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20 Easy DIY Ways and 6 Cosmetic Treatments to Get Rid Of Stretch Marks

Updated on January 24, 2015
Use natural creams and lotions for stretch marks
Use natural creams and lotions for stretch marks | Source

You cannot heal stretch marks overnight!

There are two main causes of stretch marks: weight gain and pregnancy. They appear on the hips, chest and abdomen during pregnancy and thighs when weight gain is the cause. Stretch marks appear due to the rapid growth that occurs when the skin is stretched too far and the elastic fibers break. Stretch marks can be also caused by hormone problems, but this does not happen often.

Stretch marks can be a nasty thing to deal with, especially if they are already visible. The good news is, it's not very difficult to get rid of stretch marks at all. But be patient. It takes time to heal. And it does not matter what they say about stretch marks, science and technology have long revolved around this concept with the following techniques:

Exercise and keep a balanced diet: Let be honest. Stretch marks are largely a matter of excess fat. So if you want to get rid of stretch marks on your legs, you should start by making a few changes in your diet and physical routine. Exercising regularly helps to improve blood circulation and promote your body's skin renewal. Remember that stretch marks are caused by torn tissue, so fast skin regeneration will help these brands are less ugly. Of course you also need a diet that will allow you to lose weight and get rid of stretch marks on legs (or any other part of your body) at the same time. Besides giving you a slimmer figure, exercise also promotes blood circulation, accelerates cell renewal and promotes hydration of your skin, improving the appearance of stretch marks.

A diet rich in vitamin E and vitamin C will help in this. Vitamin E aids in the production of collagen, a substance that makes your skin more elastic while foods rich in vitamin C will accelerate skin renewal, which will help to iron out those stretch marks further smooth and effective.

Supplements: You can make stretch marks less noticeable by taking supplements that work to repair damaged tissue. A very good example is silicon, a mineral commonly prescribed for pregnant women to reduce tissue tears when their bellies are bigger, and to make their skin back to shape faster after childbirth. Because you are not pregnant does not mean you do not get the same effect.

Oils and Creams: Creams and oils and are intended for topical application and are often made of materials that promote skin elasticity. For example, collagen is a common component of anti-stretch marks creams that work by increasing the elasticity of the skin. Some oils that are mostly concentrated of fatty acids also increase skin elasticity.

Surgery: The most aggressive form of stretch marks management is an operation that does not necessarily involve cutting skin. Surgery for stretch marks is done by non - invasive procedures such as laser therapy, which uses laser light to penetrate cells and restore normal structure and function makes. Another option is microdermabrasion, which make use of fine crystal to "consume" stretch marks to give them a smoother, less eye-catching appearance. With one or a combination of these methods, it will be easy to get rid of stretch marks. Again, they may not completely disappear, but you can almost make them invisible with the right choice of treatment.

These are the basic treatments for stretch marks. Tropical treatments are the most easy and cosmetic treatments are the most effective. But its not economic. Lets see in detail the effective methods to get rid of stretch marks naturally without spending much money.

Can you use regular cream for stretch marks?

The answer is NO. Most creams for stretch marks are not very efficient because they contain mineral oils and therefore only penetrate the epidermis (the top layer of skin) and let the two underlying layers of skin unaffected. Unfortunately stretch marks occur in the lower layers of the skin and you must use a product that penetrates into the lower skin layers. Here is where aloe vera and emu oil become noticeable.

1) Aloe Vera is a wonderful plant. It's a great way to prevent these stretch marks naturally and also to get rid of them permanently. But the best remedies can only help you minimize these stretch marks instead of getting rid of them permanently. As we know that the best way to get rid of these stretch marks is to prevent it. Using aloe vera daily can help to prevent stretch marks to appear.

Aloe vera can be applied to the stretch marks, as it certainly reduces them to much greater extent so that they will not be visible on the top layer of skin.

In some cases, scars as old as five years can be healed leaving no marks. One can always use this Aloe Vera gel to get rid of all the stretch marks. Gel is always a better option.

Aloe vera penetrates into the deepest layers of the skin, and is loaded with vitamins, minerals, trace of elements and proteins to nourish the skin. Moreover, the cell growth is faster with aloe vera juice and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin too.

The Infinite Uses of Aloe Vera 'The Plant of Immortality' - 1

The Best Aloe Vera Gel Products For Your Health

Aloe Vera for Pimples and Scars | Best Aloe Vera Products for Skin Care

2) Emu Oil penetrates into the deeper skin layers. Emu oil is full of omega 3 and Omega 6 (important for the production of collagen and elastin) fatty acids. If you do not have pure Emu oil at home, you should also consider rose oil using Weleda (it contains Rosehip commonly recommended for removing scars and stretch marks) or a combination of grape seed and olive oil .The essential oils of cypress and rosemary also penetrates deep into the skin and improves circulation (poor local blood flow is often one of the causes of stretch marks).

3) Grapefruit Seed: Recent research has shown that grapefruit seed extract also helps to remove stretch marks. It would remove the damaged collagen skin and encourage new and healthy collagen to take its place.

Here is a 100% working treatment with aloe vera and emu oil.

Things you'll need

  • A loofah glove
  • A good abrasive exfoliatior (eg Coconut Scrub)
  • Pure aloe vera juice
  • Vegetable oil; a mixture of olive and grapeseed oil from the grocery store is enough, but even better is pure emu oil or rose oil from Weleda.
  • Essential oil of cypress and rosemary

Method

Take a bath to soften the skin. Do a reasonable amount of peeling at the place where you have stretch marks and massage the product with a loofah glove. In the beginning, you will probably react sensitively to use the loofah, but over time your skin will get used to this. Keep the massage between 5 to 10 minutes per body part and make sure that your skin is pink.

Mix equal amounts of aloe vera juice and emu oil (or vegetable oil) and add a few drops of essential oil of lavender to it. Massage it thoroughly into the skin with circular movements. Go to sleep immediately after the massage. The massage removes dead skin cells and impurities and stimulates the growth of new skin cells. The best time for the creation of new cells is between 11 pm and 5 am. It is therefore important that you actually sleep during these hours. If you have difficulty sleeping during this time, take a sleeping pill based on natural extracts (such Melatonin or Valerian), but never take real sleeping pills because they interfere with the growth of new skin cells.

Leave the skin to rest

It is important that you rest between massages through the skin. Never massage your skin more than once a day. Your skin does indeed need to recover after the peeling time. Therefore, you should never do massage every day. It is better to massage with aloe vera and emu oil 3 times a week. You can use other oils and creams daily or as prescribed.

After 8 to 10 weeks, your stretch marks will start to fade. Then reduce the massage to only 1 to 2 times per week. After a while you will come to a point that you barely feel the stretch marks. Your skin will become smooth and soft. Now you need to reduce the frequency of the massages just to only 1 to 2 times a month.

4) Keep the skin hydrated: Keeping the skin hydrated at all times stimulates the production of collagen. The result is less and faded stretch marks. Drink plenty of water. It will make your skin more elastic.

5) Coconut oil: Coconut oil is easy to find in supermarkets. It is the most inexpensive way to get rid of stretch marks. Regular use of coconut oil works wonders.

6) Vitamin E: Vitamin E - Available at local drugstores remove stretch marks quickly. Rub vitamin E oil or cream on your breasts, hips, thighs, abdomen and elsewhere stretch marks are noticeable to get rid of them.

7) Shea Butter: Regular use of shea butter promotes elasticity and fade stretch marks.

8) Olive oil: Massage olive oil on the affected area and it will take care of the rest.

9) Lime: Lime juice has skin lightening properties. Mix lime juice, sugar and olive oil. Massage it on the stretch marks.

10) Pure mink oil: Use 100% pure mink oil to get rid of stretch marks naturally. Apply the mink oil twice a day where stretch marks are visible.

11) Vitamin A: Vitamin A moisturizer can help enhance the growth of new skin cells and can also help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Massage Vitamin A to the area where stretch marks are visible, even after they have left to prevent them from returning.

Source

12) Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter is a non-greasy moisturizer that prevents and reduces stretch marks. It's cheap and you can get it in any store. Cocoa butter is vegetable fat from cocoa beans. Due to the hydrating and moisturizing effect, it is used in many different cosmetic products such as soaps, lotions and creams. Cocoa butter helps to improve the skin's elasticity, which is why it is also used in removing stretch marks. Cocoa butter does this by hydrating the upper layer of the stretch marks. But because stretch marks are deep skin scars, cocoa butter can only enhance the appearance of the skin and cannot completely remove the stretch marks.

How to use cocoa butter to remove stretch marks?

Wash the area stretch marks. Before applying the cocoa butter stick on the skin, it is important that you wash the stretch mark area. If you prefer, you can also exfoliate the area with your favorite body scrub. After washing, gently pat the area dry with a clean towel.

Massage Vitamin E to the area stretch marks. For better results, you can choose to apply Vitamin E on stretch marks. This will further moisturize your skin and prepare it for the application of cocoa butter. Remember that Vitamin E is a bit sticky, so it may prove to be very uncomfortable.

Apply cocoa butter to the skin. After five minutes, the vitamin E usually dries out, so you can start with the cocoa butter rub stick to your skin. Do this very carefully. Note that cocoa butter melts when it touches your skin, so be careful of the oil to apply to all the affected parts. Then, continue massaging your skin.

Cover the area. Leave the skin to get the moisturizing benefits of cocoa butter for about 10 minutes. After that, cover the stretch marks with a clean, soft cloth.

Wash the treated area. After a few hours, you can trim and wash the area. You would not notice immediate results, but if you do it twice a day for a few months, you will see that the stretch marks will improve and they will not be as bad as they were before the cocoa butter treatment.

Topical treatments

13) Glycolic Acid: it is supposed to increase the production of collagen and prevent new stretch marks. Also it gently removes the top layer of your skin thereby "scrape" the existing stretch marks off. The treatment itself is not yet fully explored. You'll need at least 3-4 appointments with your dermatologist in order to see results, and each can cost you up to $ 100.

14) Retinoids: These are chemical compounds related to vitamin A. They are proven to stimulate epithelial cell growth and increase the amount of collagen in your skin. They could show results at an early stage, but should be avoided if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

15) Topical tretinoin: found in creams, this is another product that increase your collagen production and reduce the visibility of pink stretch marks. It works best on stretch marks that are less than 6 weeks old, and has absolutely no effect on the old stretch marks. Pregnant women should avoid.

Creams and lotions

There are lots of creams, body lotions and moisturizers that can help with stretch marks you. However, please note that not all of them are giving proven results and consult a dermatologist for the best results.

Creams and lotions containing cocoa butter are the ones which are probably the best. Make sure the cream you buy actually contain cocoa butter - the higher the amount, the better. Lotions containing vitamins A, E and C are also very beneficial.

I would suggest you to try with lotions and creams first. You need to give them at least a month to see results. Lotions are much cheaper than any other stretch mark treatment, but they do not always work.

People with recent stretch marks will see faster results than people with seven years or longer stretch marks. It takes more time and effort to get rid of that last narrow lines .

16) Mix 5 drops of essential oils such as chamomile, seven drops of lavender oil and one ounce of carrier oil, massage this mixture to the stretch marks.

17) Mix olive oil, castor oil, vitamin E oil and add an ounce of avocado or sweet almond oil. Massage on the stretch marks area.

18) Make a mixture of 1 teaspoon of apricot kernel oil, 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil, 1 teaspoon of wheat germ oil and 2 tsp grated beeswax. Add all this to cocoa butter. Then heat to melt. Cool and rub this mixture over the stretch marks.

19) Massaging your skin with these oils will help to fade away the old stretch marks: macadamia oil, pomegranate seed oil, rose hip oil, tea tree oil, honey, lemon and vinegar.

20) Eat lots of tomatoes and green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin K. This is effective in healing old scars and stretch marks. You can use a lotion rich in vitamin K, which can be massaged daily 2 to 3 times.

These 20 tips are very simple, but if you do them properly you'll soon notice how your stretch marks are getting faded. Just do not give up if you do not see immediate results. Continue the above steps and you'll reach your goal.

Preventing Stretch Marks

Preventing stretch marks is a lot easier than removing them. Stretch marks are caused by a number of factors such as genetics, but the main reason they appear to be the result of a dry skin. Your skin is elastic up to a certain level, which allows you to bend. The drier your skin is, the more likely you are to get stretch marks.

It is important to do something about your dry skin, as the first line of preventing stretch marks.

The second line of defense against stretch marks is in hydration. This is especially important if you are pregnant. Apply anti stretch mark cream, or a simple moisturizer, from the moment you find out that you're pregnant, and you will prevent more than 90% of the stretch marks that could appear during pregnancy.

Cosmetic treatments for stretch marks

A medical procedure is your last resort to get rid of stretch marks. If the above procedures are still not working, then you can depend on cosmetic treatments. You just need to discuss with your doctor about how to proceed with these procedures and hear their options.

The following cosmetic treatments for stretch marks and stretch marks are performed by beauticians, dermatologists or private clinics. The results of the treatment will depend on many variables such as how long you've been affected, the composition of your skin and your response to the treatment in question.

In most cases, the stretch marks with these treatments will have little or no fade, except for very recent lines (less than one year) or a few small lines. Consult a beautician before taking any steps.

Microdermabrasion

What is microdermabrasion?

The epidermis skin is buffed bit by bit through microcrystals. Microdermabrasion is stronger than a regular exfoliation, but less powerful than a chemical peel. In fact, microdermabrasion mild skin resurfacing. The top part of the skin layer is removed and renewed. However, stretch marks originate from the underlying skin layers and remain untouched by the cosmetic treatments. Many people think that with each microdermabrasion removes a layer of skin until it is at the lower skin layer and then have no more marks. But that is not true. Only the outer layer is renewed by this method.

Results of Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion is the most popular treatment for stretch marks, but also the least efficient. Welts will not disappear with microdermabrasion. However, stretch marks become blurry and less visible.

Side effects, pain and risks of microdermabrasion: To microdermabrasion there are no disadvantages. The treatment is painless and therefore no anesthesia or sedation is required. But it is very costly.

FRAXEL laser (not the same as fractional laser)

What is the Fraxel laser?

FRAXEL The laser creates thousands of tiny holes in the skin. These holes are surrounded by intact and healthy skin tissue that causes lesions to be filled with new collagen. At each session, only 20% of the skin surface needs to be treated.

Results FRAXEL laser: Results are directly observable and improve further in six months. FRAXEL laser therapy can be combined with a TITAN laser treatment. For optimal results combined together they form one of the best methods to fade stretch marks. Yet the complete removal of stretch marks is rare.

Side effects, pain and risks of FRAXEL Laser

Treatment with the Fraxel laser is particularly painful, even when using a numbing gel. Normally, the treatment is performed without anesthesia, but you can apply for it if you really cannot bear the pain. You can also ask for lower setting to reduce the pain, but then the laser treatment is less effective. The day after the treatment, there is only mild redness and swelling. Four to five sessions are necessary with three or four weeks apart.

TITAN laser

What is the TITAN laser?

By means of infrared light, the dermis is warmed deep beneath the skin surface causing an immediate contraction of the collagen, resulting in tighter skin.

Results of the TITAN laser: Some people claim they almost have got rid of stretch marks. For others, the treatment does not produce a result. To obtain visible results, the TITAN laser is best combined with a FRAXEL laser treatment.

Side effects, pain and risks of the TITAN laser

There may be some blistering that heals after a few days. However, the TITAN treatment itself is completely painless and anesthesia is not necessary.

Generally three treatments are recommended, with one month interval.

IPL Treatment

What is an IPL treatment?

IPL device is not a laser, but a flash lamp that flashes of light into heat (IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light). This stimulates the production of new collagen and improves the metabolism of the skin cells.

Results of the IPL treatment: Because the skin functions are improved, stretch marks will fade and narrow. However, it remains difficult to completely remove stretch marks.

Side effects, pain and risks of the IPL treatment An IPL treatment is painless. There are no side effects or risks involved.

Chemical peeling

What is a chemical peel?

A chemical peel is a liquid applied to the skin that removes the upper skin cells (evaporates). In this way, the underlying connective tissue is activated. There are different types of chemical peels. The best known are the TCA and phenol peeling.

Results of a chemical peel: The effect of a chemical peel can be only seen gradually. The results are excellent if you suffer from a few lines. But if you have a large number of stripes on a large area (for example, over the buttocks and thighs), you will see no improvement, unless it is very recent stretch marks less than a year old.

Side effects, pain and risks of chemical peels

Chemical peels are painful (it feels as if you have a severe sunstroke). It is difficult to wear some clothes after the treatment as it is very painful when cloths touch the treated area. Also it will be difficult to sleep for a few days. The pain, just like a sunburn, gradually become less after a few days, your skin will start flaking (peeling). Try to avoid painkillers because it will hinder the recovery of skin.

Mesotherapy

What is mesotherapy?

Mesotherapy is an injection of hyaluronic acid, vitamins, minerals, co-enzymes, amino acids, nucleic acids, and antioxidants into the skin. As a result, the health of the skin and the cell renewal will be improved. Mesotherapy is an ideal addition to the above methods.

Results of mesotherapy

Mesotherapy causes the skin to function optimally again and is nourished. As a result, the firmness of the skin will severely increase and the marks fade slightly. For better results, you can combine the treatment with a chemical peel or microdermabrasion.

Side effects, pain and risks of mesotherapy

Skin is nourished and treated using injections. If you do not like needles, so you should refrain from this treatment.

Cosmetic treatments for stretch marks are in most cases not worth their money.

Anyway, now you know how to get rid of this annoying problem. Hope these simple tips will make your skin better and smoother. Good luck!

Some of the products mentioned here works well

http://forum.sofeminine.co.uk/forum/f47/__f49_f47-Stretch-mark-sucsess-d.html#6r

working

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