Stretch marks cause no real physical harm, but they can affect your self-esteem. Stretch marks are most common around the abdomen, hips, thighs, and upper arms. They are the natural result of growth spurts, pregnancy, and great weight loss or weight gain.

Stretch marks, or striae, appear because the skin is pushed beyond its elastic limit. To compensate, the body produces scar tissue to breach the tears that the stretch produces. Initially stretch marks are reddish-purple but eventually turn a silvery-white color.

More often than not this scar tissue can be covered up with clothing. However, most people that have stretch marks are condemned to spend hot summer months covered in clothing in hopes of keeping their stretch mark problems under wraps.

Preventing Stretch Marks from Appearing

If you want to prevent stretch marks from appearing, you need to make sure that your skin is at its best. This means that the skin should maintain its elasticity so that it can stretch to accommodate a change in body size.

In order to avoid stretch marks, it is helpful to use a high quality skin cream that contains elastin and collagen stimulators. These stimulators will encourage the production of elastin and collagen while preventing the appearance of stretch marks.

Another preventive measure is making sure that you lose ore gain weight gradually. By doing this, your will give you skin the chance to stretch gradually without tearing.

How to get rid of Stretch Marks Effectively and Naturally

Unluckily for some, genetics plays an important role in the development of stretch marks. In cases like this it feels virtually impossible to avoid getting stretch marks. However, if genetics plays a part in your stretch mark formation then you need to find a real stretch mark cream capable of getting to the root cause of your condition.

Look for creams containing snail serum and/or rose hip oil. They are ideal for treating stretch marks. These types of stretch marks creams use biological activators like those of your body's own regenerative processes to eliminate stretch marks. These activators help trigger and control the synthesis of elastin, collagen, and GAGs along with helping replace flawed skin with healthy skin cells.

By using this type of cream two times a day for a period of time - depending on age and depth of the blemishes - they can 'digest' flawed cells, gently dissolve skin lesions, reduce and even erases all signs of stretch marks. They can also destroy pathogens and trigger the regeneration of normal collagen thereby improving elasticity.

Stretch marks are also treated using microdermabrasion. This isn't a quick-fix so keep that in mind when choosing your stretch marks removal method.