Human skin naturally has a type of protein that gives it elasticity and flexibility. This protein forms a net all over your skin, and gives it the ability to stretch and return to its natural state. However, despite its natural elastic ability, your skin can get damaged when it is stretched too quickly. Stretch marks start to appear when the skin is pulled far beyond its normal limit. The same thing happens when the skin is forced to abruptly contract due to massive weight loss.
Too much stretching or contracting damages the protein fibers of your skin. When this happens, you will notice faint lines forming over the damaged area. These reddish or purplish lines are called stretch marks. These lines are actually miniature scars that form on top of the overextended protein fibers.
These lines will naturally start to fade after a few weeks. However, it will take an extremely long time for these to completely disappear. In fact, there are some cases in which the lines do not completely heal, leaving behind unwanted scars.
Stretch mark effects
Other than the visible lines, they do not have other physical effects on the body. They do, however, have a big effect on a person’s self-image and confidence. Beauty magazines are teeming with tips on how to make stretch marks go away.
You may try out simple home remedies to help them heal faster. Rubbing lavender oil on the lines three times a day will help lighten the lines. Using Aloe Vera gel and vitamin E creams will help you get rid of stretch marks. Certain types of food that are known to have a good effect on the skin, like those with plenty of zinc (milk and fish), and other items rich in vitamins A, C and D.
These home cures will lighten the visible lines within a few weeks. However, if you are looking for the most effective way to get your skin back to its natural look, you should consider going for a laser treatment.
Laser treatments for stretch marks are offered for a low price by almost every cosmetic clinic. It is a very effective way to permanently remove the signs of stretch marks. More importantly, it does not have any of the side effects that other skin treatments do. It is a painless, non-invasive procedure that may be completed in a couple of visits to your cosmetic surgeon.
How does it work?
Instead of merely lightening the scars on the outside, this procedure targets the very root of the problem. Laser treatments repair the damaged protein layer directly. Concentrated beams of light are used to remove the damaged layer, ensuring that there will be room for new layers to grow. This procedure also removes the scar tissues that causes the visible lines. The skin then naturally heals itself by growing new and undamaged skin layers.
However, this procedure is not advisable for patients who have dark skin tones. This may cause hyperpigmentation and damage the skin further. This procedure is also most effective for immature stretch marks. It may not yield the best results if the skin has already damaged for too long a time.