Nutrition 4 Growth

Stretch marks can be really harmful to yourself esteem, especially if they’re on show to the world. With Summer round the corner it’s time to look at how to remove those stretch marks, but before we do that we have to understand what exactly stretch marks are.

What are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are very simply where your body has had to adapt to a sudden change. As you’ve grown your skin has grown too, so when you grow rapidly it doesn’t allow your skin time to adapt and grow too. This means it is put under stress and stretches, damaging the collagen in the layers of skin tissue and exposing the blood vessels underneath. These damaged blood vessels are what create the scar like streaks in your skin.

Typically stretch marks occur on the back, upper thighs, buttocks and abdomen and they occur in men, women and children. New stretch marks are red or purple, but over time they become white or silver, fading more into your skin.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

There are a number of reasons for stretch marks which include genetic disposition to them and hormone levels. Other common causes include growth spurts (particularly in younger children), weight gain, pregnancy and body building.

Each of these puts undue stress on your body and your skin, causing it to stretch to cope with the changes. The one thing that all types have in common is that everyone wants to know how to remove stretch marks.

Removing Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are difficult to full remove, especially the white marks that have been around for a long time. If you’re looking to fully remove them you’ll need to use one of two options:

• Laser Treatment

A Pulse Dye Treatment has been developed to help cure stretch marks. The intense light beam targets the blood vessels without impacting or damaging the skin. The light then heats the specific area and dissipates the blood vessels, causing a fading of the red and a return to the normal colour.
This laser treatment is advanced but can be slow, and therefore expensive. It’s not suitable for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding or have specific skin conditions. For those with darker skin or stretch marks around the legs the treatment will be less effective because the laser cannot penetrate as well.
Side effects are minimal, you may experience some redness or light bruising in the area.

• Surgery

Surgery can be used to replace damaged skin with stretch marks. This is expensive and drastic and can have side effects. You’ll need to talk to professionals and your dermatologist before you consider this option.

Stretch Mark Treatments

There are a number of treatments available both at home and over the counter that won’t remove stretch marks but may aid in their reduction. Popular home remedies include:

• Sugar Scrub
• Castor Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Egg Whites
• Coconut Oil

While each of these have been shown to benefit your skin generally, there is little or no evidence that they will have a specific impact on your stretch marks.

Over the counter medicines and topical treatments include:

• Tretinoin
• Vitamin A Oil
• TriLastin-SR

Both of these are derived from retinol and designed to be applied directly to stretch marks. This can be absorbed by the skin and aids in the repair and growth of new layers of skin.

New Treatments for Stretch Marks

The skin care industry is constantly changing and creating new solutions to the problems affecting individuals. With stretch marks affecting over 80% of women and up to 40% of men It’s a big problem. There’s rumours of a new laser procedure being created as a simpler and more effective treatment, but always consult with your dermatologist for all the latest information.

Aging skin and uneven skin tone are probably two of the biggest worries for most people. Unfortunately our modern, busy lifestyles are pushing our skin to the limit and causing a lot of us to age prematurely. While we can find solutions, we have to first look at our skin because this reveals our true age more than any other part of our body.

Aging of the skin can come in many forms. It’s often shown with wrinkles on and around the face, while looser skin has an impact on our overall look. Similarly uneven skin tone draws attention to our skin for all the wrong reasons. We have to start taking care of our skin as early as possible and when it comes to skincare we have to be sure we’re using the best products.

There are an unlimited number of products available on the market who have the alleged cure for aging skin. The big companies know what everyone wants, but most of the time the products just don’t deliver what’s needed. Instead they make a product with little benefit and price is extortionately.

Thankfully there are a number of products that have been shown to have a positive impact on your skin. Certain vitamins and extracts are proven to help tighten your skin and even out your skin tone. One of the most advanced and effective products out there is the Obagi C-Rx System.

Obagi C-Rx System
The Obagi C-Rx System is more than just a cream, it’s an entire arsenal of beauty products which come together to give you a complete overhaul. When used together and as instructed you’ll see some impressive results. The Obagi C-Rx System contains:

• C-Cleansing Gel

The first step, used to clean your skin, remove dirt and any make up from the day. This is essential as it prepares your skin for the next steps of the system.

• C-Clarifying Serum

The clarifying serum targets any dark spots and uneven skin tone. It helps brighten and make your skin look fresh.

• C-Exfoliating Day Lotion

The C-Exfoliating Day lotion is an intense moisturiser which has the double effect of exfoliating your skin.

• Sun Shield Matte Sunscreen

The sun shield provides invaluable protection from UV and other sun rays. These can not only ruin the look of your skin, but also be a considerable health risk.

• C-Therapy Night Cream

The night cream contains essential vitamins which help benefit your overall skin tone.

• C-Balancing Toner

The balancing toner helps tighten pores and balances the pH of your skin.
The whole Obagi C-Rx system has been designed to work together, one step after another, and lead you to perfect skin health. The system all contains prescription-strength hydroquinone and vitamin C as the core ingredients. These have been proven independently and together to help revitalise and improve the health and look of your skin.
See what everyone is saying and find out more in our full Obagi C-Rx System review.

Much more focus is being put on the quality and health of our skin in the 21st century. The best celebrities have relentless skin care regimes that leave them looking flawless and it’s something we all try to emulate.

How our skin looks has a big impact on our daily lives. Firstly it affects our self esteem. Nothing can make you more self conscious than a big blemish or mark on your face that you can’t do anything about. This has a knock on effect on our confidence and can lead us into a downward spiral.

Our skin needs to be taken care of. There are a number of key vitamins and minerals that our skin needs to stay healthy and keep functioning at 100%. Vitamin A and Vitamin E are both crucial to keeping skin well which is essential for allowing it to keep it’s elasticated qualities. This lets your skin stretch without leaving any kind of scars or stretch marks and we definitely don’t want them as they’re very tricky to remove.

There are a number of products that you should be using daily to keep your skin healthy. The most important is probably a moisturizer. As the name suggests, a moisturizer helps provide moisture to your skin. This stops your skin becoming dry or oily which can result in imperfections of marks.

Moisturizers also work to keep your skin healthy. Hydrated skin is much more durable and can withstand the impact and strains it can be put under. This allows your skin to stretch and go back to it’s original size.

Moisturizers are essential for keeping your skin looking young and fresh. With great demand comes great supply and there are literally thousands of different moisturizers available on the market. It can be difficult to find the best so we’ve identified one of the top moisturizers in the world – the Obagi Moisturizer.

Obagi Moisturizer

The Obagi hydrate moisturizer has been designed to keep your skin hydrated more effectively and for longer. The hydrate formula provides deep hydration to the layers of your skin and can even last up to 8 hours. It works by providing moisture straight away and then slowly releasing more over the course of the day.

The Obagi moisturizer is made to be used once a day and can be applied to all skin types. It’s also a hypoallergenic that only uses completely natural ingredients, so there’s no irritation on your skin.

Light and non greasy, the Obagi moisturizer is one of the best on the market. Check out all the Obagi Hydrate reviews