Stretch marks are common in women who are pregnant and people who have lost a lot of weight. Stretch marks are likely to pop up on your stomach, thighs, breasts and under the arms. They can be hard to get rid of because they are located at the very root of your skin. MayoClinic.com reports that most stretch marks cannot be totally removed; however, you can help improve their appearance.
Step 1
Exercise to help lighten stretch marks. When you work out, you tone your body and your skin, getting rid of cellulite and overall improving your skin's health. The healthier your skin looks, the less severe your stretch marks will look. Exercise gets your heart pumping and improves your circulation. This gets blood moving through your veins and into the area surrounding your stretch marks, which may help fade them. Aim for at least two and a half hours of strenuous exercise over the course of the week.
Step 2
Apply vitamin E to your skin to fade stretch marks. Vitamin E helps skin cells regenerate and accelerates the rate at which they grow. When skin cells are producing at an increased rate, the scar tissue around the stretch marks becomes thinner and shorter; over time, your stretch marks may be reduced. Buy a bottle of vitamin E capsules at the pharmacy, poke a hole into a few of the capsules and squeeze out the liquid inside. Apply to your stretch marks twice daily, in the morning and evening, recommends Dr. James Balch, coauthor of "Prescription for Natural Cures."
Step 3
Hydrate your body. When you are dehydrated, your stretch marks may look more severe. In addition, The Cleveland Clinic reports that drinking water keeps skin soft, which may help keep stretch marks from developing. Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water every day.
Step 4
Visit your dermatologist. Your doctor can prescribe medications such as Tretinoin cream, which can help reduce the appearance of newer stretch marks that are less than six weeks old and pink or red in color. Pulsed dye laser therapy and fractional photothermolysis are also effective on new stretch marks. Microdermabrasion and an excimer laser are more effective on older stretch marks.
Tips and Warnings
- Stretch marks look more pronounced on pale skin than they do on tanned skin. A lotion that contains self-tanner can temporarily cover up your stretch marks. Rub it into your stretch marks, as well as your entire body.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise
- MayoClinic.com: Stretch Marks: Treatments and Drugs
- Doc Shop: Stretch Marks
- Prescription for Natural Cures"; Dr. James Balch & Mark Stengler; 2004
- Cleveland Clinic: Stretch Marks
