Remove Stretch Marks the Easy Way

Stretch marks are most prevalent during puberty and pregnancy – times when the body undergoes rapid weight changes. However, you may be questioning what exactly is the cause of stretch marks and how to reduce stretch marks appearance if they develop. As a general rule, stretch marks develop on the body in regions that store large amounts of fat, and and develop in the dermis skin layer.

Stretch Mark Basics

Stretch marks are caused by actual tears in a thinned or technically atrophic skin, with fine dermal collagen bundles arranged in straight lines parallel to the surface. These tears are a response from your own body to try to heal the damaged skin. The reality is that stretch marks are actually scar tissue developed by the body to heal damage caused by thin skin stretched beyond its limits.

Known by doctors as “striae” (usually “striae distensae” or, in the case of pregnancy , “striae gravidarum”) stretch marks typically appear after rapid weight gain or loss. They are most prevalent in pregnancy and the teen years, when growth spurts and increased levels of steroid hormones cause significant changes throughout the body. The truth is that almost 90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks.

A little known fact is that the annoying stretch mark is really the most common form of skin lesion. Stretch marks, or Striae, are most commonly located on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and flank. The good news is that stretch marks are totally normal and aren’t considered a medical concern. The problem is that stretch marks can become an appearance issue and affect a person’s self esteem.

Stretch Mark Prevention – Your First Line of Defense

A secret to stretch mark prevention from developing is to maintain moisture in the skin during periods of weight gain or loss. This will aid in the reduction of stretch marks and for those that do appear, become less noticeable over time. A process of exfoliation and massaging nutrient-rich natural oils into the skin ,such as wheatgerm, jojoba or vitamin E, will help erase stretch marks from your high risk areas.

The Art of Stretch Mark Removal

The practice of massaging the stretch mark area is important and increases blood circulation to the affected area, also assisting the healing process. Exfoliation of the area will also help stretch marks removal by shedding dead skin cells and allowing the stretch mark cream to penetrate more effectively into the damaged skin. A word of caution is warranted though – be careful not to overdo with the exfoliation as it may cause your already damaged skin to become extremely sensitive. A little tenderness will go a long way to remove stretch marks effectively!

Remove Stretch Marks with Care is a post from: Health and Lifestyle
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