A Guide to Stretch Mark Prevention Cream

A lot of women who have just given birth suffer from stretch marks around their tummies, buttocks, thighs and legs. Although most of these stretch marks are small and they often go away without treatment after a few months, some of these stretch marks especially those located around the thigh and tummy area do not fade away. Women who gained a lot of weight during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from large ugly stretch marks that do not do away easily. Fortunately, the use of stretch mark prevention cream can do a lot of wonders to the skin. Studies show that women who use stretch mark prevention cream while pregnant are more likely to experience less skin damages compared to those women who did not bother to use stretch mark prevention cream while carrying their babies in their stomach.

According to experts, the best time to start using stretch mark prevention cream is during the onset of pregnancy. However, pregnant women should never use stretch mark prevention cream without the knowledge of their doctors for safety reasons. No, reading stretch mark cream reviews is not good enough at this point. Although most types of stretch mark prevention creams that are sold in the market today are safe for pregnant women that do not mean that pregnant women should use these products without consulting their doctors about it. We have to understand that some of these stretch mark prevention creams use harsh chemicals that may have some adverse effects on the baby so it is very important the pregnant women talk to their doctors before they try to use any brands of stretch mark prevention cream.

Stretch mark prevention cream work better when applied twice a day. Some doctors will recommend applying three times a day but if you want to minimize the risk of exposing your baby to any chemicals that may be in the cream, try to limit your cream application to just twice daily. You can apply the cream once in the morning and once in the afternoon or in the evening. The best time to apply the cream is after taking a bath or a shower. Your pores are open after you take a warm bath or shower so your skin will more likely to absorb the cream faster.

Stretch Mark Removal Surgery: The Final Option

Stretch marks can plague men and women of all ages and ethnicities. They are not specific to just pregnant women. There are many stretch mark removal creams and lotions that people use to get rid off the side effects of weight gain or loss, weight lifting or just puberty.

If all these topical applications fail, some people are resorting to stretch mark surgery which has to be a well thought out decision. As with any other surgery there are risks of complications so many doctors recommend that it may not be worth the risk to go through for cosmetic reasons alone. If someone is obese and is considering a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, then stretch mark removal can be a pleasant side effect. While they are paying for (both financially and with physical pain) for the surgery, they can get rid of the stretch marks. But doing so just for aesthetic reasons may not be a safe bet.

The best stretch mark removal option is still the popular creams. The worst that can happen with those is a waste of money, which also might not hold true if you have a product that offers a 30-day money back guarantee. However, side effects are rare with such topical creams and lotions.

A better option than outright surgery is stretch mark removal laser surgery. While it also has the surgical connotations, the procedure is much simpler and adverse side effects less common. With the laser, a beam of light is guided over the area where you have those pinkish, purplish stretch marks and slowly layers of skin that may be difficult to see with the naked eye are peeled off. As the skin is gradually removed, so are the stretch marks.

However this form of stretch mark removal surgery may take several sessions and may be quite expensive depending on the severity of the stretch marks. Some marks are old and need more sessions to be eradicated. Others are fresh and recent that can be removed easily. As the skin is healing, a fresh layer of skin covers the area where the laser removed the stretch marks.

How much does it cost? It is difficult to give a ball park estimate as to the cost or time needed for such a procedure. It depends on the severity of the stretch marks, your age, health and convenience. Some doctors schedule multiple sessions close to one another, others prefer an extended healing time. Some charge a flat fee for the stretch mark removal laser surgery but mostly charge per session and thereby making the bottom line dependant on the number of sessions you will need to have.

Scarring and abrasions can also result from this relatively simpler form of stretch mark removal surgery but the instances of major issues are rare.