen, a major building block of the skin. The collagen helps rebuild the fibers in the tissue to help fill in the affected areas. Laser , as a treatment for stretch marks, is not as expensive as cosmetic surgery . but it can be cost prohibitive for some people. In addition, insurance doesn't cover cosmetic or laser procedures as a treatment to erase stretch marks.

Natural Treatment for Stretch Marks

There are creams, lotions and oils that can also be rubbed in the affected areas that are supposed to greatly erase stretch marks. Because each person is different with unique body chemistry and genetic history, one treatment for Stretch Marks may work for some while it may not work for others. Some experimentation may be needed for those lotions and other natural options of treatment for stretch marks.

Cocoa butter or shea butter can soften Stretch Marks as they disappear or fade creams are rather effect options of treatment for Stretch Marks because they help fade the ugly red color of fresh, new marks. Evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil and even grape seed oil are other natural, popular ways to treat the affected areas.