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AUSTIN, Texas--Stretch marks are not a happy subject for women or men--and tanners, looking for a healthy appearance, would rather they disappear altogether. Although most information is purely speculative about the cause and "cure" for stretch marks, there are still a few ways to treat them in various stages.
According to Joanne Kabak, writer for drkoop.com, doctors are unsure what causes stretch marks in the first place, nor are they sure how many people actually suffer from the condition; however, there are some things that can be done to change the appearance of stretch marks, or eliminate them completely.
According to Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine, stretch marks actually are tears in the dermis, the layer of tissue under the skin. A breakdown of skin elastin, the elastic fibers that make skin stretch, creates a scar and that scar cannot be erased.
However, according to Dr. Jeffrey Sklar, director for the Center of Aesthetic Dermatology in Woodbury, N.Y., people do not recognize stretch marks when they start--often they are thought to be a rash. However, this is the best time to treat them. Doctors advise topical applications and massage during this early period.
Doctors also say laser and surgical procedures can be used; however, the procedures themselves may not be cost effective or could leave a scar of their own.
As it stands, people are recommended to use cocoa butter or lotion and massage their skin during periods of life when the skin is stretching, such as puberty, pregnancy or even when weight lifting. Most likely, simple treatments can change, though maybe not eliminate, the largest of scars.
Taken from Looking Fit
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