Is there anyway I can get rid of my stretch marks or at least make them non-noticeable?
Yes, you can apply natural remedies to get rid of strech marks.
Olive oil contains a lot of nutrients and antioxidants that can help in dealing with various skin problems including stretch marks.
Reducing the Severity of Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are stripe like scars that appear on our skin due to various reasons. Often it is seen in women post-delivery, especially around the stomach, buttocks and breasts. Among men, it happens due to sudden weight loss and once-stretched skin losing its elasticity. As such, there is no non-surgical way to completely get rid of stretch marks, but there is a lot you can do to reduce their ferocity and lighten their color so that they are less noticeable.
You can’t really prevent stretch marks, but here is what you can do once you get them. Exfoliation works to a great extent because it gets rid of dead skin around the area and lightens the appearance of these stretch marks. This can be done manually with some natural ingredients like oatmeal or even baking soda. There are also several commercial exfoliants you can buy in the beauty products section of stores that you can use too.
A mechanical version of exfoliation is that of microdermabrasion where tiny rough particles are shot at the skin to smoothen it. With every new layer of skin that grows, the stretch marks become lighter. There are also several creams and lotions that are dermatologically tested that you can use to lighten your stretch marks. These contain a range of ingredients such as Vitamins E and C. They also contain panthenol, elastic as well as hyaluronic acid and menthol all of which have been proven to reduce the severity of stretch marks. Having creams with the moisturizing properties of cocoa butter are also important.
There are also chemical peels that can be used to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Their application has to be supervised by a professional.
Here is what you can do to fade your stretch marks in a few short months:
- Moisturize. Massage liberal amounts of moisturizer deep into the stretch marks at least 3 times a day. The best moisturizers to use on stretch marks are cocoa butter and shea butter (wheat germ oil might help too). The idea is to keep your skin moisturized as much as possible so it stays hydrated and supple. That way your skin can stretch without breaking.
- Exercise. Exercise moderately at least 3 times a week to improve the circulation in your skin. Losing excess weight (if you have weight to lose) will also make stretch marks less noticeable as your skin firms up. When you gain or lose weight (this includes not only body fat weight, but also muscle mass), make sure you do it slowly. That way as you gain or lose weight, your skin has time to adjust to the stretching instead of being rapidly stretched.
- Exfoliate. Exfoliate your stretch marks at least once a day. You can either use a loofah in the shower or some type of body scrub. However, dry skin brushing is my favorite exfoliating technique. Dry skin brushing stimulates your lymphatic system, helps firm up skin, improves skin circulation, and massages the stretch marks to help make them go away faster.
