Step by Step Plan for Fixing Strech Marks

So what to do? Are you afraid of getting stretch marks or do you have some already that you desperately want gone? If so, you're not alone.

If you haven't formulated a plan of attack for this problem yet, we're going to outline one for you now. Follow these steps to avoid and address stretch marks once and for all.

Step 1 - Moisturize.

Sometimes people forego this step because they have oily skin or just don't like to drink water. Remember that adding some moisturizing agents to your skin can actually calm it down and keep those oil glands working properly rather than overworking themselves. Moisturizers also protect the skin from the harsh elements in the atmosphere including dust, dirt, irritants, and pollutants.

Hydration from the inside will mean that skin gets the moisture it needs to keep itself soft and supple. When those cells in the secondary layers push up to replace those cells on the topmost layer they will bring enough moisture with them to keep the top of the skin soft. When you don't get enough hydration from what you eat and drink, your skin is the last part of the body to be hydrated as this moisture will be sapped to feed the vital organs and muscles first.

If you don't care for water try drink mixes or fruit juice cut half and half with water. Avoid caffeine as much as possible. Cut down on the amount of meat you eat, especially red meat. Have more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Trick yourself into drinking water by having a full glass before each meal - that way it's done and over with and you don't need to constantly nurse a bottle of water all day and night.

Topical moisturizers should be used all the time, even if you have oily skin. They not only make up for any moisture that you lose throughout the day, they will also act as a protective barrier between your skin and the harsh elements to which it's exposed, such as the sun's harmful rays and pollutants in the air. If you live or work in an environment that is especially harsh such as a manufacturing environment or someplace very sunny, it becomes even more important to moisturize every day.

Tip from the experts: Try vitamin E oil on your face. It's very inexpensive, absorbs slowly so your skin is always getting moisturized, and is all natural. Many women love it under makeup as it gives even the driest of skin a creamy and healthy look.

Step 2 - Exercise.

Blood and oxygen help the skin to repair itself and to heal from scars, including stretch marks. However these elements are pointless if the skin doesn't get enough of them or if they don't reach all the layers of the skin.

Exercising increases blood circulation and causes the blood to pump harder. This means that the skin is getting those vital nutrients more often and that everything is being delivered as close to the skin's surface as possible.

The skin can't heal itself from scars like stretch marks if those elements are not reaching that layer of the skin that's damaged. When you exercise this pushes blood and oxygen up to the topmost layer of skin and delivers those nourishing and healing elements.

Remember that exercise doesn't need to be anything particularly difficult or strenuous to be beneficial. Walking, biking, or any leisurely sport can help tremendously especially if you're very sedentary right now. There's no need to get overwhelmed or to think that because you can't run a marathon then your exercise routine is pointless.

To help your skin, get up and get active. Get a dog and walk it. Get a treadmill and use it. Walk around the block, play catch with the kids, start dancing. Whatever you need to do to get active, do it. Your skin will thank you!

Step 3 - Watch your weight.

While some doctors debate the connection between weight gain and stretch marks, it seems that since these scars only appear on areas of the body that are larger and that are stretched, watching one's weight would be an obvious step. While gaining weight is part of a healthy pregnancy this should happen slowly over time. It shouldn't be used as an excuse to gain excessive amounts of weight and certainly not to gain that much weight quickly.

Your diet and your physical activity level are important in this area as well. Eating right and exercising will mean keeping your skin nourished and healthy but it will also mean that you will keep your weight under control as well. If you don't gain weight you're much less likely to get stretch marks.

Remember that it doesn't need to be complicated to keep your weight under control; there's no reason to get overwhelmed with this. Walking or biking is typically easy enough for anyone to participate in on a regular basis. Making a few minor changes in your everyday diet can also go a long way - switch to diet soda, save dessert for Sunday dinner only, pack a lunch rather than getting fast food all the time.

There are many reasons to keep your weight at a healthy level and absolutely nothing that recommends becoming overweight or obese. Stretch marks are one of those reasons to avoid gaining weight as much as possible, but of course the health risks you take by being overweight and obese are even more important. Excess body weight is connected to asthma, arthritis, chronic pain, several forms of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory distress, sleep apnea, and many other conditions. So give this some consideration the next time you're tempted to hit a drive-through restaurant or feel like watching television rather than going for a walk.

Step 4 - Take care of your skin overall.

A good skincare routine can go a long way toward allowing the skin to fix and repair itself naturally. Many scars, wrinkles, lines, and discoloration of the skin could be avoided if people would simply be gentler with their skin and if they gave it the needed moisture and vitamins it needs.

Usually products that exfoliate the skin of the body are very affordable and readily available for anyone. Small beads or crystals can gently remove dead skin cells as well as dirt, oil, and pollutants caught in the pores of the skin. But it's important to be gentle when using these products so that the skin is not irritated or overly dry.

Being gentle with the skin is very important in all areas. Irritating it can mean sending oil glands into overdrive and can cause redness and even scars.

Overexposure to the sun or tanning beds and smoking too are all very damaging to the surface of the skin. These things actually kill skin cells on the surface of the skin and starve skin cells underneath so that even when they push up to the surface, they are not healthy looking at all. Smoking and overexposure to the sun are both connected with skin cancer itself; even if your condition does not go to that extreme the damage that these things do to the skin is obvious!

When you don't take care of your skin overall you will interfere with the skin's ability to repair and renew itself. The skin will be undernourished and not able to fix problems and fend off things such as stretch marks.

Step 5 - See your doctor or dermatologist.

So if you do everything else you can and still have stretch marks, what then? Are you just out of luck?

Seeing a doctor or dermatologist is a key to success in getting rid of stretch marks. They can offer many options to you in order to address your stretch marks, and they are working hard to improve their procedures every single day. Many are not covered by insurance but can be somewhat affordable as well.

Very often people are afraid to approach their doctor about stretch marks because they feel that this is a waste of time or that they would need to go through some traumatic or painful procedure to address the issue. However sometimes a doctor can prescribe a cream or lotion that can help reduce if not eliminate stretch marks, or can offer a simple procedure that is relatively painless but still effective.

Even if your family doctor cannot help you, he or she may be able to recommend a dermatologist that will. Many people have stretch marks and many have visited a doctor's office to address them, so there's no reason for embarrassment in this area.

Step 6 - Try some cover-up.

Hey, it works for Hollywood so why not for you?

Body makeup is more common than many people realize when it comes to Hollywood stars and starlets and today it's also being used more often for the everyday person. Spray-on tanning agents are being offered in many places and in place of actual tanning booths; very often the products used on the body are not permanent but last much longer than cosmetics used on the face which get removed every single night.

You might not be able to afford a consistent treatment and may not want to opt for that anyway, but if you have a special occasion coming up or a trip to the beach and are very self-conscious about your stretch marks, look into getting a topical application of spray tanners or body makeup. These may not make your stretch marks actually disappear but can reduce their appearance enough so that you're no longer self-conscious about them.

You can also typically find body makeup in many cosmetics stores or online. These makeup products are usually too thick to use on the face as they may clog pores and aren't usually as creamy as facial cosmetics but they typically provide better coverage and last quite a bit longer.

They can also be used to cover not just stretch marks but spider veins, discoloration, birthmarks, burns, and other scars as well. Many who are left with scars or burns that cannot be fixed have been using body makeup for years, so you may want to consider the same thing for your stretch marks if you're that self-conscious about them.

Step 7 - Put things in perspective.

Probably everyone in the world would admit that they wish they had the body of a swimsuit model, and we mean both men and women. But very few people in the world actually have a perfect body, including those who are swimsuit models! They often use body makeup and special lighting to look their best, and if they don't have a perfect body then of course very few other people will too.

If you have stretch marks because of pregnancy, consider this part of the joy of bringing children into the world. Many people have been denied that privilege either because of problems conceiving or because they have no one else in their life with which to have children. If you have stretch marks because of weight gain, consider these as a warning sign that the weight should be addressed - obesity is linked to diseases and conditions far worse than the appearance of the skin.

And if you have other things in your life that you can appreciate, concentrate on those. You may not like everything about your body but are you relatively healthy? Think of the many people that aren't and you may realize that stretch marks are not the end of the world.

There are many things you can do to address your stretch marks and if you have the means, you're encouraged to do just that. Try something prescribed from your doctor or consider a laser treatment. Stick with your routine and with the products prescribed and you'll probably see good results over time.

But if you just can't address these scars or don't see any improvement, put things in perspective. Life should be enjoyed and is too short to be worried about a few imperfections here and there, so don't let stretch marks get in the way of that enjoyment!