To take stretch marks, one can resort to homemade treatments, made with skin exfoliation and good hydration or can resort to cosmetic treatments, such as laser or microneedle, for example.
To find out which treatment is most appropriate first, you need to identify the color of the stria. The red striae present this color due to the rupture of the blood capillaries and can still be treated, because their capacity of regeneration is great. The purple striae are in an intermediate stage, but they are still easier to fix. The white streaks present this color because they no longer receive adequate blood supply in that specific place, even a scar that forms on the skin, which indicates that the capacity of regeneration of the skin at this point is much smaller.
How to Remove Red Streaks
Red streaks are new and easier to fix. In this case what can be done is to hydrate the skin a lot, betting on the healing products. Although it causes intense itching, it is not possible to scratch the skin because this can aggravate the stretch marks.
How to Remove Purple Streaks
To eliminate the red streaks it is indicated:
- Exfoliate the skin: you can use vegetable buchinha or exfoliating creams that are in the cosmetics stores, pharmacies and drugstores, rubbing on the stretch marks for 3 to 5 minutes, during the bath, up to 2 times a week.
- Use a good stretch mark cream, prescribed by a dermatologist, on the affected area and, with the thumb, rub the entire length of the stretch marks until all the product is absorbed through the skin. This massage should be performed daily until the stretch marks disappear. And after the treatment, you should continue to moisturize the skin well to avoid the formation of new stretch marks.
In addition, Rosehip Oil is another excellent choice to disguise stretch marks and scars, helping to smooth and lighten the skin. See How to Use Rosehip Oil.
How to Remove White Streaks
To eliminate the white streaks, the ideal is in addition to exfoliate the skin, moisturize very well, and still need to resort to better aesthetic treatments such as:
- Peeling with retinoic acid, made by the dermatologist or physiotherapist;
- CO2 or pulsed light laser that completely eliminates white stretch marks, renewing the skin;
- Dermaroller with needles with more than 2 mm to stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin, forming a new layer of firmer skin. This treatment should only be done with a dermatologist or physiotherapist specializing in aesthetics.
- Dermabrasion : it is a kind of mechanical exfoliation in which the superficial layers of the skin are removed, leaving the estria more uniform.
- Intradermotherapy : is the application of various chemical substances through injections along the entire length of the striae, improving its appearance and decreasing its size.
- Galvanotherapy : use of a galvanic current apparatus that, through electrical stimulation, promotes deeper penetration of certain chemical substances, which favors the formation of collagen and elastin.
These treatments stimulate the local blood circulation, favoring the formation of new collagen and elastin cells, which form the skin, reducing the size and narrowing of the striae until they become imperceptible.
Surgery is rarely indicated but when there is a large amount of stretch marks and accumulated fat, one can opt for a tummy tuck, for example.
Watch the following video and check out these and other tips that help eliminate stretch marks:
What causes stretch marks
Stretch marks usually arise during pregnancy because the skin stretches a lot and there is still the action of the hormone elastin, which relaxes the ligaments, tendons, and also the skin, making it more fragile and flabby. Other situations that also promote the formation of stretch marks are in adolescence, after fattening very fast, in people who take steroids because this type of medicine also reduces the amount of collagen, which gives firmness and support to the skin.
Stretch marks appear when the skin needs to stretch a lot and very quickly, but usually they appear in the following areas:
- Belly;
- Breasts;
- Behind or beside the arms;
- Butt;
- Thighs.
Especially in men the stretch marks can appear on the back, horizontally, as if it were a ladder.
How to prevent new stretch marks
Avoiding fast weight gain and keeping your skin always very moisturized is the best way to prevent stretch marks from forming on the skin. About 8 out of 10 pregnant women get stretch marks, and not all will disappear spontaneously. However, when a woman does not grow very fast in pregnancy and is careful to apply creams and oils daily to her skin, the risk of having stretch marks is less.
Stretch creams are most effective on the new stretch marks, which are red or purple. In this case the cream should contain Q10 or have a tensor effect, for example. One should apply the cream with a local massage every day after the bath and can be reapplied several times a day. This same type of cream can be used to prevent the appearance of new stretch marks in the most affected areas such as breasts, tummies, thighs and buttocks.
