If you’re wondering how to deal with stretch marks after weight loss, you’re not alone. Stretch marks commonly occur when people gain weight, especially large amounts of weight, especially over a short period of time. That’s one of the reasons stretch marks are so common during pregnancy (the other reason is due to hormonal changes related to pregnancy). Stretch marks can develop anytime one gains weight, however.
The red, pink, or purple streaks can appear nearly anywhere on the body but are most common on the belly, breasts, buttocks, thighs, and upper arms. Sometimes there are just one or two, but sometimes there are many more. Stretch marks can be up to several inches long.
Why Do Stretch Marks Occur After Weight Loss?
Stretch marks, or striae, are actually tears in the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin. They are called stretch marks because they typically develop when the skin is being stretched, such as when you gain weight or during pregnancy. Excessive stretching causes the collagen and elastin fibers to break down and tear, leaving behind the characteristic streaky marks commonly known as stretch marks.
Stretch marks do not develop after weight loss or while losing weight, but during weight gain. However, they will still be noticeable after weight loss. In time they usually fade in color, from red or pink to white or silvery in color, but they can still be seen. They can also be felt on the skin; they feel indented.
Many people work hard to lose excess weight only to be disappointed to discover that they still bear stretch marks and want to know how to get rid of them.
Dealing With Stretch Marks After Weight Loss
Stretch marks are not harmful and do not require any medical treatment. However, many people want to get rid of them because they find them unattractive. Unfortunately, health insurance policies rarely cover any type of treatment for stretch marks since treatment is not considered medically necessary. Some treatments, such as laser surgery, can be quite costly.
If you’ve lost weight only to be disappointed with your appearance because you still have very noticeable stretch marks, or if you’re trying to lose weight but are concerned that your stretch marks will prevent you from liking your looks even when you’re slimmer, we’ll tell you what you can do about those unsightly stretch marks. Unfortunately, it’s often impossible to completely eliminate them. Even expensive and painful surgery treatments like laser surgery or microdermabrasion (sanding away the top layer of skin) often do not eliminate stretch marks completely(1).
The good news, though, is that there are things you can do to make them less visible, to cause them to blend in better with the surrounding skin, and to help heal the damaged skin. We’ll tell you about our favorite remedy for stretch marks after weight loss, but first, we also want to suggest that if you’ve lost a large amount of weight and now have stretch marks or sagging skin, it’s important to recognize your accomplishment in losing weight and recognize that your body now tells a story. Take care of your stretch marks but if they are still slightly visible, realize they aren’t such a bad thing. Making peace with your body, stretch marks, and other imperfections included, will go a long way toward making you feel strong, confident, and comfortable in your own skin.
Our Preferred Remedy For Stretch Marks After Weight Loss
Our preferred remedy for stretch marks that remain behind after weight loss is Insta Natural Stretch Mark and Scar Cream. It’s affordable and available without a prescription, it’s easy to use and it reduces the visibility of stretch marks. After researching many available products, this is the best stretch mark cream we’ve found. To learn more and to read reviews from people who’ve used it, just follow this link to Amazon.com.
(1)Mayo Clinic: Stretch Marks
