For nine months of pregnancy, you did everything right--you watched your diet, (most of the time) exercised faithfully and gained the recommended amount of weight. However, despite your best efforts, your stomach and breasts are scarred with stretch marks. Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of them, though it may take time, or a combination of strategies, to get them to go away completely.
Step 1
Use a cream. One way to remove stretch marks is to keep your skin moisturized. You can purchase specially formulated stretch mark creams that are made with cocoa butter, vitamin E and lanolin. If these do not work, you can ask your doctor for a prescription for Retin A cream. However, let your doctor know if you are breastfeeding, since there are no conclusive studies as to how much of the cream enters the body and how it affects the baby.
Step 2
Try laser therapy. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, a doctor can use different types of lasers depending on the color of the stretch marks. One type of laser stimulates production of pigment-making cells in fading stretch marks, while another can reduce the color of darker marks. Another type of laser therapy can stimulate production of collagen and help restore the skin's elasticity in depressed stretch marks.
Step 3
Take vitamins. Vitamins A, C, and E will help restore the skin's elasticity and rejuvenate your flesh, helping in the healing of stretch marks.
Step 4
Give it time. Stretch marks will fade on their own over a period of several months.
