What are stretch marks and how can I get rid of them?
Stretch marks are visible lines on the skin’s surface, most often found on the stomach, thighs, buttocks, breasts, and upper arms. Pregnancy is one of the main causes, but they can also be caused by rapid weight loss or gain, rapid growth, stress, and hereditary factors.
Our skin is made up of three layers:
- Epidermis – the outer layer
- Dermis – the middle layer
- Hypodermis – the deepest layer
Stretch marks are formed in the dermis when connective tissue is stretched beyond its maximum flexibility due to a rapid expansion or contraction of the skin. When the skin is stretched the collagen is weakened, and its normal production cycle is interrupted. This results in a fine scar appearing on the top layer of the skin.
The scars formed by stretch marks appear pink or red at first, but over time they will fade to a thin, silvery line. Although their visibility reduces naturally over time, they can still make you feel self conscious and uncomfortable.
There are several natural remedies that you can do at home that are thought to lessen the appearance of stretch marks, and may even get rid of them all together.
Potato Juice
The juice from a potato contains loads of skin-friendly vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, among others. Potatoes are capable of stimulating collagen and elastic synthesis, so they’re really effective at restoring your skin cells and helping to fade stretch marks.
- Cut a potato into thick slices.
- Rub the potato slices gently over the stretch marks for a few minutes, making sure the liquid covers the affected area.
- Allow the juice to dry for a while, then rinse off with lukewarm water.
Lemon Juice
Lemons are a natural bleaching agent, and they contain alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C which can efficiently remove dead skin and help your stretch marks to fade fast.
- Cut a lemon into two halves.
- Rub the lemon gently into your stretch marks, allowing the juice to cover the affected area.
- Keep doing this for at least ten minutes to give the juice time to soak into your skin, then rinse off with warm water.
Egg Whites
The white of an egg contains around 40 different proteins and is rich in collagen and vitamin A so it’s really beneficial for the skin. In fact, egg whites can also be used to treat scars and burns effectively too.
- Separate the white from the yolk and beat it a little with a fork.
- Apply the egg white to your stretch marks and leave for 15 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water, pat the area dry, and moisturise the area.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this then join us in our next blog post where we’ll be looking at more of the effective home remedies that you can use to treat your stretch marks...