Stretch marks have an unpleasant and ugly appearance which everyone wants to get rid of as soon as possible, particularly when they appear on the body areas such as belly, shoulders, and underarms.

Appearance of belly stretch marks is very common in almost 75-90% of pregnant women. These striations and scars, also termed as striae, are purple or red colored lines that appear in women between the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Causes for belly stretch marks – The entire structure of the skin is primarily composed two different layers called the upper layer or epidermis and the lower layer or dermis. While the epidermis contains older or mature skin cells and provides protection, dermis layer is made of newly formed skin cells and is responsible for providing elastic tendency to the skin.

During pregnancy, skin around the uterus undergoes extreme stretching due to the growth of baby. Secondly, women experience extreme fluctuations in the body hormone levels at this time. Both these factors cause tearing and damage of the underlying elastin and collagen protein fibers that together form the dermis connective tissue inside the skin.

As a result, skin loses its elasticity, which eventually leads to the formation of striae. Ironically, these scars do not disappear even after child birth. In women, stretch marks also tend to appear even due to prolonged usage certain medications such as steroids.

Striae around the stomach can even develop in adolescent children due to hormonal changes and body growth that happen during puberty. Formation of torn tissue around the abdomen also occurs because of excessive weight gain and sudden accumulation of fats, which is often triggered by too much consumption of junk food, and lack of any physical activity.  Apart from these reasons, genetic history of the individual also has a role to play in the appearance of striations.

Effective Remedies – Prevention of scarring during pregnancy is possible through diet and regular physical activity. Pregnant women should consume a nutrient-rich diet that contains lesser amount of fats. Consuming such a diet is beneficial even for the baby. Secondly, exercises improve the blood circulation in the body, help the skin cells breathe better and even improve the elasticity of the skin.

An important fact about stretch marks is that removal of stretch marks is difficult. However, there are different remedies available for the treatment of stretch marks around abdomen.  Some of these include laser therapy, microdermabrasion, massaging, and stretch mark removal surgery.

Use of stretch mark removal creams is another cost effective method to get rid of these marks. Such creams usually have balanced proportions of ingredients such as emu Oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Omega fatty acids, cocoa butter, and collagen, which are all known to have skin repairing, rejuvenation and healing properties. Regular use of these creams on the belly can lighten the marks and if used on time can prevent belly stretch marks from appearing at all.

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Find up-to-date research on getting rid of stretch marks and scars from pregnancy, weight gain or loss, body building and weight lifting, and from surgical procedures. Prevent and avoid marking and striations with the most effective Stretch Marks Cream – StriMedix-SM.