Stretch Mark Treatment

If you are a woman who has given birth to a precious little bundle of joy, you more than likely also have stretch marks as a legacy of that experience.

Or perhaps you are a man or woman, who have had rapid growth spurts in puberty, or from fast weight gain, and have developed stretch marks from this extensive stretching of the skin.

Stretch marks commonly occur on the stomach, thighs, hips, back of upper arms, breasts or lower back. Both men and women can get stretch marks, although women are often likely to have more of them, as their bodies go through greater size and shape changes (such as pregnancy, or a larger change of body shape in puberty) than men generally do. Your likelihood of getting stretch marks is also partly determined by heredity.

Stretch marks occur when skin is over-stretched, tearing the connective collagen fibres in the dermis and resulting in lines of scarring which appear pink, red or purple. These lines generally fade with time to a pale pink, silvery or whitish tone and therefore become less obvious.

What can be done to avoid, or lessen, stretch marks?

Stretch marks, unfortunately, are often unavoidable, especially for pregnant women.  But there are things you can do to lessen them, and of course, to avoid the likelihood of getting them, if you aren't pregnant, especially if you managed to get through puberty without any.

• If you are pregnant, although you don't really have any control over the amount and speed at which your baby grows, try not to gain any excess weight outside of recommended norms. However, never try to remain under these levels, as you could do serious damage to your developing baby.
  
  
• If you are not pregnant, try to remain within your optimum weight range for your height and age. It's putting on those extra cm's that causes the skin to stretch!
  
  
• Medications, such as hormones and steroids, can help cause stretch marks, so talk to your doctor if you have concerns.
  
  
• Eat healthily- plenty of fruits and veggies, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which will help keep your skin in optimum condition.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water, and not too much coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
  
  
• Stretch marks can be more likely to develop if you have certain dietary deficiencies. Make sure you have the recommended amount of Zinc-rich foods such as fish & nuts, foods containing vitamin E, A, C & D, and protein rich foods.
  
  
• Excercise daily. A healthy active body is more likely to have healthy, elastic skin.
  
  
• Keep your skin moisturised so that your skin doesn't become dry and less elastic.
  **If you are pregnant, ask your doctor if the skin care products you are using are baby-safe, as the chemicals in creams can make their way through your system into your baby.**
  
  
• If you are planning to get pregnant, or in the very early stages, discuss options for minimising stretch marks with your doctor. They may be able to recommend products and lifestly changes which will help.
  

What stretch mark treatments are there, and do they work?

Stretch marks are actually quite harmless, but they aren't very attractive in most people's opinion. Many women decide to accept stretch marks as a natural part of having a baby, and don't worry about them overly. And, in fact, often their husband's aren't at all put off by them either, so they don't feel that they are an issue worth spending worry time or money on.

But for some women- and for men - stretch marks make them feel ugly and bring about a low self esteem. And for some, such as models or actors, the presence of very visible stretch marks may hinder their careers.

It is probably unlikely, once you have them, that you will be able to make stretch marks vanish completely.  But there are things that can improve them.

So, what options are there?

• General over the counter creams, such as vitamin E and cocoa butter, are not completely effective in substantially lessening the appearance of stretch marks. This is partly because stretch marks are located in the middle layer of skin (dermis) and these creams can't reach that level. They may help a little, in making the upper skin level (epidermis) feel supple and maybe show the lines a little less obviously, but they actually will have little overall effect.
  
  
• Your doctor can prescribe creams, containing Tretinoin, which often will help reduce the appearance of new stretch marks, but not older ones which have faded. However, as they should not be used while breastfeeding, or during the actual pregnancy, for some mothers the stretch marks are often too old by the time they are able to use the cream, and it is unlikely to be effective. It should also be noted that these creams won't actually totally get rid of the stretch marks, just help reduce their appearance.
  
  
• There are various surgical procedures that can help substantially with stretch marks. However, as with any surgery, there are risks that the surgery could go wrong and casue even worse problems and scarring, or other complications. This risk is significantly reduced, however, if you make sure you seek the services of a qualified, experienced, respected medical professional.
  
  These procedures include laser surgery, microdermabrasion, and tummy tucks which remove the worst areas, but of course, do leave a scar- hopefully hidden as best as possible! None of these are likely to provide a complete disappearance of your stretch marks, but their appearance can be much improved. Always discuss your options and the likely results thoroughly with your medical professional. Results will vary greatly, depending on a lot of factors, such as age and skin type.
  
  Surgical procedures can be quite expensive, and as they are elective, will not be provided free under the government health service, and may not be covered under your health insurance policy, so check carefully before proceeding.
  
  
• Endermologie, developed in France, claims to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, using a machine with rollers and gentle suction, which massages and exfoliates the stretch marked area.

The internet gives a great opportunity for you to research these options more fully, and become informed, so that you can approach your doctor or dermatologist with at least a basic understanding of what is possible. So make the most of this opportunity! 

However, make sure you also discuss it fully with a professional, to confirm that your understanding is correct and to have explained anything you might be unclear on, or to fill you in on things you may have missed.