Erase Away Your Stretch Marks with These 3 Dr. Oz Stretch Mark Solutions

Dr. Oz tells viewers that there are 3 times in a woman’s life when she will get stretch marks that typically appear around the abdomen, the flanks and buttocks, and the arms:

• During pregnancy

• While gaining weight

• During growth spurts

Stretch marks, Dr. Oz explains, result from what he refers to as “an inside job” as the damage begins beneath the skin and works its way up to surface. What happens is that the skin is supported by fibers of collagen and elastin that give skin its ability to bounce back after slight stretching. However, during any of the aforementioned three times that stretch marks can happen, the body changes both physically and hormonally, resulting in those fibers being unable to support the amount of stretching that occurs. This in turn leads to tearing of the tissues and areas of redness that are the hallmark discolorations of stretch marks.

“That redness of course is because your body is trying to heal that area―it’s trying to fix that problem. But the underlying tissue that used to hold this together so perfectly is no longer there,” says Dr. Oz.

The good news Dr. Oz tells viewers is that most of the time you can influence how your stretch marks appear—even many years later. To erase away those unsightly stretch mark blemishes, Dr. Oz recommends the following 3 treatments you can do in your home:

Stretch Mark Eraser #1: Vitamin C Lotion

“It seems so simple, but you get a lotion with some vitamin C in it—the vitamin C actually boosts the collagen,” says Dr. Oz who tells viewers that what the vitamin C does is help the skin regain some of its lost elasticity so that the stretch marks actually narrow in size and become less visible.

In previous episodes, Dr. Oz has promoted vitamin C-based skin creams as a beauty secret that can make you look younger without plastic surgery. Furthermore, Dr. Oz tells viewers that skin care at home cannot get any simpler than this one bizarre beauty secret some women swear by that is found in homes with pets.

Dr. Oz's recommendation is to apply the vitamin C lotion to the affected areas twice a day―once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Stretch Mark Eraser #2: Tretinoin Cream

Dr. Oz recommends applying tretinoin cream (available by prescription only) to newly forming stretch marks that appear darker before they fade to the more characteristic lighter color over time.

“Tretinoin is a prescription cream. It’s a very special form of vitamin A. It’s powerful, and you have to use it for about 12 weeks to see the benefit,” says Dr. Oz. However, he tells viewers that it is relatively expensive (about $40 per tube) and that an alternative that is non-prescription is to use retinol creams sold for skin care.

The difference between prescription and non-prescription formulations of retinal containing creams is that the prescription cream will have a higher dose of vitamin A; and therefore, the non-prescription dose may take longer to work its magic.

Dr. Oz has also recommended retinol creams as part of his getting rid of cellulite advice in previous episodes.

Stretch Mark Eraser #3: Micro-derma abrasion

For stretch marks that are older and have a more pronounced shiny, pearly appearance to them, Dr. Oz recommends erasing those marks away with a micro-derma abrasion technique that he says is simple enough to do at home.

Dr. Oz demonstrates that the technique of using micro-derma abrasion involves a wand-like device connected by flexible tube to a machine in which the wand is applied gently over the affected areas of the skin.

“Micro-derma abrasion actually allows your skin to grow and repair itself by literally blasting away those tiny cells (stretch mark scar tissue) at the surface. It doesn’t hurt, but it does allow your body to do what it wants to do, which is to heal those stretch marks,” says Dr. Oz.

Micro-abrasion removal of stretch marks typically involves 3 treatments minimum, at about $150 per treatment.

For an informative article about what you should be aware of before undergoing any treatments to improve your skin, click-on the titled link, “Side Effects and Risks of Brazilian Peel and Other Skin Chemical Peels,” for these important warnings as well as an article about 17 beauty products you should avoid.

Image Source: Courtesy of PhotoBucket

Reference: The Dr. Oz Show