Stretch marks, is also called as striae or striae distensae- it is a kind of scar that you get because of dermis/corium tearing. It can occur to both men and women. Some of the causes are a quick change in body weight (rapid gain/loss); hormonal changes due to puberty, pregnancy or muscle building.
Getting rid of stretch marks was never easy, but few treatments listed below could help in either removal or reducing their appearance of stretch marks.
Natural Remedies:
- Sugar:It is a well known natural scrub. It can be used to help exfoliate the skin and also help the stretch marks fade away with regular use.
- Potato Juice:It is rich in minerals and vitamins. It helps in restoring affected skin and promoting the growth of skin cells.
- Aloe Vera:It is a commonly suggested natural ingredient for a lot of skin problems.
- Lemon Juice:One of the main ingredient used for skin lightening. The acid in the lemon helps to lighten/fade away stretch marks.
- Cocoa Butter:it is a very good moisturizer and known for its anti-aging properties. As it helps to improve blood circulation it in turn reduces the appearance of stretch marks.
- Vitamin Oils:Tree, lavender, chamomile and almond oil have their own anti viral and anti inflammatory properties. When they are gently massaged into the affected area, it begins to heal the skin.
Surgical Procedure
It is considered as one of the effective procedures to completely eliminate stretch marks. Abdominoplasty, known as ‘Tummy Tucks’, is done to get rid of excess fat in the mid and lower abdominal section. In this procedure all the stretch marks at the lower abdominal region are removed along with excess skin.
At present, the drawback of this procedure is that it cannot be performed on other parts of the body.
Laser treatments
Excimer is an apt laser treatment for removal of stretch marks. This procedure, called ablation uses high UV laser light that interrupts the links within the skin tissues causing them to disintegrate. The affected area is left to heal after the procedure and the new healthy layer of skin is formed without any scarring.
Chemical Peels and Microdermabrasion
Chemical peel is a chemical solution which, when applied to the affected area reacts with the skin and peels off the damaged and dead skin. In return, it activates the production of new cells.
Microdermabrasion, is a procedure where tiny crystals are sprayed to blast the outer layer of the skin.
Both the procedures do not promise to get rid of the marks, but definitely helps in gradually fading off its appearance.
Blue light therapy
The process of applying a photosensitive gel on the affected skin and then exposing it to a burst of light energy is called Blue light therapy.
Application of topical creams or anti-stretch mark creams
Though applying anti-stretch mark does not help in preventing stretch marks, the moisture content in them helps in reducing the severity of the marks.
