How Men Can Eliminate Stretch Marks

Stretch marks, which are also known as the ‘striae’ in medical terminology, are reddish or whitish colored lines which develop on our skin. Skin has three layers. Stretch marks are formed in the dermis, which is the middle layer of skin. Skin is an elastic organ which, when it is stretched beyond its limit, loses its elasticity and overgrowth of skin occurs. This leads to the formation of stretch marks. Men are mostly affected by stretch marks when they work out excessively and build up bulky muscles very rapidly. Other causes for development of such marks in men can be abrupt weight gain, growth spurts in the case of teenagers or even rapid weight loss. Stretch marks once formed cannot be removed entirely but you can improve their appearance by using certain remedies. Methods for getting rid of stretch marks are same in the case of both men and women.

Step 1

Work out smartly! You should make alterations in your exercise regimen. Instead of lifting heavier weights, try lighter ones and increase the number of repetitions. Your aim should be to strengthen your muscle, not just increasing their size.

Step 2

Eat wisely! Maintain a balanced and healthy diet. Make sure your fat intake is not excessive because gaining fat and muscles together can cause the stretch marks. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables especially of green leafy variety, grains and lean meat etc. Avoid fried food or foods that contain excessive sugars.

Step 3

If you do develop stretch marks, you can consult a doctor and have him prescribe you a tretinoin cream. It contains retinoic acid which restores elastin and collagen in the skin. You should keep it in mind that this cream is only effective for stretch marks no older than six weeks. Such stretch marks are generally reddish or purplish in color.

Step 4

If your stretchmarks are older i.e. silvery or white in color, then you can try excimer laser therapy. This procedure uses a laser beam to stimulate production of a skin pigment called melanin. This helps in restoring color of the stretched area so that it will match the skin color of the unaffected skin.

Step 5
Another laser therapy involves use of pulsed-dye laser which stimulates elastin and collagen. This procedure sets off regeneration of normal skin structure thus, leading to the disappearance of stretch marks.

Step 6
A more invasive option is microdermabrasion. In this procedure, silicon dioxide crystals are used to cut off excessive skin in a stretch mark. Next step is suctioning of all of this debris and dead skin cells. By removing damaged skin cells, fresh skin growth is stimulated and its elasticity is improved.

Step 7

If you like organic methods you can try using natural home remedies like using coconut oil or castor oil. You can also try using Aloe vera gel. These natural methods are very inexpensive and using them can save you a lot of money.

Step 8

Always keep your skin moisturized with a good moisturizer. You can also use homemade moisturizers like honey and cream etc. for this purpose.

Precautions

Before trying any of these treatments, always consult your physician.