How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks And Methods To Prevent Them

Jul 24, 2018 by apost team

You have an almost 90% chance of getting stretch marks after carrying a child. Even teenagers and men can develop stretch marks due to weight loss and gain. Most people are looking for ways to get rid of their stretch marks, so this article is dedicated to the ways that work as well as the ways that don’t.

Who Can Get Stretch Marks and Why Do They Happen?

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Stretch marks are also known by the name striae. They occur when the skin is pulled because of stretching and rapid growth. Stretch marks can affect more than just women after pregnancy, as well. They can affect:

  • Growing teenagers
  • Physically active athletes
  • Men or women who take steroids
  • Bodybuilders who have lost and gained weight
  • Men or women who have gained or lost weight quickly
  • Men or women with a genetic predisposition
  • Men or women with thin skin or who have a hormonal failure
  • Men or women with the Marfan syndrome or Cushing’s disease

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Products That Can Prevent But Cannot Cure Stretch Marks

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You’ll always see ads online, in magazines, and on television that claim a certain product will cure stretch marks. Some of them may work if you are trying to prevent them, but most will not help you if you already have the existing scars. Any special moisturizers and creams will only help soften your skin. They can’t make stretch marks disappear. Some of these products are:

  • Oils: Many companies hype their products up in order for customers to buy them. They say that almond, coconut, vitamin E, olive, and shea oil can get rid of stretch marks. They won’t, even if you use them on a regular basis.
  • Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera products have been represented for years as something that will remove stretch marks. However, these products do not live up to their claims.

Effective Home Methods

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Sadly, getting rid of stretch marks for good is almost impossible. While these scars don’t actually affect our health, they can affect our self-esteem. You may not be able to get rid of the marks for good, but you can try a variety of things that can make them less visible.

One option for reducing the appearance of stretch marks is scrubbing and peeling. Using sugar, honey, and coffee body scrubs helps to remove the upper layers of your scars. The marks may slowly become less visible and look more like healthy skin.

What are Some Reliable Professional Methods?

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Peeling: Aggressive chemical substances are used in conjuncture with a local anesthesia to peel away the top layers of your skin slowly.

Microdermabrasion: This is a painful process in which several layers of your epidermis will be removed by using aluminum oxide crystals. This forces your skin to grow back faster.

Plastic Surgery: This method can remove your damaged skin and replace it with new skin. Surgical scars may be left after this type of operation.

Lasers: Lasers are one of the most effective ways to get rid of stretch marks. Lasers remove the skin and also affects the deeper layers.

Creative Solutions

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One of the more popular solutions today is to cover up your stretch marks with tattoos. How successful the cover-up will be will depend on the tattoo artist, your skin, and the ink used. We don’t recommend getting a tattoo if:

  • Your stretch marks are still new and purple
  • You are still breastfeeding
  • You plan to get pregnant in the future

We do recommend getting a tattoo if:

  • Your scars are old and white.
  • You have lost weight and are fit
  • You don’t plan to get pregnant again

Rodolpho Torres is a Brazilian tattoo artist who has developed a very unique way to use tattoos as stretch mark coverage. He chooses an ink color that matches his client’s skin tone so well that the results look better than anyone could imagine! He also uses this same technique to cover the dark circles under the eyes of his clients. He uses skin-tone ink to cover up problem areas.

How To Prevent Stretch Marks

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There are ways to prevent new stretch marks from forming. Consider the following tips:

  • Drink plenty of water every day
  • Eat a balanced diet
  • Don’t gain or lose weight too fast
  • Always nourish your skin with moisturizer. If you don’t already have stretch marks, you can use creams, lotions, and oils to help keep your skin soft and elastic

Whether you consider your stretch marks beautiful or ugly, there are many ways to treat them that actually work. Remember, stretch marks are part of you and you should not be ashamed of them!

Should we get rid of our stretch marks or accept them? Let us know what you think about the subject in the comments!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!