What Are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks occur when the skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching. Even though your skin has a fair amount of elasticity, when it’s rapidly stretched the normal production of collagen is altered. Stretch marks are partial tears in the skin from the inside and are essentially scars. As with all scars, they are red to purple in color early on, and they generally do fade to a more pale color over time.
Many bodybuilders as well as obese individuals have issues with stretch marks due to rapid growth in both cases. For the bodybuilder, the skin is overstretched due to the growth caused by muscle hypertrophy (increase in size of a muscle). Common areas of stretch marks are usually located around the frontal area of the deltoid which is right above the armpit, along with the inner part of the biceps. For the obese person, the skin is stretched from the excess accumulation of adipose tissue (body fat) which expands the skin drastically. Common areas of stretch marks on obese people are usually located on the stomach and love handles.
How To Get Rid of Stretch Marks
Unfortunately, the only way to completely remove stretch marks once they have formed is by seeing a dermatologist. There are treatments like microdermabrasion and laser therapy that will help to drastically reduce the appearance but they can be expensive and they are not guaranteed to remove 100% of the skin damage caused by them. If you don’t want to spend the money on costly procedures to remove your stretch marks, there are a few inexpensive steps you can take to help reduce the appearance of them. Also, remember that over time your stretch marks will begin to slowly fade but most people don’t want to wait several years to deal with this unsightly cosmetic issue.
Foods like sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, dried apricots, green olives, spinach and even paprika and red chili powder are excellent sources of vitamin E. If you don’t like eating these types of foods, you can opt for a good multivitamin supplement to get the optimal amount of vitamin E each day. Shoot for a daily dosage of around 100-400 IU for the best results.
Another great thing to do is apply vitamin E oil directly to the skin of the affected areas. Place a small amount of oil onto your hand and slowly rub the affected area using a circular motion for 30-60 seconds. Apply the vitamin E oil 2-3 times per day for the best results. Don’t worry about breaking the bank since a bottle of vitamin E oil is very inexpensive and will only cost you a couple of dollars.
The best way to help cover up stretch marks is to use sunless self-tanners. You can try regular sun tanning or using a tanning bed but many times the marks are less likely to tan. If none of these options work for you, another way to cover them up is to use body makeup that matches the normal color of your skin tone.
Buyer Beware!
Make sure to be aware of all the products you see advertised on TV and in the magazines proclaiming they have the miracle cure for removing stretch marks. Most are completely ineffective and they are usually very expensive. So, save your money and make sure your diet is high in nutrient dense foods that contain vitamin rich properties and plenty of vitamin E to make your skin as strong and healthy as possible.
2 Comments
I’m a 15-year-old girl who isn’t obese, I’m actually only a bit chubby at 5’7″ and 10 stone, yet I have stretch marks everywhere. They are on my inner arm by my armpit, but only on my left side, and on my hips, thighs, but not on my stomach or butt at all. It’s so random! It makes me so self-conscious and fugly.
Those stretch marks can be the result of rapid growth caused by puberty. I’m not really an expert, but this is just my educated guess based on your age.