Does Mederma Scar Treatment Really Help Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

A little over a year ago, I had the unfortunate experience of losing a great deal of weight (almost fifty pounds), and then gaining it back in a short period of time. This rapid fluctuation of my body weight left me with a few bright red stretch marks on my stomach. I was very troubled by the appearance of these stretch marks, and I quickly began to search for something that would help me get rid of them. A few people suggested cocoa butter, which I tried...however, the cocoa butter is best for preventing stretch marks and didn't do much to eliminate the stretch marks that I already had.

Discouraged, I went to the internet to look for some real medical advice about how to reduce the appearance of already existing stretch marks. A few websites that I found said the best option was laser treatment, but I couldn't afford expensive trips to the dermatologist's office to have that done. I also found some information that Mederma, an onion-extract-based topical gel scar treatment produced by Merz Pharmaceuticals, may work to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Further research revealed that there might be some truth to the claims about Mederma and stretch marks, so I decided to head to the store and buy some.

When I got to the drugstore to purchase Mederma, I was unpleasantly surprised at how much the product cost. The smallest tube of Mederma cost $16.99. Although I was a bit put off by the price, I really wanted to get rid of my stretch marks so I bit the bullet and bought the Mederma. The package stated that Mederma works best on newer stretch marks that are still pink/red in color, and not as well on "faded" stretch marks that had already turned to a silvery white appearance. My stretch marks were still very bright red, so I was the perfect candidate for Mederma treatment. The package stated I should apply Mederma three times per day for three- to six-months...sounded easy enough.

For the next several months, I applied Mederma religiously to the stretch marks on my stomach. Remembering to apply it 3 times per day was difficult...I'm sure there were many days where I only remembered to apply the scar treatment gel once or twice instead of 3 times. It was also a bit inconvenient because you have to let the Mederma gel dry before letting clothing touch it, so I had to sit shirtless for at least 10 minutes each time I applied it. Still, I was very motivated to rid my stomach of the unsightly stretch marks, so I followed the Mederma regiment the best I could.

After about 2 months of using the Mederma, I did notice that the stretch marks were becoming less bright red and more pink, which did reduce their visibility somewhat. I continued with Mederma for the next 3 months, and my stretch marks did indeed fade somewhat. However, there are clearly still visible stretch marks on my stomach and it doesn't seem like they will ever completely disappear. Stretch marks also have the tendency to fade on their own over time, so it's hard for me to say the Mederma actually did anything...the stretch marks very well may have become less visible even without treatment.

In the end, I was disappointed with Mederma as a treatment for stretch marks. The Mederma Gel was very expensive, the treatment protocol was inconvenient and took half a year to complete, and in the end I still have stretch marks on my stomach. If you have money to burn and want to feel like you're doing something to reduce the appearance of your stretch marks, you may want to try Mederma...but my advice to people would be to save your money and skip the Mederma. The only medically-proven way to really get rid of stretch marks is laser treatment in a doctor's office. But keep in mind that human's come in all shapes and sizes, and millions & millions of people have stretch marks on their body. Learning to accept your body and its imperfections is a much better use of your time than applying gel to your stretch marks 3 times a day for months on end.