Saturday, October 25, 2008

What's Best for Stretch Marks - Creams, Oils or Surgery?

The appearance of unsightly stretch marks on your body can really mess with your body image and your self confidence. It's a subject that is seldom talked about by those who have them. Yet when they do appear, it's best to learn as much as possible about the reasons for their development and also how to get rid of stretch marks.

Why You Get Stretch Marks

When your skin is stretched beyond its limits, such as during pregnancy or periods of excessive weight gain or loss, it loses its elasticity and becomes damaged. The middle layer of your skin, or dermis, is where the damage takes place. But the damage appears on the topmost layer of your skin, which makes the stretch marks highly visible.

According to researchers, the process leading to stretch marks also causes your capillaries to expand. That causes stretch marks that are usually purple or red in color. In their early stages of development, they are frequently purple in color. As time passes they gradually fade and become whitish in color.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of stretch marks is to use a specially formulated stretch mark cream. The ingredients of these creams include moisturizers such as lanolin, cocoa butter and Vitamin E, or beneficial oils such as lavender and olive oil. More advanced formulations of stretch mark creams list AHA or Vitamin A among their ingredients.

These creams help to improve the flexibility of your skin and also to regenerate cells. Most of these products are considered to be quite effective at lessening the scars, particularly creams containing cocoa butter.

Another easy way to get rid of stretch marks is by using vitamin E oil, which is particularly effective at treating pregnancy stretch marks. Vitamin E oil helps to keep your skin firm and taut, even during pregnancy.

When it comes to choosing the best stretch mark removal cream there are a number of choices, many of which are over-the-counter medications that are easily purchased from any corner drugstore. A number of creams that are very effective at treating stretch marks can be found online.

You can also try various methods including surgery, dermabrasion or laser treatments to eliminate those unsightly stretch marks. Undergoing surgery just to get rid of stretch marks might seem rather extreme, but the reality is that it's the most effective way to deal with the problem.

Learn more about tips and treatments for stretch marks at Get Rid of Stretch Marks.

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