The skin is naturally elastic, flexible, and has the ability to repair itself. However, if stretched beyond its limits, like many things, it breaks which results in stretch marks. There are a number of ways that make unsightly stretch marks appear on our bodies. First, is hereditary. Not much we can do there. If your mom has stretch marks when she was pregnant, then it’s a high possibility that you will get them too. Second, weight and growth spurt. If you have just recently been pregnant, weight-lifting, or in general, lost or gained weight really fast, then you will get stretch marks. The problem now is how to fade stretch marks.
It has been debated by the experts whether or not stretch marks will be prevented or not. But what matters is that there are ways to fade stretch marks. Now, stretch marks do actually fade away by themselves over time. But what if you wanted them to go away faster? Is there a way how? Well, yes. Either by using natural products such as oils, creams, and lotions, or by using laser treatments.
Most people opt for the natural approach because it is a lot less expensive and more convenient because they can be done at home. But because of the large array of stretch marks lotions and creams out in the market, we sometimes end up buying an ineffective one. So before you go and buy something, ask your doctor or dermatologist for advice. Don’t just go ahead and buy something that was effective on a friend or a relative, because what works on them, may not work on you.
Okay, one product that’s popular in fading stretch marks is cocoa butter. It is often cited as one of the best methods for home treatment of stretch marks. It penetrates the top layer of the skin, and can even reach the second layer of the skin, called the dermis. It can also stimulate the production of collagen.
Another popular home remedy is aloe vera. It is actually used by many skin-care products because of its ability to revitalize the skin. It works well to fade stretch marks because it moisturizes the skin and keeps it from becoming dry, which helps battle brittleness and breakages.
Tea tree oil also works wonders on the skin, especially if you rub it on the damaged area every night before going to bed. Just rub in a small portion of the oil because it can go a long way. However, it has a strong medicinal odor, so maybe that’s why it is advised that you apply it during the night.
These stretch marks lotions, creams, and oils can be applied multiple times in a day, without any side-effects, since most of the ingredients natural. They are proven to have positive effects on the skin by dramatically removing the scars brought upon by stretch marks. However, they don’t remove stretch marks completely; they only help them fade away faster. They work on the surface of the skin and cannot penetrate deeper than the second layer, that’s why other people opt for laser treatments to penetrate the deeper layers that also have been damaged.
Laser therapy is another option. Its effects show up faster, but mind you, it is quite expensive. A surgeon or dermatologist can use different kinds of lasers for different kinds of stretch marks, depending on their color and extent of damage. And since this is a cosmetic procedure, I doubt that your insurance will cover it, so be prepared to spend quite a few hundred dollars for each session. But then, when you use this method to fade stretch marks, they do tend to lighten faster and are less likely to come back.
