Don't Let Stretch Marks Ruin A Day At The Beach

Not only women fall victim to the dreaded stretch marks, men occasionally get the too.  Why so many more women than men?  Obvious reason is pregnancy.  Women's bodies go through growth and stretching in more than just the belly.  Our thighs and calves, our boobs and our arms, our butts - you name it, it could feel the stress of  not only growth but hormones.  Yeah! Hormones.  This is why, for many, the growing body is not the only reason stretch marks.

Let me share a little of what I found.

This from the Mayo Clinic

Causes

 

Stretch marks seem to be caused, literally, by a stretching of the skin. Stretch marks are more extreme when coupled with an increase in cortisone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisone weakens elastic fibers in the skin. 

Stretch marks develop in a variety of circumstances, including: 

Pregnancy. Most pregnant women develop stretch marks by the end of their pregnancy. The physical stretching of the skin, along with hormonal factors, likely plays a role. 

Weight gain. Stretch marks sometimes occur during substantial weight gain. Weightlifters can develop stretch marks, particularly on the arms. Adolescents may notice stretch marks during growth spurts.

Medication use. Corticosteroid creams, lotions and pills and chronic use of oral or systemic steroids can cause stretch marks.

Conditions or diseases. Cushing's syndrome and adrenal gland diseases can cause widespread stretch marks, as can Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other hereditary (genetic) disorders.

  

Next question is - Just what can be done to avoid or get rid of stretch marks?

 

This info comes from WebMD

It is crucial to moisturize, skin becomes more pliant, more plasticized, and better able to stretch when it's well hydrated. 

Many products claim to "repair" stretch marks.  But only a few work.

 
Wheat germ oil:  There is not much scientific data on whether home remedies for stretch marks, such as wheat germ oil, can help.  Once recent study did find it helped improve stretch marks in their early phase.

Glycolic acid:  Glyolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid.  It most likely works on stretch marks by boosting collagen production.  Glycolic acid can also be administered in higher doses by a dermatologist.  Treatment typically costs around $100 and requires three or four office visits before results will appear.

Vitamin C:   Certain formulations of vitamin C may also increase collagen production and ehlp early stage stretch marks.  For maximum effect, combine with glycolic acid.  Vitamin C supplements may also be effective.  Suggested amounts - 500 milligrams, three times per day.

Peptide-Containing  Products - Peptide containing products are widely marketed as " repair" creams and are a waste of time and money.  Despite commercial claims, there is no convincing data that any of these work.

Retinoids: Retinoids have been shown to be fairly effective in increasing collegen and elastic production in early stages.  But you should avoid them if pregnant or nursing.  Differin, Renova, Retin-A, and Tazorac are examples of  retinoids

Glycolic Acid plus Retinoids:  Using these together may give you better results.  But again, they are not to be used while pregnant or nursing. 

 Laser treatment:  This popular treatment option is used by many dermatologist , and  they are being tried on stretch marks too.  Lasers promote synthesis of  healthy, new collagen, which has been damaged when stretch marks appear. 
 

Bottom line here is that almost everyone on the beach has stretch marks.  There is absolutely no reason to let that effect your self esteem when trying on that cute little bikini.  Stretch marks should never ruin a fun day at the beach. And you should never feel a need to 'hide' them.

 

The below photo tells it all - and I will be re posting this on a regular basis, just to remind you all of a very valuable point.