No clear-cut conclusions have been reached on whether creams, lotions and the other assorted potions for stretch marks really help. Some scorn them, others swear by them. It is quite possible that those who actually benefit would have eventually healed anyway. The damage that causes stretch marks happens at a level of skin that no cream or lotion can hope to penetrate to.
Without a doubt, creams that claim to entirely eliminate unsightly stretch marks should be given wide berth. The impact that such a compound would have on the medical world and the world of commercial cosmetics would be comparable with the discovery of a vaccine for AIDS. It has not happened, and there are no reasonable prospects of it EVER happening.
The minimization of stretch marks, whatever their genesis, is another matter. Almost any cream or lotion that replenishes the skin’s lost natural oils will have a favorable effect on stretch marks. Compounds that contain vitamin A can also be very beneficial (popular ones are Trenitoin and Retin A, but these require a doctor’s prescription and should be avoided by pregnant women).
In fact, the products that have proved most helpful in preventing and minimizing the incidence of stretch marks are those that generally add to overall skin health. Creams, lotions and oils containing vitamin E and alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs or ‘fruit acids’) have reportedly yielded excellent results with stretch marks in almost all skin types. This may be because they can enhance the production of collagen.
The most natural ‘cream’ that has found favor with those plagued by stretch marks is cocoa butter, which can unfortunately cause unpleasant allergic reactions in certain people. A sensitivity test before its use is therefore in order.
Finally, all creams and lotions containing steroids such as hydrocortisone should be discontinued and strictly avoided.
Related Articles of Interest :
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Home Remedies For Stretch Marks
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The generally held medical standpoint is that there is no clear-cut treatment for stretch marks. We are not talking of major cosmetic surgery or otherwise radical intervention here, of course – those are definitely possible approaches, but highly expensive ones that are by no means...
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Prevent Stretch Marks
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There are certain circumstances under which stretch marks are almost guaranteed. To be forewarned and not forearmed is therefore foolhardy – especially considering the near impossibility of getting rid of them later on. Without doubt, pregnancy in women and intentional weight loss in both sexes...
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Stretch Marks
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Human skin is an organ in itself, considering the many functions it performs. It protects from internal infection, warns of possible physical damage by means of sensory pain signals and cools the entire body via sweat glands. And, of course, it is the main canvas...
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Stretch Marks and Pregnancy
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Pregnancy brings some unavoidable problems with it – backache, fatigue, queasiness, and, almost invariably, stretch marks. As the term of childbearing progresses (usually during the 6th or 7th month) something like 80% of all women can expect to find red striations to appear on the...
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Stretch Marks Treatments
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As already mentioned, most available treatments for stretch marks are essentially of the preventive and controlling kind. The treatments that deal with repairing already existing damage are quite radical and, for the greatest part, not of established medical validity. Pulsed laser dye therapy, currently in...
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Laser Stretch Marks Removal
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There is a lot of controversy about the efficacy of laser removal of stretch marks. The main bone of contention is that lasers are only useful in breaking down or vaporizing tissue, not in actually repairing it. In fact, even surgical intervention is apparently only...
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Cause of Stretch Marks
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The actual causes of stretch marks are still largely unknown. Fundamentally, the depletion of collagen causes skin integrity to reduce and the end result can be stretch marks. The rupturing of minute blood vessels is also involved in causing the earliest pink discolorations of such...
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Laser Surgery For Stretch Marks
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Stretch marks are caused due to excessive stretching of the skin as a result of rapid weight gain. The skin, being elastic, stretches in order to accommodate this new body volume. At some point, though, the skin will reach the limit of its ability to...
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Dry Skin Lotion
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A wide variety of moisturizing lotions and creams are on the market currently. Some creams are used when the skin is exceptionally dry. These creams can be applied on the wet body after bath and help retain the moisture in the body. Some creams can...
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Home Remedies for Dry Skin
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Dry skin has no permanent cure but the skin can be softened and made smoother by using a few remedies. Most popularly, lotions and creams are used to soothe the dry skin. Using a mild soap or a cleansing body wash might eliminate the problem...