Dr. M.N. Begani

Stretch marks are white marks, which are caused due to distension of the skin. These appear on the skin as stubborn lines. The most common cause of stretch marks in women is pregnancy, and otherwise they may also appear on abdomen, thighs and limbs due to gaining or losing weight too quickly.

Causes of stretch marks:
Stretch marks appear when the skin suddenly expands due to which the skin loses its elasticity by stretching too much in a short time frame. This causes white, ugly lines on the skin. These are very difficult to tackle or remove unless you make some efforts to do so.

Home Remedies For Stretch Marks Removal:

Here are some natural ways, which can improve the appearance of the stretched skin a lot, and can fade out stretch marks over time.

• Applying castor oil on stretch marks and massaging for some 5 to 10 minutes help. After the massage, you should immediately wrap the area in a soft cloth and then apply hot-water bag or a hot pad on the skin over the cloth. Daily treatment for a month reduces stretch marks a lot.
• Daily massaging of the skin lightly with pure Aloe Vera gel, and then rinsing it with lukewarm water also gives good results.
• Apply egg whites on the area and leave them to dry. Then wash it with cold water. You should repeat this for at least 2 weeks.
• Use either pure lemon juice or a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice and apply the juice on the affected skin. Leave it for 10 minutes and then wash it with lukewarm water.
• Use sugar with a little almond oil and few drops of lemon juice to make a mixture. Use this everyday on skin to exfoliate the skin while bathing to see visibly lighter stretch marks.
• Potato juice is a good stretch marks remover. You should use this juice on skin daily before bathing and leave for some time.
• Daily massage with warm olive oil is a great remedy for the stretch marks.
• Drink a lot of water. As long as you keep your skin hydrated, you will find all other methods working great on the skin.

Medical Treatment for Removing Stretch Marks:

Laser Stretch Mark Removal: During a laser stretch mark removal procedure, a beam of light removes thin layers of skin around the stretch marks. Instead of burning or cutting the affected skin areas like other lasers, it uses high-energy ultraviolet laser light to disrupt the molecular bonds in the skin tissue, which causes the tissue to disintegrate in a process known as ablation. Once laser stretch mark removal is complete, stretch marks will have disappeared, and a renewed, healthy appearance will result.

Benefits of Laser Stretch Mark Treatment: The most important benefit of laser stretch mark removal is its effectiveness. The treatment has a very high rate of patient satisfaction. It is also extremely safe; the excimer laser is precisely controlled, with little potential to cause injury.

Surgical Stretch Mark Removal: Surgical stretch mark removal is the only effective option for the complete and permanent elimination of stretch marks.

Other Stretch Mark Removal Treatments:

1. Chemical Peels: Chemical peels are most commonly used on the face to treat wrinkles and age spots, but they can be used on other areas of the body for stretch mark removal.
2. Microdermabrasion: Both microdermabrasion and chemical peels improve the appearance of stretch marks through the removal of the skin's top layers.
3. Blue Light Therapy: Although more widely used for acne treatment, blue light therapy is sometimes used to improve the appearance of stretch marks.

Because stretch mark removal is customized to the individual patient, consulting a cosmetic dermatologist specializing in stretch mark removal is the best way to get information on your specific case.