How to prevent and reduce stretch marks?

All women - or almost - end up with stretch marks. These marks under the skin are not the sign of a suproids but that we grew too fast, that we have undergone volume changes (such as pregnancy), in short that the tissues tear despite us! How to avoid this phenomenon as much as possible? Is it possible to remove his stretch marks?

Before age 30, four in five women are prone to stretch marks. After 30 years, it's all.

Stretch marks do not spare anyone. Whether they appear during adolescence, pregnancy or menopause, all women are concerned with stretch marks.

Better to know what we are dealing with: to prevent their appearance, treat them or mitigate their effects, some knowledge on stretch marks are necessary.

Stretch marks: what is it?

Stretch marks are in fact lesions of the elastic fibers of the skin, subjected to too much tension. They appear for many reasons (rapid weight gain, puberty, yo-yo diets, pregnancy ...) and are unfortunately irreversible: they can not disappear, as is the case for surgical scars.

According to their period of appearance, they have different shades: first of lilac color (at the time of the breaking of the fibers of the skin), they become white as they age (after several months), then fade, and just leave a little depression on the skin, highlighted by a white line.

They appear in women at specific times: when the skin is weakened or subjected to excessive tension.

This is the case during puberty (we then undergo a strong hormonal thrust that weakens the skin), with sudden cutaneous tensions due to growth and / or breast thrust and increased buttocks and thighs. A phenomenon also found during pregnancy, during rapid weight gain or disease.

Stretch marks appear in places where the skin is subjected to excessive stretching which weakens the dermis, either constitutionally or by metabolic, hormonal or other disorders.

How to fight against stretch marks? All treatments

Stretch marks are irreversible: once they have appeared, it is impossible to really get rid of them.

However, there are methods to prevent them, and then to mitigate their effects. Keep in mind, however, that only preventative treatments are really effective.

Avoid, to the extent possible, anything that can cause excessive skin tension: all rapid weight gain, often caused by restrictive diets that cause a yo-yo effect (read our article for more), are discouraged. Stress and long exposure to the sun are not recommended: a healthy lifestyle will be beneficial in any case.

Anti-stretch marks

Doing sport is very beneficial to fight against the appearance of stretch marks: the more your muscles under the skin, will be tonic, more your overall shape will be transformed.

This is very striking for the breasts for example: these inert glands, which rest directly on the pecs, can only be really supported if the muscles of the chest are toned. Otherwise, stretch marks will appear more easily.

The various creams "anti-stretch marks" and other anti-cellulite slimming creams have no real proven effectiveness: not all women have the same skin ... Some skins will crack, others will not, and put cream will not change anything magically!

However, you massage the belly and breasts with a moisturizer and adapted during pregnancy, or simply moisturize and nourish the skin on a daily basis, however, will be effective for two things: give it more elasticity, not to mention relax and you to please !