Stretch marks are, in the most basic sense, a condition in which the skin becomes scarred. The skin stretches so tightly that it begins to break down. This process is similar to the process that of elastic losing its elasticity. When the skin breaks down in this way, t will begin to change color. Often stretch marks will start as a dark red, purple, dark brown, or brown color, depending on your skin color. Over time, stretch marks tend to fade somewhat so that they have more of a shiny silver color that is usually lighter than the surrounding skin.

Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched. Generally, stretch marks are caused by rapid weight gain or rapid weight loss. Stretch marks are very common in women during and pregnancy. The stretching that the woman’s body does during pregnancy is very often somewhat traumatic on the skin. Even if a woman gains the recommended amount of weight and does it at a reasonable pace, stretch marks are still likely to occur. There are also certain medications that can cause stretch marks, including some steroids like cortisone.

There are topical lotions and creams that you can purchase over the counter that are designed, primarily, to make stretch marks less visible. Some of these products are most effective when you first develop the stretch marks, when you can still see a good amount of pink, red, or purple color to them. These treatments for stretch marks usually rely on something called retinoids, which are derived from vitamin A. It is thought that retinoids are not an effective treatment for stretch marks once they have already faded. Other lotions and creams that are designed for the treatment of stretch marks may be based on ingredients like glycolic acid or L-ascorbic acid. These applications tend to work better as treatment for mature stretch marks.

There are also natural products that you can use to treat those stretch marks. These will generally take the form of lotions or creams, as well. These products are preferred by many pregnant women and women who are nursing because the effects of the chemicals in other stretch mark treatments on a woman or her baby aren’t always fully understood. These herbal remedies typically will rely on a variety of natural ingredients, such as avocado butter, shea butter, and olive oil. They may also include certain herbs such as chamomile, and other ingredients like Vitamin E that can help to treat your stretch marks naturally.

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