Source: flickr.com user browneyedview

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

I love my son. He’s almost a year old, and he is the cutest, smartest, funniest and sweetest baby on the planet. (I say this all without bias, of course.) However, I do not love the stretch marks that came while I was pregnant with my son. Having a 9 pound, 8 ounce human being in my stomach did a number on my delicate skin, and I have the stretch mark scars to prove it.

Someone once told me that I should consider every stretch mark after pregnancy a silvery piece of jewelry that tells the story of my journey from woman to mother. While I agree that those types of thoughts would be nice, the harsh reality is that I want my stretch marks to be gone.

So began my stretch mark cream research. I learned a lot about stretch marks, and how they can be treated. Thankfully, due to exceptional research and new skin care ingredient technologies, there are many formulations meant to heal stretch marks and restore the skin. Although no stretch mark treatment will literally remove stretch marks, some can make them nearly invisible, which is truly the next best thing.

Stretch marks are really a form of scar caused by tearing of the dermis, the middle layer of the skin. Stretch marks occur when a hormone called glucocorticoid prevents fibroblasts from creating collagen and elastin fibers. Since collagen and elastin are what allows the skin to stretch and retain its elastic quality, the inhibition of their production leads to a lack of supportive material. Thus, a stretch mark is born.

Other factors may contribute to the formation of stretch marks, such as genetic disposition or hormonal imbalances. Some believe that diet and exercise also contribute to stretch mark scars, though there is debate about their possible role in the degradation of the dermis.

As with any skin care product, stretch mark creams are only as good as their ingredients. A good anti-stretch mark skin care product for preventing stretch marks will contain ingredients that improve the skin’s elasticity. A good stretch mark skin care product for reducing the visibility of already existing stretch marks will also contain elasticity-improving ingredients, however you’ll also want to find ingredients meant to repair damage, diminish uneven pigmentation, and smooth the skin’s texture.

For a comprehensive list of effective stretch mark prevention, treatment, and camouflage products, visit DermStore’s Stretch Mark Products page. Every beauty care product featured there contains proven ingredients for stretch mark prevention or improving the appearance of stretch mark scars.