Hate Stretch Marks

5 Helpful Tips For Reducing Stretch Marks

You’ve got stretch marks and don’t know what to do about them. It’s also too late to take preventive actions to avoid stretch marks in the first place. If you are in this situation, you have plenty of company. Millions of people have developed stretch marks for a number of different reasons, but reducing the stretch marks on their bodies has become a priority for them.

Your Options to Reduce Stretch Marks

There are a number of actions that can be taken to reduce the appearance of these unsightly skin defects. As you probably know, stretch marks commonly develop on certain areas of the body, such as your hips, abdomen, and thighs. To a lesser degree, they can also develop on the upper arms, sides of the breast or behind the knees.

For the most part, stretch marks cannot be really removed without taking a more radical approach to treating the affected skin. Most individuals opt for the more practical and affordable treatment options by using various crèmes and lotions. This approach can be very effective in fading or lessening the effect of your stretch marks, without breaking your budget.

Tips for Reducing Stretch Marks

So what can you do to reduce stretch marks and their physical appearance on your body? Follow these five tips for reducing stretch marks and you should see a dramatic difference in your skin’s appearance:

Avoid Sudden Weight Gain or Loss

As a preventive measure, you should avoid sudden weight gains or losses, as your skin cannot adjust quickly enough to avoid skin hurt, or stretch marks. Even though your skin has elasticity properties, it really has limits. A sudden change in weight, such as pregnancy, can exceed the skins ability to stretch or flex. When this happens, tears will occur in the skin, and the resulting scarring gives the appearance of white, red, or purple lines. If you moderate the rate of weight change, your odds of reducing stretch marks are greatly enhanced.

Exercise “Smart”

If you exercise frequently, you want to be sure to exercise “smart”. When you overdo and expand muscle mass, such as in weight training, you risk overstretching your skin and developing stretch marks. Take your exercise seriously, but be smart and recognize that moderation is key to avoiding stretch marks.

Apply Skin Moisturizing Lotions

You can use a excellent quality skin moisturizer as not only a preventative, but also as an aid in minimizing or fading existing stretch marks. Hurt skin can and will heal if given the proper care. A quality skin care product, preferably using natural botanicals and herbs, can help reduce stretch mark hurt if used in a regular skin care program.

Opt For Cosmetic Surgery

A more radical approach to eliminate stretch mark hurt is to opt for cosmetic surgery. Because of the risks involved with this procedure, it should only be pursued if other alternatives do not produce satisfactory results. This procedure can permanently remove your stretch marks, but is very expensive and does have inherent risks.

Get A Tan To Hide Stretch Marks – NOT

Many stretch mark sufferers believe that getting a tan at the beach or at their favorite tanning salon is an acceptable method to reduce the appearance of their stretch marks. The truth is that this option does reduce their appearance, but the amount of UVB rays that your skin will absorb can be perilous, and ultimately cause skin cancer. This method is clearly not worth the risk – avoid it!

As you can see, with a small common sense and regular skin care, you can effectively reduce your stretch marks and their unsightly appearance. Imagine the enjoyment you will experience when you don’t need to be embarrassed about going to the beach anymore, or wearing that revealing evening gown at your next special event. If you follow these five simple tips, you will be well on your way to feeling better not only about your skin, but yourself as well!

Weight Loss and Stretch Marks

Losing weight is certainly a excellent thought especially if you’ve gained a lot of extra pounds because of overeating and inactivity. But there’s a downside to weight loss; it can give you a lot of stretch marks.

Stretch marks are pink, red or purplish-blue lines that appear on the abdomen, thighs or buttocks. They appear in both men and women and are the result of overstretching. When skin is overstretched as a result of pregnancy, obesity and extreme weight loss, the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) is hurt leafing to the formation of scars or stretch marks.

“Skin does not bounce back if it’s been stretched by rapid growth due to pregnancy, weight gain, or extreme weight loss. Instead, it becomes decorated by a form of scarring called stretch marks, or striae. Stretch marks often start off as reddish or purplish in color and then become glossy skin that appears streaked in silver or white,” according to MedicineNet.

“Stretch marks occur in the dermis, the elastic middle layer of skin that allows it to retain its shape. But, when constantly stretched, the dermis can break down leaving behind stretch marks,” it added.

Although stretch marks disappear over time, there are many ways to deal with them if you can’t wait that long. Sunless tanning treatments can cover them or you may try water-resistant body makeup. For beach lovers there are many fashionable swimsuits to choose from that can cover up stretch marks.

“Speaking of pool or beach time, the excellent news is that current fashion favors many styles of bathing suits that also just happen to hide stretch marks. ‘Boy small’ style suits (well loved with many athletes because they don’t ride up when a person moves) work well for hiding stretch marks on the buttocks and upper thighs. And because many swimmers prefer high-neck bathing suits, which can hide stretch marks in the chest area, there are usually lots of styles to choose from,” said TeensHealth, a project of the Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media.

Dermabrasion, chemical peels and laser surgery can slightly improve older stretch marks but they can be uncomfortable and expensive. What’s more, those stretch marks can return anytime!

Creams, oils and ointments advertised for stretch marks are often a waste of money but some may help. Choose one that works for you and don’t be misled by price. The most expensive products aren’t always the best.

“Creams containing vitamin E are often recommended, and in the Caribbean cocoa butter is used to remove scars with varying levels of success. Creams are available from the pharmacist or health and beauty shops,” said Dr. Rob Hicks of BBC Health.

“Some research has shown that tretinoin cream (Retin-A, Renova) may improve the appearance of recent stretch marks – those that are less than six weeks ancient and still pink or red in color. But, tretinoin should never be used during pregnancy,” warned Mayo Clinic dermatologist Dr. Lawrence Gibson.

One product that can help is Strevaxl, a new cream that repairs and renews the skin to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and prevent the formation of new ones. For details, visit http://www.strevaxl.com/.

The Downside of Living With Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are every woman’s nightmare. Revealing small flesh without dread makes women feel a small more attractive. This stretch marks are caused by fluctuation in weight. Pregnancy also leaves a disgusting look on the woman’s skin. Those uninvited marks make amusing crosses all over the body. The vertical and horizontal marks form a amusing check board. Many husbands withdraw from getting intimate with their lovers at this point. He might say it is okay but you can still see that looking at your vertical and horizontal stretches he is place off. You might lose weight after pregnancy after pregnancy and you will look sexy again but what about the unseen marks? Only the most vital person gets to see them.

They appear in areas around the hips and the abdomen, the area joining the shoulders and the arms and also the area just below the knees. It is even more uncomfortable if they appear in an exposed area. It limits the choice of clothes. Stretch marks can lower self confidence and in some cases lead to mild depression. Every time your husband does not come home you blame it on your small scars. If you work on them you will rest assured that you look fantastic and sexy and he just has his own issues. You might underestimate it but stretch marks but minor it may sound can affect your once pleased marriage. Men complain all the time though not to their wives.

A smooth skin free from stretch marks leaves at liberty to place on whatever you choose. If it is too hot you need to wear sleeveless, you have no care in the world. If you feel like showing a leg by putting on a micro mini, the choice is yours. If you feel like a low waist pair of pants their are no stretch marks to restrict you. It is such a excellent feeling. No putting on pull necks to hide those disgusting scars on the neck region. It is a real pain on the neck and you feel so much enslaved by the stretch marks.

Many creams have been made available in the market but you ought to be very careful about what you buy. Some of them are expensive for nothing. You spend a whole lot of money hoping to attain your sexy self back only to be disappointed. Enough analysis of the stretch marks removal products ought to be done to avoid feeling the hard pinch. Cosmetic surgery is also an alternative to many of the treatments available. It has its own success tales though like all other programmes it depends with an individual. For some people it works while for some it fails. Just as a tip, do not buy products from a person who does not produce convincing photos before and after the treatment, somebody who does not answer questions and does not produce a return back policy. One more piece of advice, do not spend money on fancy creams you have never heard off.

Worried About Stretch Marks?

If you have stretch marks and are concerned if they will ever just go away, the answer is no. Stretch marks are there to stay unless you wish to have surgery to rid your body of these unsightly blemishes on your skin.

No matter how you developed stretch marks whether you received them while pregnant, developing large muscle mass, through growth spurts or just be gaining weight rapidly they will at least fade over time.

Stretch marks start out as small tiny pink lines that can change into purple lines and then after a while turn a silvery white with honest complexions, with darker complexions they will normally turn out to be a bit lighter than your normal skin tone.

The excellent news is there are lotions, creams, ointments, and home remedies that can help your stretch marks fade even more. Some well loved creams to help with the appearance of stretch marks are Palmers Cocoa Butter, Shea Nut Butter, and Tretinoin cream. Palmers Cocoa Butter and Shea Nut Butter can be used while pregnant to help with moisturize your skin. Tretinoin cream is not advisable in pregnant women or breast-feeding mothers. You can use either of the three above mentioned creams or butters right after birth, except in the case of breast-feeding, you should start using the ointments shortly after birth on all areas that have developed stretch marks. This will help make them fade quicker. Using these and even Vitamin E oil can be a fantastic preventive measure for whatever reason you are anticipating weight gain or muscle gain. You should apply them once in the morning and once in the evening prior to retiring to gain the most you can for moisturizing your skin.

If all else fails and you still do not like the looks of these stretch marks, laser surgery and tummy tuck surgery is always an option. There are three different types of tummy tuck surgeries for you to choose from which depend on how much excessive stout and skin you need to have removed. Liposuction can accompany some tummy tuck procedures. Laser surgery is a fantastic option if you do not have excessive sagging skin that needs removed.

There are quite a few women that carry their stretch marks as if they were medals of honor, understanding that these marks are only a sign of motherhood. They tend to live with the blemishes and use makeup when it is really necessary to hide them. Using makeup is a wonderful way in which to hide these types of blemishes, but, you should use foundation that is the same skin tone as your normal skin and be sure to use waterproof makeup or you will have a mess on your hands.

Stretch Marks and the Anatomy of the Skin During Pregnancy

Let’s say that you have done all you can to make your skin as radiant as possible during your pregnancy. What happens to your skin during post-pregnancy? To know what to expect during post-pregnancy, we should know well what happens during pregnancy.

To start with, pregnancy entails a massive expansion of nearly all the regions of the body, especially the abdominal cavity. When the stretching happens, the fibroblasts start to lose their potency and the skin suffers. When rapid expansion happens, the collagen levels which are instrumental in keeping the skin healthy-looking and elastic start to drop dramatically.

When the skin is weakened, we lose the natural protection of the skin. This is where the appropriate application of the right kinds of creams, such as sunscreens and moisturizers comes in. We do not place these products on our skin simply because we want to, but because we need to. Need entails a causal predecessor, and the pregnancy is our specific causal predecessor.

Other concerns

Aside from stretch marks, one of the most disturbing effects of pregnancy and of the hormonal cycle is what is commonly known as “chloasma”. What is chloasma? Chloasma is really the uneven skin tones that are evident on the skin during pregnancy.

Really, these uneven skin tones range from light brown to dark brown, and appear on different regions of the body, from the face (near the mouth) or under the arms. Chloasma is often called the “mask of pregnant women” because it tends to hide the real skin color.

What brings about the patching? You might be surprised, but something as ordinary as the sun’s rays bring about the manifestation of “chloasma”.

If you wish to guard yourself against long term skin hurt from chloasma, you should take the usual steps (especially during the winter months). These steps include putting more moisturizers on the skin, a healthy diet, some light exercises and plenty of light and calorie-free fluids.

The skin during this period of a woman’s life is decidedly more sensitive to elements from the environment. They are more prone to breaking out with slightest irritation. Care should be taken that the pregnant woman avoids herself from possible irritants and breakout triggers.

These triggers include extreme sunlight, alcohol and extreme cold. If you have been able to take heed of these precautions, chances are excellent that you won’t have to deal with stretch marks later on, if you don’t have them yet.

It’s all about prevention- what is the use of the most advanced laser treatments if you knew fully well that you could have done something to avert a “skin disaster” called stretch marks?

If you are wondering whether the fluid levels in the body literally increase during the nine-month gestation period, the answer is unfortunately a yes. Just how much is this increase inside the body? Since blood is the greatest fluid constituent inside the human body, the increase can ranged from between 30% to more than 50%.

What does this mean? Well, more blood means more disproportionate color of the skin. With that amount of fluid in the body, prepare yourself also for flushed, ruddy cheeks and red patches on the arms and legs.