Have you ever noticed the wrinkle type marks on your old leather bag? It got so stretched that you had to replace it with a new one. Unfortunately, you cannot do this with your skin.
The skin is comprised of elastin that can be considered as a soft elastic tissue. In situations where extra pressure is placed on your skin, it can develop those thick lines (red and/or purple color), which are popularly termed as stretched marks.
Stretch marks can surface on the thighs, chest, abdomen, and near the armpits. Their appearance can be compared to the changes visible in the surface of over-inflated rubber balloons.
These marks take place in the middle layer (dermis) of the skin when the connective tissue expands beyond its normal capacity due to contraction of the skin. With time, stretch marks fade in color and the appearance becomes a white/gray hue.
While pregnancy is the main cause of stretch marks, other reasons include stress, changes in physical conditions, sudden weight loss or weight gain, hormonal imbalances and heredity factors. The stretching of the skin causes the collagen to weaken and the normal production cycle gets damaged, resulting in fine scars or marks.
As mentioned, stretch marks do fade away with time and change in color but they don’t go away completely by themselves. You have to make efforts to get rid of these stretch marks. The following are some of the most effective ways to reduce the appearance of stretch marks:
Laser treatment
Laser treatment may not be able to completely remove stretch marks, but it can make them fairly less noticeable. Pulsed dye laser therapy is the recommended option when stretch marks are still purple or red (in the early stages). It is painless and the energy of the laser is absorbed by the blood vessels underneath the stretch marks.
The blood vessels collapse and the stretch marks color disappears or takes white shape. Laser therapy usually requires multiple treatments to obtain viable results, but the number of treatments depends on your skin type and color. Laser treatment is preferred over cosmetic treatment as it is less expensive and carries less risk.
Natural oils
Many stretch mark treatment options like cosmetic creams can be ineffective, costly, and dangerous because of the side effects caused by unnatural chemicals. Natural solutions like like healing oils can reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the breasts, arms, hips, stomach, buttocks and thighs. The natural oil formula serves as an effective stretch mark treatment alternative, does not contain additives or chemicals, and are extremely soothing and gentle on the skin.
Such oils, when used as directed, will help reduce the appearance of mild stretch marks so that the skin regains its natural appearance and tone. Natural essential oils will absorb into the skin, providing a soothing effect to expanding tissues while enhancing skin elasticity.
Natural remedies
While it sounds icky, egg whites can lead to rejuvenation of the skin. You can put egg whites on the affected areas thrice a day and watch the stretch marks fade away. Another thing you can do is slice a potato and rub it on the affected areas. The vitamins and minerals in the potato juice helps in restoring skin cells.
Lemon can also be used to fade stretch marks. The natural acids in its juice provide a bleaching effect. You can rub the lemon juice onto the affected areas in circulation motions and let it dry for 5-10 minutes before rinsing.
