Stretch marks occur in men and women because of the stretching of the skin due to weight gain. When the skin is stretched to the point of breaking, a scar is formed. Another explanation could be the increasing level of cortisol in the body. This compound hampers the production of connective tissues that lead to the formation of collagen and elastin in the skin. The skin layer does not develop well and stretch marks are formed.

Skin type and the general health of the skin may be factors to the formation of stretch marks. Dry skin is less elastic and so it breaks more. Some of the lotions that pregnant women use to lessen the incidence of stretch marks contain shea butter and coconut oil, which can immediately moisturize skin and make it less prone to breaking or disorders even when stretched.

There are a lot of ways to get rid of stretch marks and to prevent stretch marks from appearing on your skin. Any skin care treatment that claims to eliminate and prevent stretch marks must be able to encourage cellular repair, and stimulate collagen and elastin production. If you want to do it yourself, you can try the following…

Drink eight glasses of water a day to keep your skin hydrated. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins E, C, selenium, and alpha lipoic acid, as well as monounsaturated fats (like that from olive oil) and gamma lineolic acid (from borage oil). A weekly diet regimen comprising these elements can maintain the strength of your skin and boost skin repair.

If you want to reduce the stretch marks on your body, you must first remove the overgrown scar tissue with brisk exfoliation. After exfoliating, apply lotion to encourage the regrowth of normal skin tissues. It is advisable that you apply antioxidant formulas with A, E, C, and alpha lipoic acids to protect the new skin cells from damage. Contrary to popular belief, getting thinner will not lead to more stretch marks. In fact, if you get thinner rather than bulkier, you can lessen the pressure on your skin and prevent it from breaking.

Here are some of the vitamins and vitamin sources you can use to prevent stretch marks. Foods rich in Vitamin C, Borage Oil, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Copper, CoQ10, Flax Seed Oil, Horsetail, MSM and Palm Oil are good for stretch marks.

You can also apply products containing these subsequent compounds directly on your stretch marks to heal your skin: Apricot kernel scrub, Bromelain, Dead Sea Salts, Dessicated Milk Powder (lactic acid), Papain, Rolled Oats, Sea Salt, Brown Sugar (glycolic acid), White Willow Bark, ground (salicylic acid) and
Vitamin A Oil.

To make sure your skin remains smooth, choose lotions that contain the following: Almond Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Borage Oil, Boxthorn herb, Bergamot, Sea Buckthorn, Clary Sage, Grape Seed Extract, Comfrey Herb, Safflower Oil, Rosemary Herb, Coconut Oil, Sunflower & Safflower Oil, Vitamin E & Vitamin A oil and Squalene Oil.