When your skin gets stretched beyond its capacity, scars are formed. These are known as stretch marks. When they first appear, stretch marks are red or purple streaks on your skin. Over time, they will fade until they are pale in color.
Obesity and pregnancy are the most common reasons for the development of stretch marks. Many people will get stretch marks at one time or another. A large percentage of the population has been overweight or pregnant at some time in their lives! It’s not just women who get stretch marks, either. It might surprise you to know that male body builders suffer from this condition also.
The good news is that there are several treatments for stretch marks that have been shown to be highly effective. Following is some information on the top three methods of treating this problem.
1. Dermabrasion. This is a type of stretch mark surgery that takes place under general anesthetic. Dermabrasion is useful for reducing the visibility of abnormalities on your skin such as sun damage, dark spots and scars. In this procedure, the surface of your skin is sanded off using special equipment.
Dermabrasion works best when the scar or mark being treated is above the surface of the skin. It’s generally much less effective when used to treat sunken scars. The procedure is very painful and the healing process can take several months. But the final result can be very impressive.
2. Microdermabrasion. Popularly known as microderm, this treatment is much less invasive. It’s a popular, easily accessible treatment that doesn’t require an anesthetic. A special tool is used to gently sand the surface layer of the skin in order to remove it. People like microdermabrasion because it has a reputation for being a safe, painless procedure.
3. Skin treatment creams. There are hundreds of products marketed these days that claim to prevent or eliminate stretch marks. Some people swear by remedies such as Vitamin A cream, cocoa butter or various specially formulated creams.
There are several of these treatments that have scientific evidence showing that they can minimize the look of stretch marks. Revitol, NuVectin and Trilastin are stretch mark treatments that many people have had good results with. Keep in mind that these products are generally more effective at preventing stretch marks than eliminating them.
However, many products tend to overstate their ability to get rid of stretch marks. Before using any product that claims to eliminate stretch marks, try to find some unbiased customer reviews. Do a web search for the product you’re considering, and examine sites that aren’t associated with the manufacturer. Be sure to investigate the manufacturer’s website and research the source of their product claims if you can.