Stretch marks cream has invaded the market, and you may wonder if it can actually remove your skin's imperfections. Stretch marks are the consequence of the tearing the deep skin layers, due to pregnancy, weight gain or sudden growth. The stretch marks cannot be removed with topical treatment, but certain creams may do a good job reducing the visibility of the stretch marks.
Stretch Marks Formation
Stretch marks form when the skin is forced to stretch, in times such as pregnancy, sudden weight gain or during the growth process. The deeper layers of skin will break and this will result in visible red or purple stretch marks on the affected areas. The stretch marks will modify in time and will become less visible, but will be difficult to remove.
To date, only invasive skin plastic surgeries are known to fully remove stretch marks. However, there are a multitude of treatments that can be used to reduce the visibility of the stretch marks. In order to reduce the visibility of the stretch marks, the products or treatments should focus on stimulating the regeneration of the skin.
Creams for Stretch Marks
There are a lot of stretch marks creams available on the market. However, not all will have the same effects. It all depends on what they are made of. There are several ingredients that are commonly used in the stretch marks creams:
- Grapefruit extracts
- Coenzyme Q10
- Shea butter
- Cocoa butter
- Alpha hydroxy acids
- Algae
- Weeds
- Oatmeal extracts
- Vitamin E
- Green leaf extracts
- Jojoba oil
There are a lot of products that contain synthetic compounds, and these are not recommended for young mothers that are still nursing. Lactating mothers should opt for creams that contain only natural ingredients.
Some creams are recommended to be used on fresh stretch marks that are purple or red in color and will diminish the appearance of these stretch marks. Other products are also suitable for stretch marks that are older and are already white in color.
Effectiveness of Creams for Stretch Marks
In order to be effective, the stretch marks creams should contain ingredients that stimulate the regeneration of the skin. These ingredients include:
- Coenzyme Q 10, which stimulates the production of collagen, a substance that helps in the skin regeneration process
- Alpha hydroxy acids
- Antioxidants, such as vitamin E or grape extracts, which purify the skin and stimulate the regeneration
- Amino acids, which soothe the skin
- Various exfoliating agents, such as oatmeal extracts, which will remove the dead skin cells allowing the skin to regenerate at a faster rate
These will penetrate the skin and if used regularly, should show signs of improvement within a few weeks.
