Effective Ways to Get Rid of Stretch Marks
Pregnant women normally develop stretch marks across their abdomen, breasts, buttocks and thighs. These are pink or reddish streaks caused by the stretched skin because of pregnancy. Stretch marks fade away with time, but as long as the streaks are present, they present an ugly sight. Obese people and bodybuilders tend to develop stretch marks.

Excessive stretch on the skin creates these marks. The other reasons why stretch marks occur are continuous use of steroid-based skin creams or ointments, and oral intake of high doses of corticosteroids.

Causes of Stretch Marks
The actual cause of stretch marks has not yet been determined so far. A reduction in collagen level in the skin affects the structure of the skin and may lead to occurrence of stretch marks. The pink color that shows in the initial stages points to rupturing of the small blood vessels in the outer layers of your skin.

Quick weight gain or loss is an established cause of stretch marks. Physical changes during puberty also cause stretch marks. It is now being increasingly believed that abnormal hormonal activity, as in the case of pregnancy, may also lead to the appearance of stretch marks.

Getting Rid of Stretch Marks
If you were looking for safe and effective ways to get rid of stretch marks, the best step would be to avoid them in the first place. Stretch marks may appear when the skin is subjected to extreme stretching.

The skin is stretched to the limit when you gain excessive weight in short time. That is the reason why pregnant women, teenagers and bodybuilders are prone to develop stretch marks.

If you have a genetic proclivity towards the development of stretch marks, there is no hope of preventing stretch marks from appearing. However, stretch marks that appear due to hormonal imbalance or excessive hormonal production can be prevented. Following tips will help you effectively prevent the occurrence of stretch marks.

• Avoid gaining or losing weight quickly. A quick change in the body’s composition is not correspondingly matched with enough production of collagen and elastin that help keep the skin soft, supple, and free from stretch marks.
  


• Your skin needs to be hydrated at all times to remain soft and function effectively. For that, your body would require an adequate amount of fluids. Drinking a lot of water prevents stretch marks and improves skin quality.



• Use a natural moisturizer such as olive oil during pregnancy. An olive oil massage will help prevent stretch marks.

Treating Stretch Marks
When the skin is subjected to extreme stretching, it causes the tiny skin fibers to tear. Though they cannot be repaired, certain treatments are available to fade the appearance of stretch marks.

Exfoliation is a process that helps remove dead skin cells. The soft new skin that appears after exfoliation may improve the appearance of the skin. The skin needs to be adequately moisturized after exfoliation. Certain ointments do help in improving the appearance of fresh stretch marks, but they have no effect on older marks. Laser surgery does have a limited success rate, but it is too expensive a process.

The best way to prevent stretch marks is to avoid them as described above.

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