Stretch Mark Surger – Is It For Me?
Hormone changes, increase in weight, and gaining muscle can all cause stretch marks to appear. When the middle layer of skin, (the dermis) stretches to its max capacity, it becomes fatigued. bleeding within the skin, and inflammation cause the skins surface to become raised.
Most major blemishes fade in time. Unfortunately, they do not become invisible. Almost all of these unsightly marks last for years. Not unlike other skin conditions, there is no one miracle cure. Stretch marks can be repaired medically, or surgically. You must be patient while using lotions or creams, as the tissue beneath your skin can be severely damaged.
Micro-dermabrasion, and laser surgery are very expensive procedures. Visible results can be had within a week, providing you are willing to pay the steep price. While laser surgery seems to be the way of the future, there is always a slight risk of failure. Narrow reddish colored marks, can be improved dramatically with the benefits of laser surgery. On the other hand, deep stretch marks, such as the type that are a result of rapid weight gain, can prove to be very stubborn when it comes to laser surgery. During the 1 hour long surgery, all you will feel is the slight pricking against the stretch mark itself. The surgery can cost a small fortune, however the reward of your self confidence back is priceless. You will love the new found freedom of wearing what you want, when you want.
Consult your dermatologist, and have him make a decision on which type of treatment is required, whether it be a type of laser surgery, or a cream type treatment. With the facts in this article, I hope you can now make a more educated decision for your stretch mark removal.
Stretch Mark Surgery – Worth The $5000?
Stretch marks are most often a result of hormonal changes, stretching of the skin during pregnancy, and weight gain. These marks appear, when the middle layer of skin, the "dermis" becomes fatigued, from being stretched to its maximum capacity. The dermis undergoes some inflammation, and sometimes bleeding within the skin. This is what causes the rise in the skins surface.
The thought of your skin blemishes disappearing by next spring, is nothing but a pipe dream. They last for years. Lotions and creams are a fairly inexpensive approach to treating your own stretch marks, when it is compared to laser surgery or microdermabrasion. Not unlike other skin conditions, there is no single cure. Stretch marks can be repaired medically, or surgically.
One week results can be obtained by getting laser treatment on the affected portion of skin. Laser surgery is very expensive, however many people continue to pay the price across the world. Laser surgery, and microdermabrasion are both very involved processes. These have been known to deliver immediate visible improvements. While laser surgery seems to be the way of the future, there is always a slight risk of failure. While white stretch marks are very difficult to treat, the light pink type can be improved with laser surgery. Deep stretch marks, such as the type that are a result of rapid weight gain, can prove to be very stubborn when it comes to laser surgery.
The choice of which type of laser treatment to use, is important and should only be decided by your dermatologist. A sharp pricking is all you may feel during the surgery. A typical surgery lasts approximately 1 hour. Hopefully, you have learnt a lot from this article, and can now make a more educated decision.
Stretch Mark Removal Cream
In today's world, the wish to be beautiful is more important than it ever was. People spend thousands on surgical procedures to achieve a new look. One of the most common complaints from women is the presence of stretch marks. Though most of the time we can hide them underneath our clothing, there is no avoiding them when Summer comes. They are even more common as obesity rates increase in this country. More than 60% or all women have stretch marks. Rapid changes in weight is the reason behind these unsightly marks on the skin. Pregnancy is the most common cause, but puberty and body building cause them as well.
Stretch marks are actually a form of scar that is located underneath the top layer of skin. The lower layers of the skin are made of collagen fibers. Collagen will tear if it is over stretched, the result of this is a discolored scar on the surface of your skin. These marks will feel slightly raised to the touch. Promoting collagen formation is the best way to address this, but it gets more difficult as a woman ages.
How effective are they?
Stretch mark removal cream has been available for purchase in pharmacies for years. Recently, there has been more publicity about these products. There is still a lot of doubt about just how effective these items really are. There are many types of treatments. Some work to mask the appearance of the stretch mark, while others stimulate growth of collagen beneath the skin. This helps to eliminate replenish the marks over time. The most important thing, is know the type of mark, and what is cause was. Once you know this, it will make it easier to treat.
Stretch Mark Surgery and Microdermabrasion
Stretch marks are most often a result of hormonal changes, stretching of the skin during pregnancy, and weight gain. When the middle layer of skin, (the dermis) stretches to its max capacity, it becomes fatigued. The dermis undergoes some inflammation, and sometimes bleeding within the skin. This is what causes the rise in the skins surface. Bleeding within the skin, and inflammation cause the skin to become raised along the stretch mark. While these scars become less visible over time, generally, only a few ever disappear for good. Given the location of the injured portion of the skin is below the outer surface, it takes some time for the cream to show visible progress.
One week results can be obtained by getting laser surgery on the affected portion of skin. Surgery of any kind is always very expensive, however many people continue to pay the price across the world. While the success rate is very high, with any surgery there is always some risk of complications during surgery. Laser surgery can be very beneficial to thin, pink stretch marks. White and flat however, very rarely will benefit. The scars that appear after rapid weight gain, are very deep, and therefore they do not benefit from laser surgery.
Consult your dermatologist, and have him make a decision on which type of treatment is required, whether it be a type of laser surgery, or a cream type treatment. If you're worried about going under the knife, don't be. The only thing that you will feel during the surgery itself, is a sharp poking on the affected area. If you can handle sitting through and hours worth of tattooing, this is a cake walk.
The Different Types Of Stretch Mark Surgery
* Laser treatment is used to treat both red and white stretch marks. Not unlike the stretch mark creams, it works by promoting the growth of new collagen in your skin. Laser treatment can be expensive, and results can not be guaranteed.
* Fractionated laser - This treatment is used for minimizing older and deeper stretch marks. This process uses a blending effect, and is effective on many types of skin blemishes. The cost of fractioned laser treatment is approx $1000 USD per session. Rumor has it a 30% improvement can be had after 4 sessions, but of course there is no guarantee.
* Pulsed dye laser therapy - This process triggers the growth of collagen and elastin beneath your skin. This laser collapses your blood vessels, causing them to change color, from red to a light pink. Unfortunately it doesn't effect texture. Five treatments are recommended to get the optimum effect, however they come with a heft $500 dollar price tag per visit. This process should not be used on pregnant women.
* Excimer laser - Instead of collagen, this laser promotes growth in melanin. It helps to restore pigment. This is most effective on older stretch marks. 10 treatments is suggested to reach optimum results. Cost is approx $200 per visit.
* Microdermabrasion works by gently sanding your skins surface smooth. Attached to the instrument is a vacuum similar to a dentists, that removes the excess skin after sanding. The effect is that once the old skin cells are removed, new cells grow in their place. This is most effective against older stretch marks that are not still developing.
Home remedies to cure stretch marks
There seems to be a book of "secret tips and remedies" for all kinds of health related issues. I decided to compile a master list of secrets dealing with removing stretch marks. I have not tried any of the recipes so please use at your own risk.
Lavender Oil - Apply Directly to the stretch marks 3 times a day.
Aloe Vera Gel - Again, apply directly 3 times a day.
Zinc - Eat seeds and nuts containing zinc.
Aroma Oil - Massage into stretch marks.
Vitamin E Capsules - Break open and smear onto affected area 2 times a day.
Apricot Scrub - Rub into affected area.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Apply directly to the affected area.
Cocoa Butter - Apply directly 2 times a day.
White Vinegar - Apply directly. White vinegar strips away the top layer of skin, and restores your skins PH balance.
Secret Recipe 1 - 7 drops lavender oil, 3 drops chamomile oil, 1 ounce carrier oil (avacado, almond or jojoba oil)
Secret Recipe 2 - 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel, liquid from 6 vitamin E Capsules, liquid from 4 vitamin A capsules. Place in refrigerator. Apply directly to stretch marks.
Secret Recipe 3 - 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil, 1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil, 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil, 2 teaspoons grated beeswax. Heat mixture until beeswax is melted. Store in airtight container. Apply directly 2 times a day.
Have you tried any? Success? Stories?
Lets here them! Leave a comment to share with others.
Repairing Older Stretch Marks – Collagen!
Have you been embarrassed by your stretch marks before? You're not alone. Every woman has had a one, and many women cant even dress the way they want, without being self conscious about there appearance. It is an unfortunate fact of life. It cannot be cured, but you can do many things to help prevent, and treat stretch marks.
The best way to treat stretch marks is to promote the growth of collagen. Stimulating collagen growth is completely safe for your body, where as cosmetic surgery such as micro-dermabrasion sometimes used to remove stretch marks can be dangerous. There are many ways to accelerate collagen growth, and many of the ingredients used are inexpensive and can be found in a supplement distributor.
Collagen growth is a simple concept, but can be very tricky to make happen. To get realistic results, you need to be dedicated, and take this one day at a time. There are three ingredients that are essential to collagen growth. The most important ingredient is Vitamin C, or absorbic acid. It is essential for your skins health. The beauty of Vitamin C is that you cannot get sick if you get a little too much Vitamin C. The second, and equally important is Amino acids. There are over 20 different types of amino acids found in human skin cells. The third most important ingredient is Copper peptides. When Copper levels inside your skin cells increases so does the speed of collagen production. A word of caution when taking a supplement containing copper sulfides, is that anything over 2mg should be avoided and could be unhealthy for your body.
Can losing weight get rid of stretch marks?
Unfortunately, weight loss does not eliminate stretch marks. Some people who have adopted an extreme weight loss program, have actually loss weight too quickly and have acquired new stretch marks because of it.
Luckily, this is only a handful of extreme cases. Losing weight will actually slightly diminish the look on most people. When stretch marks are first discovered, they are most often a deep red or purple mark, like jagged lines in the skin. After weight loss, the skin is allowed to return to its normal condition and shape, and the lines will fade to thin white or gray marks. Steady, slow weight loss is the best way to lose weight when your goal is to rid of stretch marks. A cardiovascular workout is best for this because it burns fat, but doesn't cause as much muscle growth (ie: more stretch marks) as a resistance workout.
Available treatments from my Doctor?
When stretch marks seem to last forever, and never disappear, there are 3 treatment that you can get from a doctor.
Dermabrasion is a procedure that removes and/or minimizes scars and wrinkles on the skin. It involves the surgeon utilizing a high-speed rotating brush to remove the top layer of skin. The new layers then develop in their place that are hopefully scar-free. This method is not 100% successful, but you will definitely see an improvement and lightening of your stretch marks.
Chemical peels is another option. This treats stretch marks by placing acid, such as salicylic acid, on the skin. After a set period of time is up, the acid is removed along with the top layer of dissolves skin. During the healing process, a new area heals in its place, which is usually far less scarred than the old skin.
Laser surgery is the most effective, and also the most expensive option when it comes to treating stretch marks. Collagen growth can be sped up, as the lasers energy gets soaked up in the dermis. While this new collagen grows, it fills the stretch mark in making it less noticeable. While some plastic surgeons still protest using laser surgery on stretch marks, that is not stopping it from becoming a hit across the USA.
The important thing to remember while choosing how to treat your stretch marks, is to make sure you are done growing, and/or become pregnant. Both of these events are what causes stretch marks in the first place, so the treatment wouldnt be as beneficial as you would hope.
What exactly are stretch marks anyways?
Stretch marks are, in fact, scars. When human skin stretches too quickly during times of rapid growth, you develop stretch marks. Pregnancy, adolescence, or weight gain are the three main causes of stretch marks. Stretch marks occur in the dermis, which is the middle layer of the skin. Collagen is found in this layer of skin, and it is elastic, but sometimes not elastic enough. When the skin stretches so fast that the collagen cannot keep up, the dermis tears and a scar develops. The most common places to get stretch marks are in the thighs, hips, breasts, arms, lower back, and abdomen. Stretch marks are most common in adolescent women, however all ages and of people can get them, even men.
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