Most women that suffer from weight fluctuations or go through pregnancy will end-up with stretch marks. Post pregnancy stretch marks are also a common occurrence. The abdomen and breast are the areas that develop stretch marks most easily, but you can also get them on your thighs, hips and upper arms.

Most women feel that they are condemned to live with these striations for the rest of their lives, but this isn't entirely true. There are actually several procedures and treatments that can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Surgery is, by far, the most effective type of treatment because it completely removes the skin that has stretch marks, however, if you're not keen on invasive procedure there are less invasive alternatives for your pregnancy stretch marks. If you do prefer a less invasive approach then you should either try microdermabrasion or stretch mark creams, or both.

Stretch mark removal with these non invasive treatments will be slow, therefore, you'll need to have a little patience if you want to see positive results.

Microdermabrasion for Stretch Mark Removal

Traditional microdermabrasion can be done in a spa or salon. This treatment does not require anesthesia and lasts no more than an hour per session.

The way microdermabrasion works is by producing a small bit of "damage" in the treated site. The body responds to this injury by producing new, healthier cells to displace the damaged skin cells. After several sessions, you should begin to see a difference in your stretch marks.

Microdermabrasion not only treats stretch marks, but it can also help remove the signs of aging. Soon fine lines and age spots will become less apparent. Also, dull skin will become more even and radiant.

Stretch Mark Creams

Another alternative to surgery are stretch mark creams and microdermabrasion creams. This type of treatment is even more gentle than microdermabrasion, therefore, it will take longer to show positive results.

For a stretch mark creams to be effective, it should contain a combination of ingredients that can help eliminate striae. This means that any stretch mark cream you purchase should at least contain peptides and enzymes, which are the ones responsible for eliminating striae. In essence, they dissolve scar tissue and help promote the growth of new skin cells.

Two ingredients that you should look for are snail serum and rose hip oil. Both of these ingredients have proven themselves effective in treating scars and stretch marks. Snail serum depends on enzymatic action while rose hip oil contains high levels of Vitamin C and A and essential fatty acids that help the generation of healthy skin. Microdermabrasion creams contain micro crystals that produce an abrading action that helps treat scars. These micro crystals are much like those used in traditional microdermabrasion. Of course, they're much gentler than traditional microdermabrasion.

You can also purchase at-home microdermabrasion systems. These systems come with a machine that produces the abrading action. They also come with different attachments and some type of microdermabrasion cream.