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How To Treat Stretch Marks

In a world full of touched-up images, it might be hard to believe that almost everyone has stretch marks. Kudos to Sports Illustrated supermodel Chrissy Teigen for flaunting her “stretchies” before her 1.9 million Instagram followers. Chrissy is receiving accolades from beauty blogs like youbeauty.com and refinery29.com for her relatable images.  Whether you have stretch marks on your belly, thighs, butt, breast or arms, you are not alone.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks occur as a result of the body growing faster than the covering skin, causing the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) to tear. They are most commonly caused as a result of pregnancy, sudden growth spurts and weight gain.

Two Types Of Stretch Marks

Typically, stretch marks come in two variations. Newer stretch marks are reddish purple and snake across the skin. Over time, stretch marks become white and silvery, leaving depressions on the skin.

Treatments

Creams, oils and other treatments can be effective in diminishing the appearance of new stretch marks, but old white stretch marks are more difficult to treat. That’s why you’ll need to pull out the full treatment arsenal in order to get them to fade away says livestrong.com.

In-Office Treatments

There May Be Hope For Stretch Marks says byrdie.com offering information on the following professionally-performed treatments.

• VoluDerm, which is typically used to diminish fine lines and sagging skin, also has the ability to smooth out and revitalize scar tissue, including stretch marks. The minimally invasive procedure uses ultra-fine micro-pins to deliver radio frequency energy deep into the layers of the skin. This stimulates the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, which results in significant skin resurfacing. Three to eight treatments may be required.
• Micro-Needling is an anti-aging procedure for wrinkle reduction, but also is being used to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. During the procedure, tiny needles puncture the skin. The body interprets the punctures as injuries, which sparks the healing process. The body generates new collagen, which is used to heal the original tear in the dermis that caused the stretch mark to appear. Depending on the severity and maturity of the stretch marks, four to six treatments may be
• Pulsed DyeLasers are effective on new, still-red stretch marks. The laser administers short pulses of light into the dermis where stretch marks form. Improvements can be seen in the color of the stretch marks as well as size and depth. Expect to have two to six treatments spaced four to six weeks apart.
• Microdermabrasionis one of the few treatments effective in reducing the appearance of older stretch marks says com. This procedure uses a hand-held device to blow abrasive crystals onto the skin, gently removing the skin’s top-most layer and triggering the growth of new, more-elastic skin.

Creams and Lotions

While creams and lotions won’t erase existing stretch marks, they can deliver key ingredients that stimulate collagen synthesis and may make them less noticeable over time. The key to successful results is to be diligent with your applications.

In this Say Good Bye To Stretch Marks video, Dr. Oz suggests a vitamin C lotion that can help the skin regain some of its lost elasticity, which can result in stretch marks narrowing in size and becoming less visible. For newer, darker stretch marks, apply for approximately 12 weeks a prescription-only tretinoin cream, which is a vitamin A derivative. A less expensive solution is, an over-the-counter retinol product that can be effective.

Of course, it’s always best to consult your personal skin care professional for treatment recommendations. If you are pregnant or nursing, it’s recommended that you do not use any products containing retinoic acid.

Natural Remedies

Massaging egg whites or shea butter into the skin a couple times a day is said to help fade stretch marks according to hellobeautiful.com, while 10 Tips And Recipes to Rid Stretch Marks offers instructions for the topical application of high antioxidant and moisture-rich rich fruits and vegetables, including avocadoes, cucumbers and potatoes.

If you would rather make a salad with your fruits and vegetables, you can still make a natural stretch mark remedy by mixing one-fourth cup of aloe vera gel, oil from 10 vitamin E capsules and oil from five vitamin A capsules. Rub this mixture onto the skin until fully absorbed. Repeat this process daily.

Cover Up

The beauty editors at allure.com recommend strategically applying a self-tanner with a cotton swab to camouflage stretch marks.