Most of us have a few stretch marks somewhere on our bodies after all it affects 80 percent of people worldwide. Stretch marks are a kind of scarring which occurs when the tissue lying just beneath the skin expands at a faster rate than the outer layer of skin. Expectant Women are prone to develop stretch marks towards the end of there pregnancy when the tummy area rapidly expands. People can also develop stretch marks if they put on too much weight or through excessive muscle growth. Although stretch marks aren’t a disease or a disability they can still have a negative effect on someone’s life. They can cause stress depression and lower self-esteem. In some cases people will avoid showing there body in public and avoid places like beaches and swimming pools.
Treatment for Stretch Marks
Unfortunately stretch marks are permanent in the sense that the skin in these areas will never be completely normal but after time they will shrink down to much smaller thin white scars.
- Mederma stretch mark therapy is a new product which has some great reviews. It claims to greatly improve the appearance of stretch marks after treating the affected areas over a twelve week period.
- Cocoa butter cream which is sold in pharmacies might be worth a try because its recommended to soften scars.
- Collagen creams claim that they will help reduce stretch marks but there is no evidence for this.In fact collagen put onto the surface of skin can’t penetrate to the deeper layers.
- Derma Rollers also claim they can significantly reduce stretch marks and many consultants agree with this because the micro needles on the roller can penetrate the outer layers of skin.
- Laser Treatment can be used early when the stretch marks are still red. They can get rid of the red colour and speed up the contracting process but its uncertain it will make any difference in the long run and because of its cost I couldn’t recommend it.
