Stretch Marks and Dark Skin: 4 Treatment Options to Chase Them Away

Pregnancy and childbirth are perhaps the most special moments in a woman’s life. To prepare a life inside you and then give birth to a baby that you will cherish and love for the rest of your days is an incredible experience. But, as usual, good things always come with a few unwanted side effects.

Almost every new mother has to face the stretch marks over their stomach because of pregnancy. Those unsightly scars that may inevitably cover your hips, stomach, thighs and other areas after pregnancy or weight change are never welcome.Even though researchers have witnessed so many advancements in the worlds of medicine and science, no cure exists to completely wipe away stretch marks overnight.

Getting rid of those scars can be a long and frustrating experience. This is an even bigger problem for women with darker skin tones, as stretch marks are extra hard to remove from dark skin. You can relax, because here are some special remedies that can help any woman free themselves of those unwanted marks. But first, let’s answer some common stretch mark questions.

What Are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are scars that occur deep below the surface of the skin. They occur during weight gain, such as pregnancy, because the skin isn’t able to support the new weight of the body.

The skin stretches and tears, resulting in wounds that then become the scars you see as stretch marks.

A hormone known as glucocorticoid makes this problem worse. Certain health conditions like pregnancy or puberty produce large amount of glucocorticoid in your body. This hormone reduces the skin’s elasticity levels and makes it incompetent to cope with weight gain, which results in stretch marks.

Where Do Stretch Marks Appear?

Stretch marks can appear all around the body. They most commonly arise on the areas of skin which are most prone to stretching. You will usually spot stretch marks on the thighs, hips, stomach, buttocks, lower back and chest, but it’s not unusual to see them in other places, too.

What Are the Causes of Stretch Marks?

It’s not just women that are at risk from stretch marks, men can also suffer from these scars if they gain weight quickly. Here are some of the top causes of stretch marks:

• Genetics: If you have a history of stretch marks in the family, for example if your mother had stretch marks during pregnancy, you are at a higher risk of developing them yourself.

• Puberty: During puberty, your bodies grow and change in a variety of ways quite quickly. You can also gain weight quite easily at this time of life, so stretch marks are quite common in teenagers.

• Bodybuilding: It’s not just fatty weight gain that causes stretch marks to appear. Developing muscles too quickly can also cause the skin to stretch.

• Corticosteroids: Using corticosteroids can help to encourage stretch mark development.

Can You Prevent Stretch Marks?

Well, this is a bit of a gray area. If your mother had stretch marks, then it’s pretty likely you will get them,too.

There are measures such as heavy moisturizing and skin massages that some people can do to prevent the appearance of stretch marks, but studies are still ongoing into the effectiveness of these precautions.

For the majority of people, it’s not always easy to prevent stretch marks, so let’s move on to the treatment methods for existing stretch marks.

What If The Stretch Marks Are Already Here?

Don’t worry. A huge percentage of women suffer from stretch marks at some point in their lives, but you don’t necessarily have to spend years waiting for them to fade away. Here are some amazing ways to treat them.

1. Topical Treatments Help Stretch Marks Disappear

• Moisturizers:Studies have shown that women who moisturize regularly, and that means every other day, have much healthier and more elastic skin. It makes sense when you think about it. Skin that is moist and hydrated is less likely to tear than dried out skin. Therefore, moisturizing can act as effective preventative measures against stretch marks, but are also extremely helpful for making those scars fade away.In order to repair damaged cells and create new ones, your skin needs nutrients and moisture. By using a good moisturizing lotion each day, you will be speeding up the recovery process and helping those marks disappear.

• Retin-A:Also known as retinoic acid, this product is a miracle worker when it comes to stretch marks. Studies have shown that patients who apply plenty of Retin-A cream to their stretch marks witness visible results in short amounts of time.You should use this cream as early as possible, as it is most effective on fresh stretch marks. It works by helping your skin to produce more collagen, the building block of new skin cells. It is worth noting, though, that this product does pose some risks to pregnant or nursing mothers, so do consult your doctor if you are a new mother.

• Photo by Kim / CC BY-SA

  Glycolic Acid:Glycolic acid also works by encouraging collagen production in the skin, helping to improve elasticity and create healthy new skin cells to replace the damaged ones. Unlike Retin-A, this product is completely safe for use by new mums or pregnant women. You can simply buy it over-the-counter and apply it to any affected areas.
  

• Combine Glycolic Acid and Retin-A:Yes, the two products mentioned above are much more potent when used together. This combination can be super effective at ridding your skin of unwanted stretch marks.The two ingredients complement each other perfectly, creating a powerful skin potion to heal scars and give your skin a youthful look. Remember though that Retin-A should not be used by new mothers or pregnant women.

2. Microdermabrasion Makes Your Skin Look Younger

Microdermabrasion is a technique where the dermatologists remove the top layers of the skin, allowing fresher and healthier cells beneath to rise to the surface. This is the same idea as chemical peels, which use chemical solutions to burn away skin cells.

Microdermabrasion involves the use of a crystal spray which simply blows the dead cells off the body. By removing these dead and damaged cells, healthy and fresh cells can take their place, giving the skin a youthful glow. The process is completely painless and doesn’t come with any nasty side effects or long recovery periods.

Patients will simply have to go for multiple sessions of the treatment to get the best benefits. You should be aware that this treatment can be effective for scar removal, but it won’t make stretch marks vanish overnight.

3. Laser Treatment for Darker Skin Tones

People with darker skin tones have long suffered when it comes to stretch mark treatment. Traditionally, laser removal was available for people with light skin.

In dark-skinned patients, laser treatment usually posed several dangerous problems. Fortunately, recent advancements in this field mean that patients with dark skin are now able to enjoy the benefits of laser stretch mark removal.

Before this treatment occurs,the doctor will run a few tests to determine the patient’s melanin levels. Melanin is a pigment in the skin that is responsible for the skin’s color. A poor assessment of melanin levels can cause big problems when it comes to performing the treatment.

New advancements in technology take the risk of these problems out of the equation. The latest devices effectively allow doctors to take the most accurate melanin readings possible, ensuring that the treatment will be risk-free. However, the treatment can still go wrong so you should always find a doctor with expertise and experience, especially if you have dark skin.

Let’s look at some aspects of this form of treatment.

• Recovery: Laser treatment removes the dead skin cells, leaving fresh new cells exposed to the air. Thus, after the treatment, the targeted area of skin will be hot to the touch and extremely tender. Blisters may also be present in some cases, along with other typical light burn symptoms.After a few days, many of these symptoms will disappear and the recovery process will be complete. This process might take a few weeks in certain individuals.

• Results:This is a highly effective procedure and the majority of patients are happy with the results. The effectiveness of the laser treatment will depend on the patient’s skin, the age of the scars or stretch marks and various other factors. Some patients may require multiple visits to a laser treatment clinic before seeing optimal results.
  

• Benefits:The primary reason most people choose laser stretch mark removal over alternative measures is because of its reliability. This treatment has a high success rate.
  Besides, it is a safe technique that doesn’t involve much risk of injury or dangerous side effects.
  In addition, this form of surgery is less invasive than other procedures and has a lower cost as well.
  

• Risks:No medical procedure is risk-free. The lasers used in this technique are dangerous and do have the potential to do serious harm if used incorrectly. Therefore, it’s important to choose a medical professional who has experience with the technique.Other potential risks include the presence of blisters and burning sensations on the skin after the procedure, but these symptoms should only last a few days and won’t do any permanent damage.

4. Surgical Stretch Mark Removal Will Clear Your Skin of Unsightly Scars

If you have tried everything else and want to go for the last resort measure for clearing your body of stretch marks, surgery is the only option. This technique will ensure the complete and instant removal of stretch marks.

Compared to other techniques like laser removal or topical cream utilization, this surgery is the most effective. It’s worth remembering that stretch marks aren’t dangerous and pose no health risks, but some people just don’t want to live with them. For these people, surgery is the best choice.

Areas of the Body That Are Treatable

For now, the only form of stretch mark removal surgery is the abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck. This surgery gets rid of excess skin around the stomach or abdominal region and tightens the muscles in this area, removing any stretch marks in the process.

Unfortunately, surgery may not remove the stretch marks in other areas of the body. In addition, only patients who don’t smoke and have a good level of overall health can qualify for the tummy tuck procedure.

Cost of Surgical Removal of Stretch Marks

The costs of these different techniques will depend on various factors, including the severity and amount of the stretch marks. If you only have a few simple stretch marks that can fade away with the use of topical creams, you won’t need to spend too much.

Extreme cases may call for surgical removal, but it is the most expensive form of stretch mark treatment. Laser treatment may seem like a cheaper option, but the cost can rise if multiple sessions are required.

Overall, you should always bear in mind that almost everyone, particularly women, encounter stretch marks as some point in life. These scars aren’t pleasant to look at, but they are completely natural and harmless. Don’t let them get you down or depress you, but do try to take action as early as possible to recover your youthful-looking skin. Speak to a professional dermatologist for the best advice for your skin type.

It’s also smart to make good life decisions when following any treatment plan. You are what you eat, so don’t fill your body with poisons and toxins if you want your skin to look remarkable. Get plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide your skin with the nutrients it needs to repair and recover.

Avoid alcohol and cigarettes whenever possible, and be sure to protect yourself with sunscreen when you head outdoors on sunny days. Keep yourself hydrated with eight glasses of water per day, as well.

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