Teens and Stretch Marks

Stretch marks do not play favorites and will appear on boys, girls, adults, teens, kids and even moms. Teens can be prone to stretch marks due to rapid growth and the stretching that skin does to accommodate this rapid growth. Just because you are overweight, or have grown quickly does not mean that you will have stretch marks. Others, who are very healthy and have normal weight, will have stretch marks. Life doesn’t always make sense, and neither does having stretch marks.

Unfortunately teens are very self-conscious about their looks and skin flaws like stretch marks can look very glaring to them. They may look for miracle cures or fall prey to advertisers who push products claiming they cure stretch marks. These products are often expensive and usually do not yield the promised results.

There are some products that may minimize the appearance of the stretch marks such as Emu Oil, Olei Acid, Cocoa butter, Wheat Germ Oil, and also vitamin E and Lanolin. These products will actually help by strengthening the skin. In time, the stretch marks will fade to a lighter color or a silvery white. Always read instructions and follow them. Consult your physician before taking any products or applying them on your skin. A dermatologist if consulted, may prescribe Retin-A Micro to diminish the stretch marks.

Although you won't be able to cover up stretch marks by getting a tan either naturally or by using a tanning bed; you can cover up your stretch marks by using sunless tanning treatments (over-the-counter lotions and sprays). There are also in-salon types of sunless tanning treatments that will cover up stretch marks.

Teens are often baffled as to why they have stretch marks, when they are not overweight. Stretch marks can appear not just when you gain or lose weight but also when you bulk up as in bodybuilding. Stretch marks can also happen when you have a rapid period of growth like a lot of teens go through. There are some common factors to those who have stretch marks, which include: heredity, those with dry skin, pregnancy, and a rapid weight gain or loss.

There are two treatments that teens should stay away from and those are microdermabrasion and laser treatment. Teens who have stretch marks are not done growing yet and over time their stretch marks will fade without treatment. Teens need to be careful about what they do to their bodies; realizing that they are not done growing yet.

Peer pressure to look perfect, may make a teen do something they may not otherwise do. Knowledge really is power; the more you know about stretch marks the better equipped you are to handle the many treatment methods and to make better choices.

Eating healthy foods, staying active, and taking good care of your skin by staying out of the sun and keeping it clean and moisturized are all things you can do to keep your skin healthy and minimize your chances for future stretch marks.