Effective tips for those who are tormented by the question of how to get rid of stretch marks on their legs

Stretch marks on the legs are a familiar problem to many. Every girl, starting from adolescence, can encounter it.

Neither body type nor age can prevent the appearance of stretch marks - they are equally common in both thin and well-fed young ladies.

And during hormonal changes in the body and during pregnancy, the chances of acquiring a couple of new stretch marks reach 90%.

Unsightly red stripes appear in areas of accumulation of adipose tissue, most often on the thighs and buttocks, and much less often in the area of ​​the calves and knees.

Over time, the color of stretch marks becomes less saturated, grayish-white, and eliminating such stretch marks becomes an extremely difficult task.

The essence of the natural process of stretch marks

Our skin consists of several layers (epidermis, dermis and hypodermis). The surface layer, the epidermis, is the most plastic and mobile.

Even if our body quickly loses or gains weight, the epidermis stretches in accordance with the changes occurring in the body.

However, the second layer of skin, the dermis, is not so elastic, and with sharp fluctuations in weight, tears can occur in it. They are the visible stretch marks (striae).

If the necessary substances, primarily collagen, are not enough for the complete restoration of the dermis, then the resulting scars do not heal completely, turning into unsightly white stripes on the surface of the skin.

Causes of stretch marks

Stretch marks on the legs or any other parts of the body appear as a result of a sharp increase or decrease in weight caused by changes in the hormonal balance of the body.

The level of certain hormones also affects the elasticity and intensity of skin restoration. The most common causes of stretch marks are:

• intensive growth of the body during puberty;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• disturbances in blood circulation;
• taking oral contraceptives and other hormone-containing drugs;
• diseases of the thyroid glands and other hormonal disorders.

How to get rid of stretch marks using professional methods

If home remedies do not help or we are talking about old stretch marks that massages and rubbing creams can no longer cope with, you will have to go to a cosmetologist or dermatologist. Most likely, you will be offered one of the following procedures.

Laser therapy

The laser evaporates some of the scar tissue cells, and at the same time causes the skin to increase collagen synthesis. As a result, new young and healthy skin is formed over the deep stretch marks, which can hide the stretch marks underneath.

Chemical peeling

A product containing one or another concentrated acid will be applied to the skin. Peeling, like laser, will dissolve some of the scar tissue and stimulate the growth of healthy skin.

Microdermabrasion

We are talking about mechanical grinding of a damaged area of ​​skin with a special device with a rotating round attachment. The effect is approximately the same as that of laser therapy and chemical peels.

Various injection methods

The doctor will inject drugs under the skin that enhance collagen synthesis and increase the level of skin hydration, which will make it denser and the stretch marks underneath less noticeable.

Minor surgery

This is the most expensive and radical, but also the most reliable method. The area of ​​skin with stretch marks is simply removed. If it was small, the surgeon will apply a cosmetic suture, which will resolve after a while almost without a trace. If the stretch marks occupy a large area, the doctor will transplant a skin flap from another part of the body.

Remedies to combat stretch marks

Whether you can get rid of stretch marks depends on two main reasons:

• type (degree of maturation) of striae;
• effectiveness of the selected activities.

With the right approach, it is quite possible to “say goodbye” to recently appeared red or pink stretch marks. But old scars that have already turned white are really difficult to remove from the surface of the skin.

The only thing that can be done is to make the damage to the skin less noticeable using laser resurfacing procedures, special creams, etc.

Fresh stretch marks are easier to deal with, but only if you take an integrated approach to solving the problem. We have to take care of sufficient hydration of the body, increasing the intensity of blood circulation, and local procedures for caring for problem areas of the skin.

What can you do at home?

In any case, the easiest way to combat stretch marks is to prevent their occurrence. So, already in the early stages of pregnancy, it makes sense to adjust your diet to avoid sudden weight gain.

It is also necessary to apply special care products to areas of the skin where the likelihood of stretch marks appearing is maximum.

Budget products can also be quite effective: fragrance-free baby oil, baby cream to which you can add mumiyo, etc.

If it was not possible to avoid the appearance of stretch marks, it is better to start fighting them as early as possible, the effects on the skin are complex.

You can get an excellent result if you combine:

• a reasonable approach to nutrition;
• a well-chosen set of exercises;
• special cosmetic procedures (use of peelings, wraps, creams, baths with algae and essential oils);
• massages and visiting a sauna or steam bath (in the absence of contraindications).

What are stretch marks on legs

Striae on the legs (in common parlance – stretch marks) are defects on the skin that appear, depending on age, in the form of white, pink or blue stripes. In essence, these are scars resulting from microtraumas, ruptures of the upper layers of subcutaneous tissue. Outwardly, they look like “scars” of torn edges and connective tissue between them, differing in length and width. A single appearance of stretch marks is extremely rare; more often they appear in groups. Pink (red), purple or blue color of stretch marks on the legs indicates that they appeared no more than a year ago.

As a rule, young scars itch, which indicates the process of regeneration of damaged fibers. It is easier to fight such stretch marks and you can do it even at home. White “scars” on the legs are already healed injuries that are more than a year old, and therefore folk remedies and cosmetic creams will only help narrow them down a little. Tanning also does not help eliminate such a defect, since melanin is not produced at the sites of breaks, and the skin does not darken at all. It is possible to make stretch marks almost invisible only in a salon setting.

Examples of exercises to combat stretch marks

Most often, stretch marks appear on the upper thighs. Therefore, any squats and lunges that allow you to work the hip area and make blood circulation in this area more intense will be excellent helpers in the fight against unsightly stretch marks. In addition, you can perform additional exercises.

Low amplitude leg raises

While lying on your back, raise your straightened legs to a height of 15-20 cm from the floor, hold them in this position for at least 10 seconds, and then slowly lower them. You need to repeat the movement at least 3 times.

Raising the leg from the “bridge” position

We make a simplified version of the bridge - while lying on your back, bend your legs at the knees to a right angle, and lift your pelvis higher from the floor. In this position, we straighten and pull one leg up with the heel, while leaving the other one for support on the floor.

After 3-5 seconds, return the leg to its original position and straighten the second leg. It is recommended to perform at least 2 cycles of 20 such movements.

Alternate leg raises

Lying on your back, straighten your legs on the floor, then alternately lift them from to a right angle (you should feel a slight burning sensation in the buttocks). For each leg you will have to do 2-3 approaches of 15 times.

Raising legs from a prone position

Lie on your stomach, straighten your legs. From this position, we raise our legs one by one to the maximum possible height. It is advisable to do at least 30 movements on each leg.

"Birch"

A classic exercise of wise yogis, which, perhaps, everyone performs in childhood. We lie on our backs, place our arms along the body, and raise our legs and pelvis from the floor.

We use our hands to help maintain the pelvis in a raised state for 30 seconds or more, after which we “unwind” the body and again lie flat on the floor.

Prevention

The fight against stretch marks is a long process, and in some cases very expensive. To avoid using the above methods on yourself, prevent the appearance of “scars” by following the following recommendations:

• eat right;
• watch your weight;
• do self-massage or visit a massage therapist;
• drink plenty of fluids;
• play sports, do physical exercises;
• use moisturizing, nourishing creams, gels (special ones for pregnant women);
• Wear compression garments during pregnancy;
• take a contrast shower, herbal baths, douse yourself;
• take care of your skin.

Folk remedies for stretch marks

The desire to have slender, luxurious legs was not alien to our grandmothers. Is it any wonder that some recipes for stretch marks have been known for hundreds of years, but even today they can compete with modern cosmetics in terms of effectiveness.

Masks made from egg whites, rubbing a mixture of lemon and cucumber juice, as well as potato and aloe juice into the skin allowed beauties to get rid of stretch marks decades ago.

Currently, the most common remedy for stretch marks is homemade scrubs.

First option

The following are mixed in equal proportions: ground coffee and sea salt, which are diluted with olive or almond oil until the consistency of sour cream.

Place the resulting mass in an old sock or a specially sewn fabric bag, after which we intensively massage the problem areas of the legs for 10 minutes.

The procedure ends with taking a shower and applying any caring cream. Such sessions need to be repeated every other day for several weeks.

Second option

A scrub consisting of 1 part sea salt, 2 parts glycerin and honey gives a similar effect. It is enough to rub this product into your feet for 5 minutes, then rinse with water. You can repeat the procedure twice a day.

Third option

Rubbing crushed coffee beans diluted with olive oil into the skin also helps improve the condition of problem areas. The composition is rubbed into the skin, after which the legs are wrapped in a towel. You need to wash off the product after 30 minutes.

Retinoic ointment

The rate of skin cell regeneration is influenced by several important factors, including the amount of vitamin A (retinol) consumed by a person.

You can help your skin recover faster by either taking a complex of high-quality multivitamins or locally applying products with a high content of retinol.

One of the affordable and reliable options is retinoic ointment, sold in any pharmacy. You can simply rub it into the skin while simultaneously performing a light pinch massage.

This will simultaneously increase blood circulation and speed up the absorption of substances beneficial to the skin.

What does the result depend on?

Removal of stretch marks directly depends on how long ago they appeared. It is completely possible to get rid of stretch marks only if they appeared less than a year ago. The effectiveness of the treatment also depends on the choice of healing technique for problem areas of the skin.

To eliminate stretch marks, an integrated approach should be used, since one method will not be enough. Long-standing stretch marks can be made less pronounced using cosmetic procedures: chemical or laser peeling, as well as other techniques. Creams and gels cannot completely remove scars and stimulate skin regeneration.

Striae do not pose a threat to human life and health, but they look unaesthetic and can cause moral discomfort to their owner. Stretch marks form due to many external (trauma, skin damage) and internal (pregnancy, hormonal imbalances) reasons. At the first sign of a problem, it is important to begin taking a set of actions as soon as possible to eliminate the progression of the process.

conclusions

Today there are many ways to make stretch marks on your legs almost invisible. As salon procedures, this can be mesotherapy, laser perforation, chemical peeling. At home, you can achieve results using a set of measures:

• cosmetic procedures;
• properly selected physical exercises;
• massages and baths;
• balanced diet.

This approach to self-care will allow you to get the desired result. However, this will not happen earlier than 2-3 months after the start of the procedures.

Salon treatments

If the stretch marks are old, home methods do not help you, or you want to get rid of stretch marks as soon as possible, seek help from a specialist. This could be a cosmetologist in a salon or a dermatologist in a clinic. The following procedures have proven themselves well in the fight against stretch marks: