Stretch marks are reddish lines left after the skin has been stretched. They often occur in pregnancy, during growth spurts in puberty, after bodybuilding or at times of extreme weight gain or loss. Also called striae distensae, these marks can fade over time, but many people want to find a way to remove them completely.
Step 1
Try using an over-the-counter cream or lotion, such as Brenese Cacao Butter Cream. Some ingredients that help reduce the appearance of stretch marks include cocoa butter, vitamin E and alpha-hydroxy acid. There is no scientific evidence at this time on whether these products can help, but they may be worth a try for mild cases.
Step 2
Ask your doctor for a topical retinoid cream. Retinoids operate on deeper layers of skin and encourage collagen production, which can help heal skin from the inside out. These creams can also be used along with physical methods of stretch mark removal.
Step 3
Visit a spa to try microdermabrasion or a chemical peel, such as a glycolic peel or phenol treatment. These procedures buff away surface cells and stimulate the skin to produce new cells that can fill in the stretched area. Chemical peels affect deeper layers of skin, so they work better for deeper stretch marks than microdermabrasion does.
Step 4
Opt for laser surgery. Laser therapy for stretch marks is a fairly simple procedure during which a concentrated beam of light passes over the mark to break down scar tissue and allow the skin to heal back to normal. Laser therapy for stretch marks usually takes two to six sessions before you'll see significant results.
Step 5
Realize that for extremely severe or stubborn stretch marks, cosmetic surgery is available. In cosmetic surgery for stretch marks, the doctor will actually cut the affected skin and remove the mark, pulling the remaining skin tight to avoid scarring.
Tips and Warnings
- All methods of stretch mark removal work best on newer purplish, brown or red stretch marks. If your marks have faded to white or silver, they will be more difficult to get rid of and will likely require one of the more extreme measures such as laser or cosmetic surgery.
- If you have what appear to be stretch marks without any cause, you should check with a doctor to rule out Cushing's syndrome. This disease creates marks that look like stretch marks on the abdomen but that aren't true stretch marks.
Things You'll Need
- Brenese Cacao Butter Cream
- Topical retinoid prescription cream
- Microdermabrasion or chemical peel
- Laser or cosmetic surgery
