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Can Stretch Marks Go Away? The Great Beauty Debate
By M. A. Fulmar

Stretch marks can be a very disappointing after affect of pregnancy. After nine months of hormonal changes, weight gain and mood swings, most women can hardly wait to get things back to normal. It can be a real let down to discover that certain aspects of your body are forever changed. Many are left wondering if their stretch marks can ever go away.

What Exactly Are Stretch Marks?

Some of the medical terms that are associated with stretch marks are: atrophicae, lineae atrophicae, linea albicante, striae, striae cutis distensae, striae distensae, striae gravidarum and vergetures. Stretch marks can be found on men and women and can be caused by some medications such as steroids or hormones, weight gain from bodybuilding, obesity, pregnancy or puberty, and certain diseases such as Cushing's Syndrome.

They are actually a type of scarring that occurs when the skin is stretched and the dermis, or middle layer of skin, is torn. Upon the initial occurrence of stretch marks, they appear to be deep furrows of red or purple. Over time, they fade to silver or white in color, with some of the furrowing becoming shallower as the body heals and the skin returns to its original size.

In all reality, stretch marks are harmless and pose no medical issues. Although our cultural quest for the ever-youthful body can cause many to balk at the thought of living with such unsightly skin issues. Dermatologists receive many calls from patients inquiring what can ever be done to make these embarrassing stretch marks go away.

The Great Debate

There is some debate between the medical community and the beauty industry over the claim that stretch marks can go away. Many different companies that manufacture topical creams and oils claim that their products can prevent stretch marks from forming, eradicate current stretch marks, or lessen the appearance of existing scarring. Some day spas offer their solution to this problem in the form of dermabrasion or chemical peels which essentially remove the outer layer of skin and stimulate new growth of this layer.

A newer treatment on the market is laser treatment which is intended to reduce the visibility of stretch marks that have already formed but cannot make the stretch marks can go away completely. These treatments are being offered in many OB/GYN and urological offices and in health clinics across the country. The medical community scoffs at the claims of manufacturers that their product can “erase” stretch marks. Since stretch marks are actually scar tissue, the only way to erase them would be surgical removal the affected skin.

Many people have tried topical creams and oils that are marketed today and many have reported to see some positive results. The reported results seem to center around a reduction in redness and a smoothing of the furrowed appearance. In most cases, this would have occurred naturally as the body heals itself over time.

The answer to this debated question of if stretch marks can go away seems to be “yes”- but only if you are willing to undergo plastic surgery to have them removed. The rest of the world will have to resign themselves to living with their changed appearances. The key may be ones attitude toward these permanent changes. Some have been heard referring to their pregnancy stretch marks as “honor badges”, an ever present reminder of the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth.

Author Details:
M. A. Fulmar, copywriter for various websites about skin care, cosmetic surgery, cosmetics and all areas of medical aesthetics.

Article Source: Directory of Free Articles

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