Not Everyone Enjoys the Look of Stretch Marks on Their Body

As the name suggests, Stretch marks are streaks that appear on various body parts mainly due to the skin expanding on stretching. When the skin grows too much, the inner layer tears and thus causes what appears on the surface as red lines. It should be noted that they are not painful. Primary causes are growth during puberty, weight gain, and genetic inheritance. In the case of gene transfer, they will mostly not appear until puberty, and the body begins changing. The marks are common in pregnant women due to weight gain and stretching of the abdomen. To most people, they appear as reddened streaks but are not a health risk and disappear with time. However, not all people like having them, and they seek ways to eradicate them as quickly as they appear.

Preventing Stretch Marks

If you want to prevent stretch marks, there are some things that can be done. Even though stretch marks are inheritable, regulating weight gain can control the probability. Since they come due to rapid skin expansion, maintaining your weight will prevent the skin from stretching unnecessarily, thus keeping the lines from appearing.

Healthy skin depends a lot on the intake of water and nutrients. A hydrated body has soft skin, which is less likely to get stretch marks than dry skin. Eating a balanced diet gives your body the necessary nutrients for healthy-looking skin and prevents excessive weight gain. Vitamin C found in fruits is a vital part of the diet as it is responsible for collagen that reduces the possibility of stretch marks and wrinkles.

There is a high correlation between lack of Vitamin D and getting these marks on your body. Therefore, it is vital to get enough of this nutrient, and the easiest way is by getting some early morning sun on your skin.

Minimizing the Look of Stretch Marks After they Occur

Once stretch marks occur, there’s some things that can be done to help reduce them. Creams and body scrubs are often the first thing tried. With more people looking for ways to get rid of stretch marks, pharmaceutical companies came up with creams with vitamins and other ingredients to help eradicate the marks. However, getting a dermatologist's professional opinion before purchasing is crucial. Different skin types require different products. The most commonly used products are Bio-Oil and a homemade sugar scrub.

Laser therapy works by shining focused light on the affected areas, thus provoking the skin to produce collagen. Collagen helps fade in the marks and the redness, or any scars disappear. Depending on the lasers used, some may require multiple sessions before the effect is visible.

Microneedling is a new invention that uses a device embedded with tiny needles to prick the skin. The specialist rolls the device on the skin along the affected regions. This prickling provokes the production of collagen that causes healing of the skin, fading off the marks. Some people combine this method with radiofrequency treatments.

Surgical Options to Remove Stretch Marks

Some people turn to surgery depending on where the stretch marks are located. Tummy tucks and mini tummy tucks involve taking away the fat from the lower abdomen bringing the top part of the tummy down. Having removed the fatty area also permanently removes the region with the stretch marks. The abdominal area remains firm and mark-free.

A breast lift is an option for those who get the lines due to growth in their breast size. The procedure involves lifting the breasts to look more youthful and firmer and removing the skin's overstretched part.

A thigh lift is similar to the breast lift and tummy tuck. The excessive fat gets removed from the thighs, and then they bring the skin back together. The result is firm thighs free from any lines or marks of previous excessive weight. The procedure can be either an inner thigh lift or an outer thigh lift, depending on where the surgeon cuts.

In the surgical options, the medic removes all excess fat previously causing the skin to overstretch. The remaining marks fade away with collagen production as the skin heals and will not appear again unless with more weight gain.