Tuesday, February 17, 2009

How To Get Rid Of Your Stretch Marks Before Summer

By Wendy Smith

Many reports have proven that stretch marks are one of the top five reasons for insecurity in women. To learn how you are able to help keep your stretch marks away or minimised read this article.

Ask yourself what does having stretch marks mean to you? For me they are the sure signs that I have had a baby. Saying that stretch marks may be looked upon as the proud badge of the children you have carried or as the nightmare to life in a bikini. However, they are simply a fact of life for many sufferers.

Whilst some women started developing stretch marks during puberty, others only see stretch marks for the first time during a pregnancy. Additionally, stretch marks are also related to obesity and may appear during rapid muscle growth. So as a matter of fact, it is not just women who suffer from stretch marks but men too.

So what are stretch marks and what do they look like? In medical terms, they are called striae gravidarum and they look like purplish red lines or bands. When the underlying tissue grows faster than the skin layers covering it, stretch marks are formed by causing small tears in the epidermal surface. Scar tissue then continues to develop in these tears, producing stretch marks. They can affect areas such as the stomach, breasts, hips, or thighs - wherever your skin has stretched all of a sudden. As you lose weight and things get back to normal, they begin to go white, smooth, shiny and flattened.

Here are some tips on how to minimise stretch marks

Put weight on at a steady slow pace. Drink plenty of water. If your skin is kept soft with adequate hydration it is less likely to develop stretch marks. Caffeine can also contribute to stretch marks. This does not mean you have to give up the caffeine, you just have to make sure you balance the fluids. In other words, drink just as much or more water as you drink coffee, tea or soda. Stretch marks can also result from a poor diet. Be sure to eat foods that boost skin health: foods rich in zinc, such as fish or nuts; foods high in vitamins A and C, such as citrus fruits, carrots and milk; protein rich foods, such as eggs.

Use preventative oil or cream rich in vitamin E over your body. Best practice is to start using this preventative treatment during the beginning of pregnancy or when you are trying to conceive. Even so, it is never too late to begin and you will experience great results on areas that have already been impacted by stretch marks. The cream works by penetrating deeply into the skin cell layers and acts to improve their elasticity by toning the collagen and elastin-rich tissues that are responsible for the flexibility and elasticity of the skin. The cream has a regenerating effect by energizing cell growth and production and therefore heightening skin renewal.

In my opinion as a last resort to minimise stretch marks would be to use surgical methods such as Dermabrasion, chemical peels or laser surgery.

I hope by reading my article you are able to now take charge of your appearance and make certain you will not suffer from this unsightly problem in the first place. It is not necessary to cover up on the beach or to be ashamed around your significant other again, you can regain your self-confidence by merely adopting these preventative suggestions. - 15438

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