One of the most annoying skin issues hands down has got to be stretch marks. Men, women, young, old, it seems that anyone can be a victim of these unsightly marks. Many long for miracle cures to take care of their stretch marks, which often end in disappointment. Before you embark on spending money or searching for the right products that claim to eliminate stretch marks, it’s best to read on and find out the real truth behind these so-called “stretch mark cures.”

In recent years, many people - especially teenagers - have turned to what they see as a solution for treating stretch marks: tanning. Some claim that a few tanning sessions is enough to cover up the discoloration stretch marks cause, thus providing a temporary solution to the problem. The more you tan, the less you’ll have to worry about the appearance of stretch marks. This isn’t exactly accurate and can pose more problems than solutions. For obvious reasons, tanning isn’t entirely healthy for you or your skin and if you resort to tanning frequently to treat your stretch marks, you may be putting yourself at higher risk for skin problems related to constant UV exposure. As for using them on stretch marks, the results may not be what you expect. Due to the often silvery/whitish color of stretch marks, tanning can actually make the stretch marks stand out more. What many fail to realize is that stretch marks have their own distinct color that is separate from the rest of your skin’s pigmentation. This means that the tanning that effectively darkens the rest of your skin may not work at all on the stretch marks, causing them to stay the same color. These marks are often resistant to color changes. While this method may apparently work for some, it is not the safest route to go in order to treat your stretch marks.

To eliminate stretch marks, many skincare companies have come out with product after product, all claiming to contain wonder ingredients and special formulas that will remove stretch marks. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is and these products are no exception. If you have fairly new stretch marks that have yet to settle into your skin, diligent use of creams, lotions or other products may allow you to gradually lighten and fade your marks but for old stretch marks that have been on your skin for years, no amount of wonder cream will solve your problem. When using any of these types of skin products, read the label and be sure you know what ingredients you are putting into your skin.

When throwing money into skin products don’t work, many hope that some sort of medical procedure will eliminate their stretch mark problems for good. Unfortunately, even medical science has yet to perfect this issue. The most common procedures people turn to involve laser treatment or microdermabrasion. Because stretch marks occur deeply within the skin’s layers, microdermabrasion is a waste of money and time, as this process is merely a form of intensive exfoliation, which will never be able to reach the area where the problem is. Laser treatment looks promising but at this point and time, it has yet to provide a proven track record for reliable results. The only medical procedure that has been shown to effectively treat stretch marks is called abdominoplasty. But this process is only able to remove stretch marks from the stomach area and is very expensive, not to mention risky. Abdominoplasty is mostly limited to treat the stomach area after extra fat removal.

Related Articles
	All About Stretch Marks Stretch marks are scarring of the skin as the result of connective fibers breaking due to lost elasticity. They are the result of damage to the second layer of skin, called the dermis. They first appear as reddish or purplish lines. Gradually, they fade to a paler color and become less obvious.   ...Read more		Stretch Marks: Treatment and Prevention Stretch marks, although many of us may have one or two, are mostly associated with pregnancy. Medically referred to as Striae Gravidarum, they occur anytime the collagen fibers in the skin are stretched and torn beyond normal, hence the appearance of small tears. Although harmless and   ...Read more