Stretch marks or striae are a common enough problem of the skin affecting both men and women. These are long linear marks occurring on the surface of the skin, having an off color hue.
Causes of the marks
The layer of the skin lying immediately below the surface is called dermis. When this dermis is torn or scarred stretch marks appear on the surface. As the skin is stretched the dermis tears creating this marks. This strain on the skin may occur due to the following causes
• Sudden growth spurt during puberty causes stretch marks to appear.
• The most common cause of stretch marks is pregnancy. During this time as the baby grows, the skin of the abdomen is stretched and they break causing marks to appear. Typically, an expectant mother gains weight. This is another reason why that marks occur - not only on the abdomen but on all fatty areas like breasts, buttocks, thighs and upper arm.
• The amount of marks which will appear during pregnancy varies according to several factors. If the mother is very young or has a high body mass index, she will probably get more of it. If you gain more than fifteen kilograms or even lose weight too quickly after delivery, the marks appear. Finally, whatever precautions you take, if your mother had stretch marks during pregnancy, you will probably have it too.
How to avoid them
Prevention of course is better than cure. So you can take a few steps to prevent stretch marks.
• Drink plenty of water during pregnancy.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamin E, Vitamin C, zinc and silica to nourish the skin.
• Avoid excessive gain or loss of weight.
Methods to make those marks vanish
A number of skin care products are available in the market to get rid of stretch marks. The most expensive option is of course, laser surgery. But there is no guarantee of success. Instead you can try using remedies like bio-oil or cocoa butter.
Bio-oil or pyrolysis oil is obtained from biomass. When high heat is applied, biomass breaks down into solids like charcoal and gases. Some of these gases condense at room temperature to form bio-oil. It is slightly acidic organic oil. Regular application of bio-oil is claimed to reduce stretch marks. It increases the elasticity of the skin and repairs the scarring. A large number of women use bio-oil for stretch marks. However it is sometimes pointed out that though the bio-oil contains several beneficial compounds, they occur on a paraffin base. This does not allow the skin to detoxify and the original benefit is lost. This claim has some room for doubt. The fact remains that a huge number of users have reported that regular and continuous use of bio-oil on these marks have caused them to fade, though not disappear altogether.
Another very popular alternative is cocoa butter. This is vegetable fat extracted from cacao beans. It is a very stable compound containing a high concentration of natural fat. It melts at room temperature as it comes in contact with your body. So it can be easily absorbed by the skin and moisturizes the dermis layer. Regular massages with cocoa butter are also used to get rid of these marks.
Whatever remedy you opt for, once stretch marks have appeared, they almost never disappear completely. However, a rigorous regime of skin care with sensible diet will go a long way in making them fade over time.
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