Stretch marks, also called striae, happen when your skin changes shape rapidly due to growth or weight gain. They aren’t a sign that anything is wrong with your health. Both men and women can get stretch marks. Pregnancy and puberty are the two most common times in life to get stretch marks.
At first, a stretch mark will appear as a thin red or purple line on your skin that takes on a different texture than the surrounding skin layer. Eventually, most stretch marks fade and take on a white or almost translucent colouring.
Getting rid of stretch marks in a completely natural way isn’t likely. They are a type of scarring and rarely fade enough to become invisible. However, there are some remedies that can help minimize appearance of stretch marks and help them to fade more quickly.
- Cucumber and Lemon Juice
Lemon juice’s natural acidity helps heal and reduce scars and cucumber juice provides the cool soothing effect leaving your skin fresh.
Mix lime juice and cucumber juice in equal parts, and apply the mixture on the affected areas till it gets soaked up by the skin. Let it be on your skin for approx. 10 minutes after which you can rinse it off using warm water.
- Cocoa Butter
The use of cocoa butter helps reduce stretch marks and I have seen that if used during and after pregnancy it makes the stretch marks disappear completely. The best time to use cocoa butter is at night, so massage it well into the skin and over a period of time you will find the stretch marks reducing and fading away.
- Vitamin A
Vitamin A is referred to as a retinoid. Retinoid make skin appear more smooth and youthful. They are used in many over-the-counter topical cosmetic creams. Simply using a topical extract of vitamin A, or taking vitamin A orally, can contribute to your skin’s health and overall appearance. One study in particular identified retinoid as helping the appearance of stretch marks. A diet rich in certain foods, such as carrots and sweet potatoes, might also help you increase your vitamin A levels.
- Sugar
Some people swear by sugar as a homeopathic microdermabrasion method. Microdermabrasion performed by a dermatologist is one of the few clinically proven methods to make stretch marks fade. So this home remedy seems worth a try. Rubbing a sugar scrub on the skin will exfoliate the area.
Mix one cup sugar with 1/4 cup of a softening agent, like almond oil or coconut oil, before mixing to the consistency of wet beach sand. Add some lemon juice. Scrub the mixture on the part of your body where the stretch marks are. Repeat several times a week while in the shower, making sure to rub the mixture on for 8-10 minutes.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a plant that helps regenerate skin tissue and as such it has miraculous healing properties. Take the fresh gel from the leaf and massage onto the area with stretch marks and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Do it daily and wash off with tepid water.
- Hyaluronic acid
Collagen is the protein in your skin that allows it to keep its shape and appear healthy. As we age, collagen decreases in our face and our bodies. Collagen production can be stimulated with hyaluronic acid, an extract available in health food stores and online. Hyaluronic acid can be absorbed by consuming a commercially available capsule or extract.
- Coconut oil
Use almond and coconut oil in equal quantities to reduce stretch marks. Massage it on the skin regularly.
- Apricot Mask and Oil
Apricots have great exfoliating tendencies, which make them very effective when it comes to healing stretch marks. Take 2-3 apricots, cut them and take out the seeds. Crush the fruit into a paste and apply this mask on the stretch mark affected areas and leave it on for 15 minutes. Using warm water, wash it off and then repeat the process every day for a month to see results.
Pure apricot oil has skin rejuvenating properties and therefore helps in reducing stretch marks. Massage onto the skin with some lemon juice for effective results.