Stretch marks are like scars that result when skin is stretched because of many reasons. It is common to women who have undergone child labor. During pregnancy, the abdominal area is stretched as the baby grows inside. Stretch marks result when the abdomen grows back to its normal size after giving birth.

People with swingy weight problems are also prone to get stretch marks. Even during regular exercise, where there is rapid muscle growth, stretch marks are developed. These are often seen at the buttocks, behind the armpits, in the abdominal areas and knees.

Stretch marks are like silvery white hues and they do not look that good on the skin. It has caused deep frustration to those who have them on their skins, such that they look for varied means of removing these marks.

The number one cause of stretch marks is the tearing of the dermis. Over time, this can be diminished but it will never completely disappear. Dermatologists termed this as the striae.

The skin is fairly elastic by nature. When there is a rapid stretching of the skin, it will leave permanent stretch marks. As stated earlier, this is associated with pregnancy and obesity.

The first appearance of these stretch marks is reddish or purple lines. But these lines fade to lighter color gradually. The areas that have been affected with stretch marks look empty and are soft to touch.

Stretch marks will not form if there is enough support in the dermis. This can appear in any parts of the body especially in places where there are larger amount of fats.

For male obesity and loss of weight are the reasons for appearance of this. The best way to prevent stretch marks for men is to maintain a healthy figure. Men are commonly not vain on their physical appearance, but most of them seek treatments to get rid of unsightly stretch marks.

Maintaining a healthy eating habit is the best thing to do to avoid obesity. Aside from obesity, hormonal imbalance can also lead to stretch marks. Even those men who do workout in gyms may develop these scars as they gain muscle mass quickly. Some men use moisturizers, creams and lotions to reduce or treat stretch marks. These rebuild collagen and also repair the skin cells.

Contractubex is one type of ointment that treats scars from lacerations or cuts. Some people also use this to remove stretch marks since in a way it can be also treated as a scar. It has oxidants that allow scars to breathe and hasten healing.

Because ninety percent of pregnancy causes stretch marks, there are already several over the counter therapies that are available to prevent the stretch marks. Creams and lotion can not completely remove stretch marks. There are treatments like dermabrasion or chemical peels but they have restricted effects. But if it will lighten the marks significantly, it is still worth the procedure you will go through.

There are surgical alternatives that involve removing these scars also. These surgical procedures may be more efficient but are very invasive and needs more time for recovery. But this method is proven the most effective over creams and ointments. For surgery, the common method used is laser treatment.

Lastly, it is important to note also that acquiring stretch marks is sometimes hereditary. Some people are more prone to it, while others are not. It might be impossible to completely remove these marks on your skin but you could significantly lighten its appearance with patience and by religiously applying medicine on it.