Free Article: Stretch Mark Treatment

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Stretch Mark Treatment: Temporary or Permanent Solutions?
By M. A. Fulmar

Women who are undergoing the rigors of pregnancy seem to have a permanent reminder of the event in the form of stretch marks. Such marks may be red in color or dark horizontal threads along the skin and they may even become permanent in nature. There are home remedies that can be used for stretch mark removal and a number of other temporary solutions such using specially formulated stretch mark creams.

Taking Preventive Measures Helps

It is necessary to take preventive measures against stretch marks during pregnancy. One may need to drink plenty of water to keep the body well hydrated, and also apply generous quantities of rich moisturizing creams on the abdomen, breasts, and thighs to saturate the skin with moisture. When considering a stretch mark treatment, one should remember to take preventive measures during pregnancy since prevention is definitely better than cure.

Temporary stretch mark treatment in the form of creams that contain cocoa butter, wheat germ oil as well as lanolin will help in healing the stretch marks through a rebuilding of the structure of the skin. In addition, one may also use concealing as well as camouflaging cosmetics, especially on affected areas, to reduce the visibility of the scars.

A more permanent stretch mark treatment would be laser therapy that has gained acceptance in recent times. Laser therapy is a simple procedure in which there is hardly any recovery time required, though the costs of such a stretch mark treatment are quite exorbitant. One may also try out another option in the form of blue light therapy in which use of gel as well as light is used to treat stretch marks. Another viable option one may consider is plastic surgery that can be used to permanently remove stretch marks.

Laser therapy is certainly a popular stretch mark treatment option as it is painless as well as effective, but does consume time in treating the patient. It is useful in that it repairs the skin's natural synthesis of collagen that helps fill in the stretch marks. It is certainly more effective than anti-stretch mark creams because creams are not able to penetrate beyond the top layer of the skin, and thus cannot reach the layer where collagen is produced by the skin.

Of late, the newest stretch mark treatment method being considered is using chemical compounds that are known as retinoid, and more specifically, retinaldehyde, tretinoin or isotretinoin. Coupled with proper medical supervision, they have been known to produce favorable results in the stretch mark treatment.

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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