Why do stretch marks occur? How does it occur? Stretch marks are scars that are left behind when skin is overstretched. And much like scars, they are really identifiable and are not very nice to look at. Although there are many remedies to getting rid of stretch marks, these solutions take a while to take effect and so you may want to know how to hide stretch marks for a temporary amount of time at least until your skin is back to its normal condition and unscarred.

Long Clothes

Covering It - Covering up your stretch marks is probably the most practical thing to do. If you are the type of person who likes to wear a tank top or shorts when you go out on a warm day but you have stretch marks that you don’t want exposed, you can opt to wear clothes with sleeves or even pants.

Problem Areas for Stretch Marks - Stretch marks can occur in various parts of the body like the thighs and in your arms and these are the parts of your body that are exposed the most if you wear short clothing. So while you are trying to eliminate those stretch marks, just wear clothes with longer sleeves or leggings. If it’s a warm day, make sure to wear loose clothing so that air can travel through the clothes to keep you cool.

Cosmetics

Covering With Make Up - Another way on how to hide stretch marks is to use everyday make-up. Women usually use foundation to hide blemishes or acne on their faces. This same foundation can be used on different areas of your body as it gives the impression that the skin tone and color is balanced on skin. This is an effective way to show that you dont have stretch marks and it also makes it look almost natural.

Creams - There are also other powders and creams that you can use to cover up those stretch marks temporarily. However, these substances can be washed away if you sweat and throughout the day, their effects will most definitely disappear. So if you use make-up as a solution to hide your stretch marks, make sure to carry some around with you in case you want to apply more to your skin.

Double Purpose Creams

Stretch Mark Products - Products are now also made available to treat your stretch mark problems. Some products also go beyond the need to eliminate stretch marks and have a second purpose as well. These products can help treat and eliminate stretch marks and at the same time can be used to cover or conceal the stretch marks so that you can still comfortably lead on with your regular life.

How do they work? They work by camouflaging your stretch marks to match the surrounding skin tone and color. At the same time, they work by treating the stretch marks, taking away layer by layer of dead cells until your skin can heal itself and look normal again.

Hiding stretch mark is different from getting rid and preventing them from appearing. Remember that how to hide stretch marks is not as important as how to get rid of them. By all means, if you want your skin to look better, look for ways to eliminate stretch marks. And as your treatment goes on you can choose one of a few ways to cover up those stretch marks for a temporary time until your skin heals properly.

Selecting an effective stretch mark solution can take a lot of time and even then, it doesn’t guarantee us 100% effectiveness. This is because skins vary and differ from person to person. The stretch mark solution for you may not necessarily be the stretch mark solution for me. However, we can look into several stretch mark solution facts that are based on skin components common in all skin types in order for us to choose the best stretch mark solution.

Fact #1: Different people can give you different stretch mark solution advice.

It is not surprising to get different stretch mark solution advice from different people. You dermatologist may advise you that the best stretch mark solution would be a dermabrasion session while your surgeon may advise you to go for surgery. The truth is that every stretch mark solution option has its own pros and cons.

Dermabrasion may be a less invasive solution than surgery but it does not directly remove the stretch mark scars. It only drastically exfoliates the top layer of the skin, getting rid of dead skin cells in order to make room for new ones. But since stretch marks develop from the inner layers of the skin, dermabrasion may not yield very lasting effects if you want your stretch marks removed.

Surgery is actually a more effective stretch mark solution but it is also riskier, more invasive, more expensive and may not work for all parts of the body. At present, abdominal stretch marks are the only ones that can be solved by a tummy tuck. This stretch mark solution however can give you weeks of pain and discomfort and may even lead to infections and a larger, more visible external skin scar.

Fact #2: The least invasive stretch mark solution is to leave the marks as they are.

Some people may also advise you to let the stretch marks be until it fades over time. However, this also means wasting the best years of your life waiting for the stretch marks to fade before you can wear you bikini again. Furthermore, there is yet the possibility of you gaining weight over time and consequently acquiring more stretch mark scars rather than shedding it, too.

Wearing one-piece suits to the beach and covering your body the whole summer would be half the fun. However, it is better than feeling self-conscious about yourself in front of others.

Fact #3: Practical and natural solutions do not always eliminate stretch marks permanently but they are the safest and most active way to get rid of stretch marks.

Instead of spending your entire life’s savings on risky and invasive medical or cosmetic procedures to get rid of stretch marks, there is still one way to get rid or prevent those stretch marks from getting worse: losing or maintaining your weight. The more you watch and maintain your weight, the lesser chances of you acquiring more stretch marks and with the aid of a healthy diet, you can heal your existing stretch mark from its roots, from the inner layers of the skin.

Cardio and aerobic exercises are other stretch mark solutions. Exercise can help improve your blood circulation and proper distribution of nutrients and oxygen to your skin, making it more supple, elastic, thus, less likely to develop stretch marks. Some exercises are not good to remove stretch marks, however, like muscle building. Because of muscle expansion, muscle building will more likely add to your stretch marks than remove it.

To achieve the best possible result, take a natural supplement along with your natural stretch mark solution in order to provide your skin with nutrients that may be lacking from your diet.

It’s easy to get lost in the sea of stretch mark elimination methods. Before you pick a method however, it is well worth your time to first check what works and what doesn’t.

Myth #1: There are various surgical procedures to eliminate stretch marks.

As of the moment, abdominoplasty is the only surgical method that is known to have the highest chances of removing stretch marks. This method however will only eliminate stretch marks in the tummy area and is very risky and expensive. It is not even originally intended for stretch mark removal but for extra fat removal. Only those who are close to their ideal body weights and have only a little fat to remove are considered good candidates for abdominoplasty.

There are, however, other medical procedures for stretch mark such as dermabrasion and laser treatment. As most people would know however, dermabrasion is simply a more complicated form of exfoliation which is only a marginally effective method to eliminate stretch marks. Laser treatment on the other hand is a new method that does not have a long and proven track record in removing stretch marks.

Myth #2: Getting a tan can eliminate stretch marks.

Since old stretch marks are silver or white in color, some people have the mistaken notion that they can eliminate stretch marks by getting a tan. This however, will only serve to worsen the whitish appearance of stretch marks as the surrounding healthy skin darkens in color. This is because stretch marks are scars and if you’ve ever tried to tan a scar, you would know that they are particularly resistant to color changes. Most of us also know that tanning is not always very safe.

Myth #3: Make-up can cover up stretch marks.

Make ups are not stretch mark solutions. These products do not eliminate stretch marks but just mask them. This may be a good technique but only for a limited time. Even the most water resistant make-up will eventually lose its grip at the beach or in the water.

Myth #4: Weight loss can eliminate stretch marks.

There are some people who believe that since gaining weight caused the stretch marks, losing weight can remove it. As scars, they will stay put even if you manage to agreed thin. You may however, be able to reduce your chances of getting stretch marks if you have never been overweight to begin with. A healthy diet and exercise can keep you from rapidly expanding in body size.

Myth #5: Stretch mark product is the answer to eliminate stretch marks.

The reason why stretch mark creams have received a lot of criticism is because there are really a lot of products out there that cannot effectively eliminate stretch marks. These products put a bad name on reputable brands.

Make sure to read product specifications, ingredient content and instructions for use to get the best out of your stretch mark lotion or cream. If you have very sensitive skin, you would do better with an all natural product that will not expose you to dangerous side effects.

Abdominoplasty and laser treatment for stretch marks are two of the most sought after methods to eliminate stretch marks. If you’re trying to choose between the two procedures, you should first compare them with each other for you to come up with a more informed decision.

What They Are For

Laser treatment for stretch marks is a relatively new area in cosmetic surgery. Some critics feel that there is a need to study laser treatment for stretch marks further before it can be considered a valid procedure for stretch mark elimination.

Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck has been around longer than laser treatment for stretch marks but it is not a procedure that is intended for stretch marks. People who want to get a tummy tuck simply want to get rid of a few extra stubborn fats on the tummy that do not respond well to dieting and exercise. The removal of stretch marks is simply an added bonus.

Before the Procedure

Compared to laser treatment, tummy tuck is a more risky procedure. Your surgeon may require you to undergo some extensive preparation. Your doctor will first spend some sessions with you discussing the procedure, risks and more importantly, assessing your validity as a candidate. You may also have to spend some time being medically counseled about your decision to undergo abdominoplasty.

Laser treatment for stretch marks is a less invasive procedure and may be conducted by a dermatologist.

Who Are Candidates

In order for you to be qualified for tummy tuck procedure, you must be close to your ideal weight and must have only little fat to be removed. You should also be physically and emotionally stable and should have realistic expectations. Sometimes a tummy tuck may not be able to remove all the visible stretch marks. It is also understood that the procedure will leave you with a big external scar.

The best individuals qualified for laser treatment are those whose stretch marks are still new and colored pink or purple. Mature stretch marks may not respond to laser treatment for stretch marks. Some experts also say that there will still be visible streaks but will be less obvious.

Recovery

Compared to abdominiplasty, laser treatment will require less time for recovery. The procedure involves little pain and no external scars at all. Abdominiplasty on the other hand is a procedure that may require weeks of recuperation. You may also experience some swelling and pain on the treated area.

Side Effects and Risks

Laser treatments are believed to have little or no side effects. A little temporary reddening of the area may be the only thing you have to endure. In the hands of an incompetent practitioner however, you might suffer from minor tissue injury.

Abdominoplasty stands to have more risks and side effects. Aside from the swelling and pain, you are also at risk of infections and irritations. A slip from your surgeon may also result in organ damage.

Cost

Laser treatment for stretch marks is considerably less expensive than abdominoplasty. Costs for laser treatment for stretch marks may range anywhere from $400-$1500 while abdominoplasty costs may range from $5,000-$9,000.

Anyone can get stretch marks. However, it is the women who, more often than not, often check to see if they have stretch marks so that they can treat and get rid of them early on. This is especially true for women who have given birth to babies. They will want to get rid of the stretch marks that have occurred from the stretching of skin during pregnancy. But in general, people who do have them do not really known what to do when stretch marks occur. This is the reason why most people will not do anything to stop them from forming.

What Are Stretch Marks?

To dermatologists, the condition is known as striae. They are actually scars but they are not physical scars, meaning they are not found on the epidermis of the skin. They are found just underneath in the area known as the dermis.

Weight Gain - When the body experiences a sudden change in growth, like when someone gains weight, the skin also stretches. The problem is that if the skin is not healthy enough, the dermis will tear and this is essentially how the stretch mark starts to form. The final result of a stretch mark is a silvery line and these lines are found in places where the skin has stretched. The usually areas are the stomach, thighs, arms, and buttocks.

What To Do

Early Stages - When stretch marks occur, it is ideal that you detect them first. You will not feel a stretch mark occur and so it is up to you to inspect your body to see if there are any newly formed stretch marks. These are easily identifiable as they look like reddened or purple lines. This means that the dermis has newly torn and that area is well on its way to developing stretch marks.

Preventive Measures - You can actually prevent the stretch mark from worsening and becoming harder to remove. One way to do this is to make sure that you drink a lot of water (about 8 glasses minimum a day) and also make sure to exercise a little. The water is to hydrate the body and keep the skin as elastic as possible. The exercise is to get your blood flowing and also to get rid of any fats that cause your skin to stretch. You might also want to change your diet into something that is rich in essential fats such as those found in fish.

Your Options - If you have stretch marks that you may have overlooked before and still want to get rid of them, there are surgical and medical procedures that you can choose from. One way is to use medicated creams.

Laser Treatment - You also have the option of getting laser surgery to have the lines removed permanently. This is a pricey option but at least you won’t have to worry about the stretch marks forming again. These are all measures that you can try out when stretch marks occur around your body. Otherwise, keeping a healthy body and maintaining a good diet and exercise routine should help prevent stretch marks from ever forming in the first place.