subject: Is There A Way To Remove Stretch Marks? [print this page] As you may be aware, many people have been led to believe that it is not possible to remove stretch marks. While many methods will not get rid of larger ones, you may still be able to reduce the ones you have. A great deal will depend on the extent of the damage, as well as your skin's ability to heal from this type of trauma. If you are committed to getting rid of stretch marks, you should at least understand how they form so that you will have a better chance of selecting an appropriate treatment.
What are Stretch Marks?
In a sense, you can look upon stretch marks as being something of a cross between a wrinkle and a scar. Typically, wrinkles develop when the collagen layer of your skin collapses. By contrast, scars develop when this same layer is punctured or damaged in some way. Interestingly enough, these marks also occur in the dermis layer of the skin. The only difference is the tearing is not necessarily caused by mechanical force. Instead, it is caused when that particular region of the body grows faster than the skin layer.
Mitigating Stretch Marks
Over the years, many people have relied in various creams and ointments to reduce stretch marks. In most cases, these creams contain retinoids and a series of vitamins that are supposed to help the skin regenerate. Interestingly enough, the best way to mitigate these marks revolves around preventing them. Some studies indicate that combining Vitamin E and Gotu Kola extract may be of some help. A number of people also feel that using cocoa butter ointment during pregnancy will also help to reduce the number of marks that develop.
Dermabrasion and Laser Therapies for Stretch Marks
Even though the dermis is a very thin layer of skin, coaxing it into regenerating normal cells can be a bit difficult. That said, today there are a number of methods that can be used to help achieve that goal. First, researchers found that stripping the skin will spur new growth. No matter whether dermabrasion is carried out using lasers or sanding agents, it can still cause the dermis layer to produce new and better looking cells. There are also other laser therapies available that will simply cause small wounds below the skin surface that spur the same type of regrowth.
There is no question that these marks have been plaguing women since the beginning of time. No matter how much you may love your children, looking at those unsightly stretch marks in the mirror can be very upsetting. If you are about to have a child, then you can, and should do everything possible to prevent those marks from developing. This includes using creams and ointments that will make the deeper layers of skin more elastic. Find out the best creams in the market and user reviews. At the very least, if you need to have stretch marks repaired later on, they may not be as large or as difficult to get rid of.
