Stretch
Marks
Stretch marks are caused
by a sudden or excessive stretching of the skin
due to pregnancy, rapid weight gain or loss and
even puberty. Some medications can cause stretch
marks and these include hormones and steroids.
Since these particular areas of stretched skin
can leave blemishes, many people opt for stretch
mark removal.
Almost half of all pregnant women will acquire
stretch marks (particularly if they are fair skinned)
while any area on the body from the knees upwards
can be prone to stretch marks such as the stomach,
waist, buttocks, lower back, hips, breasts and
thighs.
Stretch marks are tears
in the lower layer of your skin. This lower layer
consists of elastic supportive tissue which helps
the skin to stretch. However, it is when the skin
is stretched abnormally and to its limit, that
it tears slightly allowing blood vessels to show
through. Depending on your natural skin color,
stretch marks start out as pink, reddish brown
or dark brown streaks. The reddish brown pigmentation
in the streaks gradually fades and then the stretch
marks or “striae gravidarum” (which
is the medical term) begin to look like glistening
silvery lines of scar tissue/ Often they can also
tkae on a bumpy appearance such as the scars left
by acne.
Stretch mark treatment
Stretch
mark removal (particularly if you are pregnant)
begins with you. There are many ways in which
you can actually prevent or at least treat those
stretch marks. And many of the hints below will
help even if you are not pregnant especially if
you are on a weight loss regimen:
If
you are pregnant, limit your weight gain to no
more than the recommended amount of 25 to 35 pounds
while trying to gain this weight gradually. Good
nutritional status is vital for your developing
baby but of course also contributes to the strength
and healthy of your skin. A controlled weight
gain without any sudden upward swings will let
your skin stretch at a steady rate.
Use a brush or wash
cloth at least twice a day to massage the areas
where you have noticed stretch marks or want to
prevent stretch marks from occurring. This action
will increase circulation to the area.
Be very careful of your
diet as this too can be very important in preventing
stretch marks. Try to eat lots of those foods
that promote skin health such as the ones rich
in zinc (nuts and fish), those rich in vitamins
A, C and D (carrots, citrus fruits and milk) and
those rich in proteins (eggs).
Take in lots of water
as this can help prevent stretch marks. If you
drink coffee, tee or any other caffeinated drinks,
then drink an equal amount (or even more) of water
to balance your fluid intake.
Take vitamins ensuring
proper nutritional status which is critical to
the overall health and well being of you, your
skin and if you are pregnant, to your baby.
Keep moisturizing your
skin by using one of the oils or creams marketed
especially for stretch marks prevention. The various
vitamins and oils used are designed to help enhance
collagen production and support the dermis, keeping
the skin intact despite the rigorous stretching.
There is a natural
health product made from pure essential oils
which can be massaged 3 times a day into any areas
which you feel might be susceptible to stretch
marks. And the good news is that this product
is absolutely safe to use during pregnancy and
nursing.
Keep up all the habits
listed above even after you have given birth or
lost a lot of weight. They are all excellent habits
for general good health as well as for stretch
marks prevention and stretch marks treatment.
Stretch marks removal
Apart from home remedies
for the prevention of stretch marks, there are
also stretch marks removal treatments to use on
existing stretch marks:
Tretinoin creams (the
same as used to treat acne) are prescription treatments
which have been found to be effective for stretch
marks removal. They work by lightening the skin,
replacing older skin with new skin and by slowing
down the way the body removes skin cells that
may have been harmed by sunlight. This cream cannot
be used during pregnancy and there is no information
on the effect it would have on a breast feeding
baby so caution is advised.
Dermabrasion or chemical
peel as well as laser treatment by qualified cosmetic
surgeons can improve color and skin texture and
help with severe unsightly stretch marks.
You can use that
same natural healing product made from pure essential
oils, which we told you about above, to treat
existing stretch marks by applying a few drops
3 times a day and massaging into the affected
area with no risk to an unborn baby or a nursing
infant.
So
whether you are pregnant, losing weight rapidly
or liable to develop stretch marks for any other
reason, there is a stretch marks removal treatment
which will work for you and provide the sought
after solution to the problem of stretch marks.
|
