How to Prevent and Fade Stretchmarks

Stretch marks (or Striae as they are called in dermatology) are forms of scarring on your skin. They are caused by tearing of the dermis. Over time they may diminish, but they will not disappear completely. Stretch marks are often the result of the rapid stretching of your skin associated with rapid growth (common in puberty) or weight gain (e.g. pregnancy or muscle building) that overcomes the dermis’s elasticity,

As you might have heard several times in the past; you can NEVER totally remove stretchmarks except of course via surgery e.g tummy tuck. Most lotions, creams, oils even laser will only fade the marks and not totally eradicate them.

With stretchmarks "Prevention is ALWAYS Better Than Cure"





Although stretchmarks can appear on any part of the skin, the most susceptible parts are on the;

• Stomach
• Breast
• Buttocks
• Thigh
• Armpit area
• Back of Knee

What Causes Stretch Marks

• Teenagers – Males and females going through puberty experience hormone imbalances which may affect the amount of collagen being produced which is where the skin gets its elasticity from. This, coupled with growth spurts, can make the perfect recipe for the formation of stretch marks.
• Pregnant women – Again, hormone changes and rapid weight gain due to pregnancy can mean that 75-90% of women suffer from stretch marks during pregnancy.
• Rapid weight gain or weight loss – Males and females who go through these changes to their weight may suffer from stretch marks.
• Bodybuilders – Increase in muscle size will stretch the skin and could cause stretch marks.
• Some bleaching creams/lotion/gels especially those that contain steroids 

How to Prevent Stretchmarks

1. Keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. Use a natural oil-based, thick moisturizer (like Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter). Cocoa butter also has a reputation for preventing stretch marks, but there are no studies that show it works better than a regular moisturizer.

2. Drink adequate water, i.e. 2 – 4 liters of water a day to keep your body hydrated and to reduce the risk of getting stretch marks.

3. Nutritional deficiency can increase stretch marks. So add to your diet foods that promote skin health like carrots, nuts, berries etc., and protein-rich foods like eggs, fish and milk .

Homemade Stretchmarks Remedies

• Massaging Vitamin E oil into the area twice daily may reduce appearance of stretch marks. Vitamin E promotes the growth of healthy skin tissue and is a popular ingredient in many skin care creams.
• Mix equal parts of coconut oil, lime juice and cocoa butter. Massage into the marks twice daily. Some people claim to see definite fading after a couple of weeks with this. It is thought that the acids in the lime juice along with skin rejuvenating qualities within the coconut oil and cocoa butter serve to diminish the marks, whilst keeping skin soft and supple.
• Making an exfoliating scrub with coffee, bicarbonate of soda, vitamin E oil and cocoa butter and exfoliating the skin with it twice daily is said to help even the skin out, and may help some of the cocoa butter and vitamin E oil to be absorbed better by the skin.

Store Bought Stretchmarks Remedies

There are various creams and potions out there with claims to having the magic when it comes to removing stretchmarks, but from experience not all are effective. There are 3 creams that I have read rave reviews about that i think is worth trying out 1. TriLastin SR Stretch Mark Complex 2.StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks and 3.Urban Skintrition Stretch Mark Cream with Shea Butter, Vitamin E, C, and Collagen Repairing Agents (though some of them are not cheap - I saw Trilastin for N20,000 at a shop in Lagos.)

Remember, take care of your skin because it is the only covering you get to wear all your life.

Till next post....remain beautiful,


Onome