Stretch Marks : Causes, How To and Home Remedies

Stretch marks or striae (singular stria), as in Wikipedia, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. They are caused by tearing of the dermis, and over time can diminish but not disappear completely.

Stretch marks first appear as reddish or purple lines, but tend to gradually fade to a lighter range. The affected areas appear empty and are soft to the touch. Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body, but are most likely to appear in places where larger amounts of fat are stored. Most common places are the abdomen, breasts, upper arms, underarms, back, thighs (both inner and outer), hips, and buttocks.

The various causes of stretch marks are:

.Pregnancy
.Gain in weight or weight loss
.Rapid growth especially in adolescents
.Change in physical conditions

Once the stretch mark develop they will stay with you forever; but with time they will be less noticeable. The only way to avoid stretch marks is preventing them. There are also several remedies for those who have 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.

. Massaging your body with olive oil or Vitamin E may help.

. 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.

. Apply cocoa butter and/ or elastin cream though out the body as directed on label. These are very good for stretch marks.

. Application of vitamin K cream is also beneficial in the stretch marks treatment. The foods containing vitamin K can also be included in the diet and they are green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, liver and dairy products.

. Application of Aloe Vera gel also helps to cure stretch marks and is also good home remedy for stretch marks.

. Applying lavender oil on the marks thrice a day will fade up the marks soon. This is one of the simple and good home remedies for stretch marks.

. Application of Vaseline intensive care lotion on the stomach during pregnancy helps in the prevention of stretch marks.

. Rubbing the area with apricot scrub fades the marks in a short duration. This is also good home remedy for stretch marks.

. Mix one ounce of carrier oil ( try avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, they are the best ) with seven drops of lavender and five drops of chamomile.Apply this on the affected areas.


~Source:homemademedicine.com~