Seasons India :: Dealing with stretch marks

Stretch marks, also known as stria atrophica and striae distensae, are tears in the dermis. Stretch marks are thin reddish streaks that usually occur on your tummy and your breasts, as well as on your thighs and bottom. Stretch marks represent a flattened, thin epidermis overlying gaps in the dermis left by stretched or torn elastin fibers. In pregnancy, stretch marks can also happen as a result of the effects of the hormones on the structure of your skin. If your stretch marks are caused by your hormone levels, there is little you can do to prevent them. Almost all pregnant women want to know how they can avoid stretch marks. But the bad news is that there is nothing guaranteed to prevent them and eventually they do fade away after you have the baby, becoming silver lines. However, there are ways to reduce, even eliminate them.

Remedies:
There are new techniques and surgeries being explored all the time to eliminate stretch marks. Stretch marks can be removed medical and surgical methods. Laser treatment is one of the effective methods of permanently removing stretch marks. Using a laser or intense light device, stretch marks are treated by flashes or beams of laser light that pass through the skin into the collagen within the second layer of skin. The other methods are Retin-A Treatment and Dermabrasion which however does not completely guarantee the removal of stretch marks.

Things you can do yourself to prevent Stretch Marks

Start a proper exercise routine. It is very important to exercise in order to get rid of stretch marks; toning your muscles helps your skin to firm thus preventing stretch marks.
Make sure in your diet you are getting plenty of protein and foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E, they promote good tissue growth. Also drink lots of water and have a balanced diet.
Massaging your body with olive oil or Vitamin E may help. Though massaging creams, oils, or lotions into the skin will help it feel suppler but does not appear to help prevent stretch marks from occurring altogether. However with time and proper massage the lines fade to fine silvery streaks and you will see the difference within 6 months.
Quit smoking. Tobacco is known to cause skin to lose its elasticity.

Mix one ounce of jojoba oil (you can also use avocado, sweet almond) with seven drops of lavender and five drops of chamomile. And massage well regularly.
Apply cocoa butter (some women are allergic to cocoa butter so do take care), fish oil, Tretinoin Retin-A cream and/ or elastin cream though out the body as directed on label. These are very good for stretch marks.
Make a mixture of 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup aloe vera gel, liquid from 6 capsules of Vitamin E and liquid from 4 capsules of Vitamin A in a blender and store this mixture in the refrigerator. Apply the oil externally all over the places where the stretch marks commonly appear (abdomen, hips, thighs and breasts). If you do this consistently every day, you may prevent stretch marks.