Stretch marks are medically harmless but their appearance can cause one a lot of embarrassment and anxiety. If you are struggling against stretch marks, it is good to know that there are many treatments you can resort to that would help in diminishing their appearance and make them look less unsightly. You may even do some of these remedies right in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
Stretch mark home remedies are popular not only because of their convenience but also because they cost less than commercial products or clinical treatments. In addition, people who may be sensitive to commercially prepared ingredients or have a preference for natural ones find do-at-home remedies the better alternative as this allows them to control the method and products to use in treating their stretch marks.
One of the things you can do at home is to exfoliate daily. Using a scrunchy or loofah will help slough off the topmost layer of the skin and allow fresher skin cells to surface and replace the old ones. You may also use products that you can find right in your kitchen to aid in the exfoliation process. Ingredients with abrasive qualities such as sugar, salt, oatmeal, and baking soda are known to be effective exfoliants. They may be combined with natural oils such as coconut or olive oils for an easier application. Additionally natural oils also serve as emollients that can make the skin appear and feel smoother and fresher. Other oils such as lavender, grapeseed, and emu are also good emollients that can make skin healthier.
Massaging the affected areas daily has also been known to be an effective way to minimize stretch marks. It helps promote the production of collagen and the exfoliation of old skin cells. Massaging may be done with oils or stretch mark preparations. The action allows the ingredients in these products to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and act on where the damage starts.
Other natural ingredients may be used in your stretch mark home remedies. Aloe vera and aloe vera extracts are known to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Glycolic acids found in fruits can also be used to exfoliate the top layer of the skin and help in skin rejuvenation. However, it is important to keep in mind that large amounts of glycolic acids are best administered by professionals as improper application may lead to burns and other side effects that could worsen your skin’s condition.
Vitamins, particularly Vitamin A, C, D, and E have also been found to be effective against stretch marks. You may apply the powder in vitamin capsules directly over the affected areas in combination with oils and other ingredients, or you may use topical vitamin creams or take the capsules orally.
Sunless tanning is another way of treating stretch marks at home. While they will not cause stretch marks to fade, tanning will help in evening out your skin tone in the affected areas to hide stretch marks. You need to use sunless tanning lotion for this, as doing it with sunlight will not affect the color of stretch marks.
You could also look into stretch mark home treatment kits that may be purchased over the counter or online, such as a microdermabrasion kit or derma rollers. While they make take longer to work than similar procedures done in medical spas, they are a lot more convenient and inexpensive than the latter.