It should seem that since you lost the weight or got rid of the big stomach after you have given birth that you should be able to stroll onto the beach and not have to worry about a thing. This, however is not always the case because y0u have deal with those ugly creases which was holding up the fat. This is known as stretch marks. This happens when the skin is constantly stretch and the drmis becomes broken, leaving horrible line behind. It can happen to men as well who have been active in the gym departgment. When they leave this to relax marks will build up.
A stretch mark is made up of a linear scar which can actually affect thin under lying layers of the skin. It’s not only common amongst pregnant women, but can also happen during puberty, where growth happens at a rapid rate. Bodybuilders experience this as well as people who are obese or people who are constantly losing and putting on weight.
There are actually three layers that you have to deal with. If you don’t get down to it and get rid of all layers, you will be sitting back at square one. We start with the epidermis, which sits at the top, then move to the dermis, which is the middle layer and finally move onto the subcutuous stratum layer which is the inner layer. All of these layers need to be dealt with. You will notice these lines as being purple or red and as you age they turn a silvery kind of color. The texure of the skin is soft to the touch and this is what you want to change.
Looking at treatments that will get to the root of the problem
Stretch mark removal cream
Again we come back to creams that everyone says rub on everyday and before you know it the problem is gone, but how do you really know that you are dealing with the situation. There are a couple of creams on the market that have proven well and others that have just been a craze, but a good way to do your homework is to look at the the before and after results because this is going to be your best judgement. Tretinoin cream seems to stand out strong and many people believe and can prove by this. If you experiment by buying over the counter products you may not get very far, except for spending a lot of money so it is best to find out something about the product beforehand.
When the dermis loses its shape because of stretching, it will become less elastic. The dermis now loses most of its support in a process called epidermal tearing. This is where stretch marks take place.
A quality stretch mark cream can do you a lot of good and will reduce the marks significantly. Don’t think that one rub is going to solve all of your problems, but you will see some reduction. Find something good from your dermatologist which has been recommended.
Laser stretch mark removal
This is an option to consider if you have a lot of stretch marks. A cream may be fine for someone who is suffering from a couple of lines or creases here and there, but it may not contribute to permenant stretch mark removal if you are someone who has a lot of marks to deal with. You will need to have up to four treatments which can also cost you up to $800 for a single treatment. This works by a strong light that will heat the walls of the blood vessels and in doing so will break them down. The recovery period for this is not as long as some of the more serious treatments. You will probably have some redness, but no other serious damage.
Chemical peels
This will be another option that can cost slightlhy less. You will also need to go through a couple of treatments with these. A chemical peel is a treatment performed by a qualified person. It is like a mask that is intense, made up of ingredients to deal with the situation at hand. Don’t fall for the home treatment versions because not only can they be dangerous, but they are not as effective. There are peels that vary in nature. You can find peels that are very strong and the side effects mean that you will take up to a week to recover and others which are much lighter with only a little redness as an after effect for a couple of hours. Find out first if you are able to have this treatment because it is only appropriate for certain skin types.
There are a lot of other things that people use with some degree of success. Once in a while you will find a product that does wonders in the world of cosmetic surgery with no surgery, but most of the time you won’t find that it is as powerful. For example Vitamin E oil, Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter and Bio-Oil are some of the products that stand out. They don’t take yoru marks away for good, but they can help in reducing them.
Often people prefer to go the more natural route. After all, it can be less irritating then finding that you have flared up with an allergy to something after spending a large amount of money on an expensive stretch mark removal cream. If you have only a couple of light marks they will probably disappear in good time. Just continue to eat plenty of fruits and veggies that are rich in vitamins A and D and don’t forget to soak up loads of milk.
