We all love to go to the beach, but we all know that unsightly stretch marks can put a damper on the parade. What is there to do? Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments that are available to wither them away and give you the confidence to get back out there and not worry about the appearance of stretch marks.

First, let's recap what exactly are stretch marks. They go by the scientific name of striae, and their singular form is simply stria. They are small tears within the dermis layer of the skin that are produced by the loss of skin's elastin and collagen. They can vary in color from a light pink to a dark purple. Regarding the disappearing on their own, they can fade in color over time but there is always going to be remnants of them to some degree. Striae arise when either hormonal changes occur within your body due to puberty or pregnancy, or when there is rapid weight loss or gain from dietary habits or weight lifting. They are most common on the upper arms, stomach, and breasts, and anywhere else on the body where there is stored fat (buttocks, inner and outer thighs, etc).

Stretch Mark Repair Procedures

The "tummy tuck" is a widely used incisive treatment that will erase the appearance of the striae. In this treatment method, the skin below the navel is removed to remove excess fat and restoring weakened or separated muscles. The end results to this treatment is that the abdominal profile will be smoother and more firm. The stretch mark will be drastically reduced or completely gone.

Many individuals have found an effective stretch mark reduction treatment in microdermabrasion. This cosmetic technique uses a mechanical 'brush' for exfoliation. It uses adjustable suction to remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells from the epidermis. Although microdermabrasion is a non-incisive treatment, it is only recommended to be undertaken by a skin care professional at either a doctor's office or at a dermatologist's office. Microdermabrasion removes dead skin to then force the body to naturally produce new skin cells resulting in a smoother texture.