If you laying there wondering what we mean when we talk about stretch marks, then count your blessings. You are probably among the lucky few that will never have to deal with this dreaded skin problem. Stretch marks, as the name says, are marks that appear when your skin stretched beyond its normal limits. They can affect both men and women but are most often seen in pregnant women.

During this period, stretch marks appear around the breasts, abdomen, and hip area. Stretch marks can also appear after having given birth because of the rapid weight loss. It is thought that more than half of women get stretch marks during pregnancy.

Let's have a look at what you can do to prevent and treat stretch marks during and after pregnancy. Don't forget, that stretch marks aren't exclusive to women so the products used for pregnancy stretch marks can also be used to treat men and teenagers.

Find out How to Prevent Stretch Marks Your doctor will probably prescribe a series of different products, mainly creams for stretch marks to help keep your skin taut and flexible during pregnancy. If used properly they will help your skin stretch without breaking.

While using these creams you should also worry about maintaining a steady weight gain. Remember, gaining weight too quickly will increase your probabilities of developing stretch marks not to mention make it harder to lose the baby fat and possibly create health issues that can affect your baby.

Keep in mind that a healthy diet can do wonders for controlling your weight gain. You will only need about 300 extra calories per day which means one extra meal a day should be enough.

Stay away from overly processed foods and junk foods. These are high in sodium and contain empty calories which will rapidly increase your weight.

Eliminating Stretch Marks

If pregnancy has left you with stretch marks, then surgery can be a valid option for you. Plastic surgery removes excess skin as well as stretch marks. The resulting scar is hidden in the skin's natural folds.

Surgical removal of stretch marks is usually done on the abdomen and nowhere else. If you want to remove stretch marks found on other areas of the body you will probably need to use Stretch marks creams.

Stretch mark creams are a slow treatment that require patience and consistency, however, if you want a highly effective stretch mark cream, then you need to find products that contain rose hip oil, snail serum, or emu oil. These ingredients are known for their ability to dissolve damaged skin tissue and replace it with of new, healthy skin cells.