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Stretch Mark Prevention Is More Effective Than Treatment

Preventing the formation of stretch marks, though not always possible, can be assisted by the application of moisturizers to potentially or newly effected areas. Scars which are dark in appearance are more visibly helped by regular moisturizer applications. However, the difficulty with stretch mark prevention is that we are not always aware of the location where they stretch marks might appear.

Places where fats are deposited in the body are the most likely locations of stretch mark development. In particular, pregnant or nursing mothers and teenagers who are in the throes of puberty are likely to develop scars, when skin is stretched beyond its elastic limits. Tightening of the skin can erode subsurface layers and cause tears, which appear as streaking or lines. Stretch marks can form in any direction and can worsen, over time as scars turn from a darker red or purple tint to the more characteristic whitish, hollow feeling blemishes that appear predominantly on breasts, abdomen, hips, thighs, upper arms and buttocks.

Conditions which provoke stretch mark development range from weight gain or loss, due to diet and exercise or emotional and environmental stresses. A higher probability of scar formation typically occurs in mothers who are pregnant or nursing and teenagers whose bodies are rapidly changing. Even children are not immune to the ravages of stretch marks. Heredity and disease can also contribute to stretch mark progression.

Healing or eradication of stretch marks can be difficult and no treatment is perfect to expedite their removal. Preparations available by prescription and over the counter, in addition to laser applications and surgical procedures can help to fade or diminish scars.