Heidi M. asked:


Anyone, men or women who develops stretch marks would like to know, can they be removed? And the fact is, most of the time the answer is no. But there are things you can do to prevent stretch marks (striae) by keeping your weight stable and your skin moisturized. There is a debate between those in the medical community who think that stretch marks laser treatments are more effective than using creams, and vice versa. Ultimately this is something that you, the consumer, will have to decide for yourself.

Stretch marks laser treatment is moderately effective on stretch marks that are pretty new; older stretch marks that have turned to a silver or white color and are somewhat deep do not respond as well to laser treatments. The laser treatments basically work to blur the lines rather than actually remove them. Of course, losing weight and exercise are probably the most effective means of reducing them, but in cases where they are unsightly, then stretch marks laser treatment can be considered.

The use of skin moisturizers and creams to decrease or get rid of stretch marks has not been conclusively proven to be a hundred per cent effective, but it certainly does not hurt. At the very least, use of creams can help to keep the skin moist and prevent them from getting any worse. Some preventative creams have demonstrated modest success in shrinking them, such as retinols, but these must be used carefully and never on pregnant women as they have been shown to cause birth defects.

Probably the best stretch mark cream to use are those with the following ingredients: cocoa butter, Vitamin E oil or shea butter. All of these ingredients have been shown to keep skin moisturized. The use of creams and lotions, while not effective in removing the marks, has been shown to at least slow or reduce them to a certain degree. However, when compared to stretch marks laser treatments, the creams and lotions are probably not as effective in the long run. Ultimately, however, the most effective treatment is the prevention of their occurrence.

Finally, if you feel that your stretch marks are unsightly, then by all means go ahead and have stretch marks laser treatments to at least decrease their appearance.