Is there a cure for stretch marks?

Well, aside from a tummy tuck surgical procedure, no, there isn’t. However, there are lotions, creams, and oils that can help reduce their appearance and help them fade faster. There are also laser surgery options that can go deeper than the lotions and actually help repair the deeper layers of the damaged skin.

The skin cannot simply bounce back after it gets stretched due to rapid growth, which can be brought upon by sudden weight gain or loss, pregnancy, or weight-lifting. When they first appear, they are seen as reddish or purplish in color, which will eventually turn silver or white in color.

So much for knowing what they are and how they are formed, let’s move onto curing, or at least, reducing them.

First, we’ll go to the cure for stretch marks. The surgical procedure called the tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty in formal medical terms, tighten the muscles that have been weakened by a pregnancy or sudden weight gain then loss. This procedure removes extra fat, tissue, muscle, and skin, then contours and tightens the stomach wall. So how are stretch marks removed? By including them in the eliminated skin during abdominoplasty surgery. This surgery may benefit you in two ways: one, it removes your stretch marks, and two, it makes your tummy flatter. It is only a coincidental benefit that this procedure became a cure for stretch marks because its main purpose to sculpt the stomach and abdominal areas for a trimmer look. But be warned, not all people can undergo a tummy tuck surgery, it would be a good idea if you consult your doctor if you are a likely candidate, and if you have the will, and the money, to go on with it, then do so.

Second, to what I consider to be almost a cure. Laser surgery does not actually cure stretch marks, what is does however, is to reduce their blatant redness and make them appear less obvious. This treatment is not a one-time session; it ranges from two to six sessions before obvious results are evident. The concentrated beams of light remove layers of scarred skin, including those with stretch marks. It goes deep into the skin, but not as deep as the tummy tuck can. Now, after the treatment is finished, new layers of healthy skin will shape up and the treated area will heal swiftly. This may cause redness and tenderness, but don’t worry, it’s natural. The effectiveness of this procedure depends on the age of the stretch marks and the extensiveness of the damage. If you choose this method, be sure to be extra careful around the treated areas. However, it is less expensive and the recovery time is shorter than that of the tummy tuck’s, but again, it is not a complete cure for stretch marks.

And last, we go to stretch marks lotions, creams, and oils. These are not cures for stretch marks, but they do help reduce the appearance and helps them fade faster.

Don’t let the appearance of your stretch marks take control of your life. If they really do make you self-conscious and you feel that getting the cure for stretch marks is the only way that you can regain your lost self-image and self- confidence, then by all means, go ahead and go for the cure itself.