Stretch marks can happen to anyone from pregnant women to body builders. Stretch marks occur when skin is moving and stretching faster than it can keep up. As a skin and beauty expert, and someone who has struggled with stretch marks in the past, here are my tips, tricks and best products to help keep those tiger stripes at bay or diminish them after they appear.
Preventing Them In the First Place
Eating a good diet that promotes skin health is the first way to help prevent stretch marks. You should up your intake of vitamins E and A and rich in Omega 3s. Eggs, nuts, seeds and seafood are great options to help up those skin loving nutrients. I started adding a handful of seeds to my salad, and now also take a skin care supplement to help promote skin health. You also want to stay completely hydrated all day long, which helps your skin be moisturized and flexible. I keep a bottle of water with a little lemon juice by my desk all day to help keep my hydration levels high.
Light exercise can also help promote skin elasticity and prevent stretch marks. During pregnancy, check with your doctor before exercising. Light stretching can help keep your body flexible, too, and reduce back pain all nine months. On the other hand, working out too much can cause stretch marks on non pregnant bodies. I got some of my worst stretch marks when I was training two hours a day in the gym. It's best to work out slowly and gradually to keep stretch marks away.
Using an oil or cream designed for stretch marks can help prevent them, but only by moisturizing your skin. Any lotion that is thick or creamy and contains more skin friendly vitamins can do the same job as an expensive stretch mark cream. You can also invest in some vitamin E oil to massage into your skin. Rub generous amounts of moisturizer or oil on areas where you are afraid of getting stretch marks both morning and night. A lotion containing glycolic acid has also been shown to sometimes help prevent stretch marks.
Treating Stretch Marks
Stretch marks that are already on your skin are going to require some love to get them to go away. The key is treating them immediately. If you're not already following preventative tips, like the ones I mentioned above, start them as soon as possible. I began hydrating my skin and saw my stretch marks begin to fade. Slather glycolic rich lotion on the stretch marks and don't be shy about massaging them. An anti scar cream, like Mederma, can help reduce scarring after stretch marks. The products can be pricy, however and may not reduce the stretch marks much. If you are desperate to remove the stretch marks you can try laser treatments, but they are very costly and typically aren't covered by insurance.
Ultimately, the stretch marks you may experience during life can be prevented in some cases, but sometimes stretch marks happen even with the best treatment. If you're struggling with stretch marks or feeling bad about your body image, remember that all of our skin tells a story, and there's nothing wrong with some stretch marks from pregnancy or getting fit. What's most important is learning to love your body. I hope my tips and tricks help you achieve your stretch mark free or low stretch mark goals, but also give you optimum skin health.
Preventing Them In the First Place
Eating a good diet that promotes skin health is the first way to help prevent stretch marks. You should up your intake of vitamins E and A and rich in Omega 3s. Eggs, nuts, seeds and seafood are great options to help up those skin loving nutrients. I started adding a handful of seeds to my salad, and now also take a skin care supplement to help promote skin health. You also want to stay completely hydrated all day long, which helps your skin be moisturized and flexible. I keep a bottle of water with a little lemon juice by my desk all day to help keep my hydration levels high.
Light exercise can also help promote skin elasticity and prevent stretch marks. During pregnancy, check with your doctor before exercising. Light stretching can help keep your body flexible, too, and reduce back pain all nine months. On the other hand, working out too much can cause stretch marks on non pregnant bodies. I got some of my worst stretch marks when I was training two hours a day in the gym. It's best to work out slowly and gradually to keep stretch marks away.
Using an oil or cream designed for stretch marks can help prevent them, but only by moisturizing your skin. Any lotion that is thick or creamy and contains more skin friendly vitamins can do the same job as an expensive stretch mark cream. You can also invest in some vitamin E oil to massage into your skin. Rub generous amounts of moisturizer or oil on areas where you are afraid of getting stretch marks both morning and night. A lotion containing glycolic acid has also been shown to sometimes help prevent stretch marks.
Treating Stretch Marks
Stretch marks that are already on your skin are going to require some love to get them to go away. The key is treating them immediately. If you're not already following preventative tips, like the ones I mentioned above, start them as soon as possible. I began hydrating my skin and saw my stretch marks begin to fade. Slather glycolic rich lotion on the stretch marks and don't be shy about massaging them. An anti scar cream, like Mederma, can help reduce scarring after stretch marks. The products can be pricy, however and may not reduce the stretch marks much. If you are desperate to remove the stretch marks you can try laser treatments, but they are very costly and typically aren't covered by insurance.
Ultimately, the stretch marks you may experience during life can be prevented in some cases, but sometimes stretch marks happen even with the best treatment. If you're struggling with stretch marks or feeling bad about your body image, remember that all of our skin tells a story, and there's nothing wrong with some stretch marks from pregnancy or getting fit. What's most important is learning to love your body. I hope my tips and tricks help you achieve your stretch mark free or low stretch mark goals, but also give you optimum skin health.
