Stretch marks on the skin. Causes, symptoms and treatment of stretch marks

Why do stretch marks appear on the thighs?

Stretch marks appear in places where the skin is chronically overstretched. When the skin produces insufficient collagen and elastin, and the body lacks amino acids necessary for restoration, the damage is filled with fast-growing connective tissue. As a result, oblong scars and stretch marks are formed.

There can be quite a few reasons for the appearance of stretch marks on the hips and legs, but a few main ones can be named:

• sharp fluctuations in body weight;
• growth spurt in teenagers;
• endocrine disorders;
• pregnancy;
• intense sports activities;
• genetic predisposition.

Apart from the last point, stretch marks occur during certain disruptions in the body. Extremely rapid weight changes, muscle growth—anything that is stressful for the body and directly affects the skin can cause stretch marks to appear. It is important to understand why you have stretch marks on your thighs in order to not only effectively deal with them, but also to eliminate related problems in the body.

While stretch marks are common during pregnancy or adolescence, in other cases they can indicate serious problems in the body. If you see no reason for the appearance of stretch marks, we recommend that you consult a doctor.

Find out which method of correcting scars and stretch marks is optimal for you!

doctor Svetlana Viktorovna Ogorodnikova.

doctor

Is it possible to remove stretch marks after childbirth?

It is worth remembering that the effect of combating hyperextension can be significantly increased if preventive measures are taken during pregnancy. In order to reduce the incidence of such imperfections, you should begin to implement a set of preventive methods in the early stages of gestation. This way you can nourish the epidermis with the necessary substances, and it will become easier for the tissues to bear heavy loads.

Recommendations for preventing hyperextension:

• Start wearing a bandage as early as 21-26 weeks, so you can reduce the load on the epidermal tissue.
• Temper your chest skin. Wipe it with ice cubes or lemon juice, cool it with cool water or a contrast shower.
• Carefully monitor your diet and body weight.
• Moisturize your skin and saturate it with the substances necessary for elasticity.
• Perform a massage using special cosmetics.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking any action.

Types of stretch marks

Stretch marks are usually divided into fresh and old. You can determine which type of stretch marks you have developed by their appearance.

How to get rid of stretch marks on thighs?

Depending on the age of stretch marks on the legs and hips, the method of dealing with them is also selected. We suggest considering the main options and finding out the pros and cons of each approach.

Salon treatments

There are quite a lot of salon procedures to combat stretch marks, and new ones appear every day. Today there are several common services:

• Wraps . The procedure helps speed up blood circulation and metabolism, which is very effective for fresh stretch marks, but is unlikely to help in the case of old ones.
• Invasive procedures . Substances are injected into the areas where stretch marks appear to help destroy connective tissue and speed up skin regeneration. As in the previous case, they are effective for fresh stretch marks. For older people, it can only be used in combination with other procedures.
• Peels . The essence of peeling is to polish the skin - using a laser or a special composition, the connective tissue is destroyed, in its place healthy skin is formed. A very effective procedure if you choose the right drugs and number of sessions. However, it is also very painful, which can interfere with the elimination of stretch marks on the inner thighs and other sensitive areas. In addition, after peeling, a rehabilitation period is required, and the cost of all procedures can be quite hefty.
• Microdermabrasion . Mechanical damage to the skin to obtain a result similar to the effect of peeling. An effective, but rather traumatic method. During the recovery period, careful skin care is necessary.
• ELOS-rejuvenation (Electro-Optical Synergy). This procedure combines pulsed light and electric current. Atrophied areas warm up and decrease in size. Suitable for eliminating old stretch marks.

Pros: Most salon treatments have an overall healing effect on the skin. Along with getting rid of stretch marks, you can get increased elasticity, even out color and eliminate other imperfections.

Cons: Many options are quite traumatic and require a recovery period and careful care. In addition, salon treatments are the most expensive way to combat stretch marks . Especially if we are talking about old stretch marks, which may require several courses.

Massage

As with other procedures, massage is selected depending on the type of stretch marks and the presence of contraindications. Today they most often offer:

• Hydromassage . A pleasant procedure consisting of a massage using water jets and adding beneficial ingredients to the water. Unfortunately, it cannot be called effective, because... it can only help with fresh stretch marks.
• Hardware massage . It is performed with a special device with attachments for vacuum and vibration massage. The patient is put on an endormological suit, which helps reduce pain. Effective for fresh stretch marks; for old ones, a long course or combination with other methods of struggle may be required.
• Honey massage . One of the most pleasant types of massage. It is done manually, using natural honey or compositions based on it. The procedure only helps with fresh stretch marks, but it has a very beneficial effect on the skin as a whole and helps get rid of cellulite.

Pros : A well-executed massage will be useful not only as a fight against stretch marks, but also for tightening the skin, eliminating cellulite and as a relaxant.

Cons : Like salon treatments, massage is an expensive pleasure. At the same time, it is designed more to combat fresh stretch marks ; for old ones, you will have to combine procedures with other options.

How to remove postpartum stretch marks

There are several methods to combat hyperextension. When choosing a particular method, be careful and consult with medical professionals. Since any impact on a woman’s body affects the child not only during pregnancy, but also during lactation and feeding. Methods to combat cosmetic imperfections include:

• Cosmetic products.
• Folk remedies.
• Massage.
• Procedures in salons.
• Surgical intervention.

Cosmetic products

The modern cosmetics industry offers a large number of products to combat hyperextension of epidermal tissue - creams, gels, lotions, etc. Such products are presented in cosmetics aimed at mass sales and in the luxury segment. The main method of action of such products is to increase skin elasticity, stimulate the production of natural substances for elasticity and tone, as well as saturate them with useful components to accelerate regeneration.

Preference should be given to products that contain certain components:

• Vitamin A – retinol. Aimed at stimulating the production of natural collagen and elastin proteins in the deep layers of the epidermis. Lifting cream cream from Alpika is perfect. The product is rich in vitamins A and E, which have a powerful moisturizing and nourishing effect.
• Vitamins C, E, hyaluronic acid. Products containing such a complex of active substances actively promote the production of collagen in the body. It is worth paying attention to LAVR gel from Alpika. Its main function is to combat hyperextension.
• Vegetable oils. Another assistant in stimulating the natural processes of epidermal regeneration. HydroTonus body milk from Alpika contains orange essential oil and caffeine contained in guarana.

Folk remedies

Another method of treating striae can be considered folk remedies. It is worth giving preference to products that contain substances to stimulate regeneration - vegetable oils, vitamins A, E and antioxidants. Let's look at a few recipes that you can prepare yourself.

• Mumiyo

It is necessary to dissolve the mummy tablet in water and apply the resulting composition to problem areas.

• Grape juice

Buy grapes, grind them in a blender or press them through a sieve. Apply the resulting mixture to areas with overextension.

• Warm compress with vegetable oil

Heat castor or olive oil a little, add one capsule of vitamins A and E. Apply the mixture to the body, wrap in cling film. Rinse off with warm water after 15 minutes.

Massage

Massage procedures can be performed when visiting a specialist or independently at home. When performed independently, you should follow the recommendations for the procedure, which will help stimulate lymph flow and microcirculation:

• The abdominal area is massaged in a clockwise direction.
• In the waist area, movements are performed in the direction from the legs to the head.
• On the hips, massage movements are performed starting from the knees and moving upward.
• The buttocks are massaged from bottom to top.

When performing the procedure, you can use floral, citrus or nut aromatic oils.

Procedures in salons

Cosmetology and spa salons offer a wide range of services to remove stretch marks after pregnancy.

• Vacuum massage

Increases blood circulation and lymph flow, stimulates regeneration processes of epidermal layers of varying depths. Also effective in the fight against cellulite.

• Wraps

Salons offer cold and hot wraps with various active substances. These include: kelp, chocolate, essential oils, honey.

• Mesotherapy

There are two types of procedures - injections and external application. The active substance is a serum enriched with vitamins, biostimulants, stem cells and other components.

• Ozone-oxygen injections

The oxygen and ozone complex has a powerful effect on epidermal tissue, stimulates the production of natural collagen and elastin, and accelerates the process of cell regeneration.

• Radio lifting

Electric current affects the deep layers of the epidermis and fiber, which promotes the production of proteins, restoration of fibers and smoothing of the skin surface.

• Peeling

Chemical peeling is also used to combat tissue tears. The use of acids allows you to remove the top layer of the epidermis and start the regeneration mechanism.

• Laser grinding

The upper layers of the epidermis are removed using a laser. This effect activates recovery processes, that is, the body produces an excess amount of substances for regeneration. In this case, not only the damaged area is restored, but also tissue tears.

• Microneedling

A type of mesotherapy. It can be done at an appointment with a cosmetologist or at home. The procedure uses a special device - a mesoscooter and active compounds containing hyaluronic acid, collagen and vegetable oils.

Surgical intervention

It is used for advanced forms of stretch marks that could not be removed by the methods listed above. This operation involves excision of the problem area. It is performed under anesthesia and affects both the outer and deep layers of the epidermis. After the operation, a scar remains, which is polished using a laser. This method is radical; it is not a treatment for stretch marks, but their complete removal.

In order to solve the problem of skin overstretching naturally without radical methods, you should start a preventive complex already in the first weeks of pregnancy. Of course, you can choose folk remedies, but it is better to give preference to Alpika cosmetic products. Such products were developed by professional cosmetologists, the composition of the products is well balanced, and the ratio of ingredients is calculated in detail. The Alpika line of products contains products enriched with vitamins and nutrients aimed at stimulating the regeneration mechanism.

ethnoscience

Traditional medicine provides answers to almost any question - how to maintain youth, how to deal with skin imperfections and even overcome serious illnesses. Striae are no exception - there are many tips on how to remove stretch marks on the hips:

• Homemade scrubs. Honey-coffee scrubs are a compromise between massage and salon peeling. They exfoliate dead skin cells well and help destroy the connective tissue of stretch marks.
• Homemade wraps. It is most often recommended to use grape puree as a composition. Otherwise, the procedure is similar to the salon procedure, except that you will have to do the wrap yourself.
• Homemade cream for stretch marks. There are many recipes for such creams, but they have the same principle - mix solid, base and essential oils.

Pros : Most recipes contain simple ingredients that can be easily found in stores. You do not need to pay extra for specialist services or travel to the salon. In addition, all these procedures are pleasant and delight you with the aromas of fruits and essential oils.

Cons : The main disadvantage is one - the effectiveness of traditional medicine recipes is very doubtful. If you have fresh stretch marks, the chances are high that after scrubbing and supporting with vitamins, the skin will cope with the shortcomings, but old stretch marks are unlikely to be overcome. In addition, some home procedures can be dangerous. For example, using a homemade scrub can damage your skin.

Creams and gels

The main difference between store-bought creams and homemade creams is that the ratio of ingredients in them is precisely adjusted, and numerous tests have made it possible to obtain a truly effective and safe composition. In addition, some active substances will be very difficult for you to obtain on your own. For example, FERMENCOL® brand products contain an extract from crab liver. Agree, it will not be so easy to get it!

When choosing a suitable cream or gel, it is important to understand the purpose of the product. Here are some of the main types of products to combat stretch marks:

• Preventive . For example, creams and oils used during pregnancy to moisturize and increase skin elasticity. However, they will not affect existing stretch marks after childbirth.
• Remedies for fresh stretch marks . They are effective if the stretch marks on your thighs have not yet turned white.
• Remedies to combat old stretch marks . Such gels and creams contain active ingredients that allow you to cope even with old stretch marks that appeared more than a year or even several years ago.

Pros : Creams, oils, mousses and gels for stretch marks are the most budget-friendly of all the options that can be called effective. With the right product, you can deal with both fresh stretch marks and old ones, without trips to the salon or traumatic procedures. This is especially true for young mothers who cannot afford to leave home often and for a long time, but want to quickly return their skin to a healthy appearance.

Cons : It is very important to choose the right product and follow the instructions exactly . If a specialist does everything for you in the salon, then you need to approach the process yourself with full responsibility, do not skip procedures and apply the cream or gel within the prescribed period. Sometimes, to increase efficiency and speed up the process, the use of additional devices is required, but the good news is that they are not too expensive and are available for free sale.

How to prevent stretch marks from appearing

To prevent the formation of stretch marks, it is recommended to avoid excessive tanning in the open sun and in a solarium, drink enough clean water and regularly moisturize the body with creams and oils. While taking a bath, you should perform self-massage, thereby carefully stretching the skin, toning it, without injuring it. You also need to regularly use peelings and scrubs. Diet is also important. The diet should be enriched with a large amount of fiber. The daily menu should be enriched with freshly squeezed juices, cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Let's sum it up

Massage for stretch marks formed on the hips can be performed either by a specialist or at home. It is important to use high-quality creams and ointments and use essential oils in the process. Movements during self-massage should be smooth, not sharp, without pinching or strong manipulation, so as not to damage the skin even more.

Are you familiar with the problem of stretch marks? If you have tried to get rid of stretch marks through massage, you can share in the comments how effective this method was for you. What creams or oils do you use for massage at home?