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5 Ways to erase (and prevent) stretch marks

Posted on Feb 4th 2008 8:00PM by Adams Briscoe

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss

Stretch marks can a be a bummer for people who put forth a lot of effort to lose weight. It can seem like trading one undesired element for another. These marks can also come from people who gain a lot of weight, such as body builders. This article addresses where stretch marks come from, and outlines some treatment options for people wanting to get rid of them.

First of all, you need to understand why they appear in the first place. By drastically losing a lot of weight, the skin literally acts like a rubber band and suffers the effect of overstretching the elasticity. So what do you do?

There are some prescription creams on the market in the form of vitamin A. But moisturizing twice a day with paraffin-free products is another way too. But probably the quickest route to getting rid of stretch marks is Fraxel laser treatments. It's not cheap, but if you're paying to see a doctor and investing in prescription creams anyway, it could be worth taking a look at. These laser treatments target the lower layer of skin where the stretch marks are and end up burning them away! It sounds drastic, but the thermal treatment is very low -- just enough to provoke your body into repairing itself back to new. Read on here for more information.

If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before applying any creams or using treatments that could be questionable (like Retin A). Thanks to our readers for pointing this out!

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10 Comment

Tags: loss, marks, skin, stretch, weight

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Em 2-10-2008 @ 8:43PM

yeah right, SURE it does. Another gimmick.

Carol 2-10-2008 @ 8:45PM

Though I'd never use this method, I wish the writer had addressed the stretch marks that most pregnant women have. I have a ton and wish there were a cheaper, easier way to get rid of them.

Paula 2-10-2008 @ 8:51PM

I had Fraxel done on my entire face two weeks ago and it is amazing! I was a little swollen and red for 2 days but I have already seen an amazing change. It's not cheap, $1,000.00 per treatment but it is worth it. My dermatologist told me he had just gotten the attachment for the laser to use on stretch marks but he was going to wait to see how it works before he tries it on his patients... I told him I would volunteer!

silly girl 2-11-2008 @ 7:58PM

when I was pregnant I used cocoa butter (not the lotion but the stick form) obsessively on my stomach from the time I was 4 months pregnant until my son was born. I fortunately have no visible stretch marks on my belly, however not so lucky on my hips and buttocks (which i neglected because i was unaware how the weight was being gained there as well)

elaine 2-10-2008 @ 11:23PM

Unfortunatley that is so true. I didn't realize that I'd be wearing a few pants sizes bigger because of that! Of course bigger hips make a nuisance as well lol! I neglected coacoa butter all together...I didn't really think it would work. Now I wish I'd tried it! I wonder if when you get pregnant again with #2 if you use it it will help the original ones go away...I guess I'd better invest in it now lol!

Rosemarie 2-10-2008 @ 11:19PM

Smearing Vitamin E on stretch marks works great. It's messy; do it at bedtime and wear nightclothes you don't care about getting stains on. The Vitamin E creams you can buy are too mild to do any good; you have to buy Vit. E gel pellets in the vitamin section of your drugstor or grocery store. Pierce one with a pin to get the Vit. E. gel out.

Works on zits too, or really, any skin blemish!

Adam Paal MD 2-11-2008 @ 12:00AM

The Fox News article that this article links to contains a very serious error with potentially tragic consequences.
Retinoic acid, the active ingredient Retin A Cream, is a known mutagen that causes severe birth defects. It must NEVER be used by pregnant women, or women who are trying to become pregnant. It should not even be used by anyone in close contact with them. See http://www.drugs.com/cdi/tretinoin.html for further information.
- Adam Paal, MD

Lauramar 2-11-2008 @ 12:28AM

Try using StriVectin it very good for stretch marks and also for your face....sold in high end department stores or go on line and read up on it. StriVectin.com...costly but worth it! I have been using it for my face for 4 years, no question it made a difference....

stretchmarks 2-11-2008 @ 11:23PM

Wow! This is excellent to know that there are ways to prevent or erase stretchmarks . The reason for stretch marks comes from people who gain a lot of weight, such as body builders. In my opinion the quickest route to get rid off stretch marks is Fraxel laser treatments.

Daphne 2-18-2008 @ 11:30PM

Thanks for calling out the caution women need to take when looking for a stretchmark prevention during pregnancy. The only thing to do is use a skin care brand that has been Teratology Screened, to eliminate "Teratogens" or any ingredients linked to birth defects. Belli is the only brand I know of that does this. My OB/GYN recommended them to me, and I couldn't believe that screening for teratogens is not mandatory!