Most of us have small lightning strike like scars
on our body that we call stretch marks.
They’re incredibly common
and there’s nothing wrong in having them.
But if you’re not very fond of these lines on your body,
we’re here to show you ways you can avoid them
and suggest home remedies
to reduce their appearance.
Stretch marks are caused
by a sudden change in your body
due to weight loss or gain, pregnancy,
muscle building or even when you hit puberty.
They generally appear when the
skin stretches quickly,
collagen levels change
and skin’s elastic tissues are damaged.
Stretch marks appear wherever your skin can stretch,
but are most common on the breast, hips,
thighs and butt.
While there is no foolproof way
to avoid stretch marks altogether,
you can try to avoid them by
maintaining your weight in a healthy range
exercise regularly
Eat natural sources of omega 3s like
flaxseeds,
fish,
walnuts and even soybean.
Don’t forget Vitamin D
If you experience severe itching,
try keeping your skin moisturised and supple
with the help of body butters or oils.
The grains of sugar are mild natural exfoliators
and scrub away dead skin cells
found over stretch marks
to enable blood circulation
and heal the broken skin cells.
Take 1 cup of sugar
and add ½ a cup of coconut oil.
Coconut oil seeps deep into the skin,
hydrating it and reducing healing time
for stretch marks as well.
Top it off with a juice of half a lemon
as it helps increase collagen levels for your skin.
Start scrubbing onto your stretch marks
in circular motions and then rinse.
Repeat this twice a week for best results.
Essential oils such as lavender oil,
argan oil and frankincense oil,
are known for their healing properties
as they help improve skin’s elasticity,
boost collagen levels nourishing it
with proteins that condition your skin
and keep it soft and supple.
Mix any one of these oils with a carrier oil
such as almond, coconut or jojoba oil
and rub the concoction onto your stretch marks
in circular motions.
Do this everyday to see a noticeable difference.
Pure aloe vera is known to soften the skin
and heal it naturally.
The nutrients in its flesh
help cure scars and stretch marks
by repairing the damaged skin cells.
Massage the gel on your stretch marks,
leave it on for 15 minutes and wipe it off
with a warm water soaked washcloth.
Do this daily for best results.
Vitamin A, often referred to as retinoid,
helps rebuild collagen,
improves skin elasticity
and also reduces the appearance of fresh stretch marks.
A diet rich in foods like carrots,
broccoli and spinach may help increase
Vitamin A levels in the body.
You can always whip up
your own moisturising cream to reduce
these lines and itchiness.
Mix 1/4th cup of cocoa butter or shea butter,
2 tbsp of almond oil,
2 tbsp of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice,
1 tsp of honey and 5 vitamin E capsules.
All these ingredients are enriched
with antioxidants and moisturising properties.
Gently massage the cream on your stretch marks
or whenever your skin feels itchy and dry.
Bio oil is also a great moisturiser
that helps improve skin’s appearance
and reduce stretch marks.
While stretch marks are permanent in nature,
evening out your skin
and reducing their appearance is a pretty sweet deal.
So start following these tips
to heal your skin!
Until next time, stay tuned and stay Glamrs.