Skin Care

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Stretch marks can be very unattractive. Most people get them from rapid weight gain or loss, or childbirth. Because many people don’t know how to prevent stretch marks or to get rid of them, they end up feeling embarrassed and go to great lengths to hide them.

Aside from seeing a dermatologist about your stretch marks, there is little you can do at home to cure them. But what you can do help prevent stretch marks from occurring and reduce the appearance of ones you already have. Here are some tips:

• Lotions, creams and oil treatments are the tried and true method of reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Cocoa butter has been very effective in prevention as well. Also, using Vitamin E ointment after showering has proven to help.
• Including lots of vitamins in your diet is beneficial. Include Vitamin A, E and C in your diet. Take supplements to meet your daily requirements. Of course, avoid Vitamin A if you are currently pregnant or may become pregnant. Foods such as beets, brown rice, bell peppers, soybeans and leafy green veggies will provide these vitamins for you.

Skin Care Myths

Many people are desperate to believe that any remedy can clear their skin and make them look younger. However, there are many myths about skin care that people believe are fact, and it’s time to clear some of those up.

Cucumbers do not contain vitamins that reduce under eye circles. What clears under eye circles is the cold, not the cucumber. The cold reduces puffiness by constricting blood vessels to reduce fluid build-up in the soft tissues beneath your eyes. A cool wash cloth produces the same effect.

Shampoo isn’t for hair only. Actually, shampoo contains many of the same dirt-trapping agents as many body washes, according to cosmetics chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. It also contains conditioners that leave your skin softer than most body washes.

Shaving does not make hair come in thicker or darker. Razor stubble is often seen as darker because when a razor cuts at an angle, hairs become more visible. What you shave occurs on the surface, leaving hair follicles the same and the hair unaltered.

Continuous tweezing can stop hair from growing back. If you pull out the hair the right way every time it grows in, the hair follicle may become inflamed and scarred, slowing down the growth of hair or stopping it altogether. This must be done carefully, however, so that the surface of the skin is not scarred.

Finally, nothing that comes in a bottle can get rid of cellulite. Though they claim to work by plumping skin, many creams can lead to more severe cellulite, especially when not partnered with healthy lifestyle choices. The only way to get rid of cellulite is by taking care of your skin, eating right, and exercising regularly. Even this however, may not rid all people of cellulite.