Stretch marks – 3

Treatment
There is no specific and no definite treatment for stretch marks. Most of these fade with time and become almost unnoticeable. There are treatments available to help if one has a lot of stretch marks over large areas of body and look unpleasant, but there is no medical evidence to prove the effectiveness of these treatments.
Creams, lotions and gels – there are a wide variety of such products available with tall claims of being able to remove stretch marks. However, these are, in essence, only moisturizers for the skin and there is no medical proof for their efficacy. These products help improve the quality of skin, making it supple and smooth, but whether it affects the stretch marks is questionable. So one can give these products a try but without expecting much. Some creams are claimed to have collagen to help cure stretch marks, but these can only be rubbed on the skin surface, cannot penetrate to the deeper layers where the actual problem of stretch marks lies. Products containing Caribbean cocoa butter or vitamin E can be effective in reducing scars.
Tretinoin cream or Retin-A – Derived from vitamin A, tretinoin creams and gels are used to treat skin conditions like acne and sunburns. A cream with tretinoin called by name Retin-A is in some cases used for stretch marks treatment. Again, effectiveness is not confirmed. It is known to work well on fresh stretch marks no older than six weeks, which are still pink or red in colour. Older stretch marks are unaffected by Retin-A.
In successful cases, tretinoin cream works by making the skin surface thinner, allowing the cream to penetrate to the dermis and boost collagen production, which prevents stretch marks, by improving skin’s stretch ability. Tretinoin creams is a prescription medication. It can cause various side effects like stinging, swelling and redness of skin. It also makes skin more photosensitive. It should not be used by pregnant and breastfeeding mothers as it can harm the baby. Also if using tretinoin, avoid vitamin A supplements to prevent harmful effects of vitamin A overdose.
Laser Therapy – this treatment can help in fading the stretch marks and make them almost unnoticeable, however, it cannot make stretch marks disappear altogether. This is an expensive therapy and may require a long treatment time depending on the skin type and tone. There are various types of laser therapy. An example is pulsed dye laser treatment, which primarily works on fresh stretch marks, which are dark and red, by contracting the blood vessels and hastening the fading time.
Cosmetic surgery – this is an expensive and a radical treatment that is seldom recommended as it carries serious risks and can cause significant scarring. If one has stretch marks on the stomach with a lot of loose skin, they can opt for abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. The excess fat and loose skin is removed from the abdominal area and so are the stretch marks under the belly button.
Prevention
Stretch marks are a common occurrence and cannot be completely prevented. However, few tips and measures can reduce risk of developing stretch marks.
Maintaining a healthy weight – try not to gain or lose too much weight in a short time period as this is one of the main causes of getting stretch marks. So if you want to lose weight, do so gradually with regular exercise and balanced diet.
Looking after your skin by moisturizing or massaging it daily to enhance circulation and thus fresh tissue development. This can be combined with a healthy diet balanced with vitamins and minerals which help maintain a healthy skin.
Weight gain during pregnancy should be done steadily by ensuring a balanced diet as per your body’s requirement of 2500 calories. Do not “eat for two” just because you are pregnant. The hormonal changes anyway cause stretch marks, but a sudden weight gain can make the skin even more prone to these unsightly marks. So one must have lots of fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich diet, whole wheat carbohydrates like brown rice, pasta and bread.
The weight gain during pregnancy can roughly follow the below chart
1-2 kg (2-4lb) over the first 12 weeks of pregnancy
300-400gms per week in 12-28 weeks of pregnancy
1-3 kg (2-6lb) every month in 28-40 weeks of pregnancy.