Scars occurs in human body due to a variety of reasons. While some of them may occur due to small or big injuries, there are others which may happen when our skin shrinks or stretches quickly as a result of various biological phenomenon. The scars that form after the healing of small cuts or wounds , burns, surgery or acne gets lightened in due course of time with appropriate treatment and may even disappear completely. However, the signs that may appear on skin as a result of major biological changes within a short period of time are stretch marks which may take a longer time to disappear but in some cases it can remain permanently on the skin.
Stretch marks occurs due to growth spurts that happen in puberty, pregnancy, rapid weight loss or gain and during weight training when you have rapid muscle growth. This common beauty woe occurs in both men and women. However, the appearance of stretch marks varies in different persons. These indented streaks or lines can be red, black, pink, blue or purple in colour and can often show up in a large portion of the human body. Stretch marks, which can be commonly seen on the waist, thighs, lower backs, hips, breasts, arms, and buttocks, makes most of us feel uncomfortable and we often make attempts to hide it under our garments.
However, there is nothing to feel ashamed if you have to keep the stretch marks uncovered while wearing some specific kinds of garments as these are skin problems and not any kind of imperfections or mistakes that are the outcome of our actions. To get rid of stretch marks, you can always turn to aloe vera as it is the perfect natural healer instead of spending thousands of bucks on consulting dermatologists and gobbling a series of medicines and dabbing on ointments one after the other.
As aloe vera has wonderful skin healing properties, you can always use it for controlling the itchiness of those irritating stretch marks besides lightening that woeful scar to a large extent. Besides being an active ingredient for collagen production, which is essential for healing and tightening of damaged cells, it contains mucopolysaccharides that bind moisture to your skin. Aloe vera also has calming properties due to which it can keep itching and redness at bay which are the sole issues of discomfort during the occurrence of stretch marks.
The ways by which you can use aloe vera for treating stretch marks includes-
As a Gel
Cut open an aloe vera leaf and extract the gel present inside. Massage this gel on the affected area for about 2-3 minutes and let it stay. Do not rinse it off with water. Apply aloe vera gel on stretch marks twice daily. You can even use store brought aloe vera gel if you don’t have aloe vera plant at home.
To make your stretch mark gel more nourishing, break ten Vitamin E capsules over a bowl and mix oil from it with some aloe vera gel. Put some of this gel on the portion of the stretch marks and leave it for about an hour. Wash it off with water. Follow this beauty ritual twice a day for best results.
Lemon juice can be a wonderful way to lighten your stretch marks. As this citrus fruit contain a high concentration of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant, it can be used for treating acne damage, dark spots, freckles and other forms of hyperpigmentation. Add a few tablespoons of lemon juice with some aloe vera gel in a bowl and massage this paste over your stretch marks. Let it dry for 15 minutes and then wash it off. Moisturize the area with a cold cream. Do it once a day to see spotless skin soon.
As a Scrub
Exfoliating the area of stretch marks not only removes the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin but also promotes blood circulation and improves the supply of oxygen to the area. Mix a tablespoon of ground coffee with some aloe vera gel in a bowl and apply it all over your stretch marks. Massage the area for a few minutes. Let it stay for about 20 minutes before washing off or cleaning it with a damp cloth. Follow every alternate day to see quicker results.
Stretch marks can also be removed with the help of honey. When applied on the skin, honey releases hydrogen peroxide, which works as a natural bleach and helps in reducing the appearance of stretch marks. For a super remedy to get rid of those irksome stretch marks, mix equal tablespoons of aloe vera gel and honey, apply it on the affected area and massage thoroughly. After 15-20 minutes, rinse it off with water and apply a moisturizer. Repeat this procedure twice daily.
As a Mask
Aloe vera gel can also be used as a mask with the good old virgin coconut oil and castor oil. Both of these oils have excellent moisturizing properties. Mix a tablespoon of aloe vera gel with either virgin coconut oil or castor oil, massage it on the stretch marks and leave it overnight. Wash it off with lukewarm water and apply moisturizer over the affected area. Make sure to follow this routine everyday.
It is advisable to follow these skincare regimens regularly till you get to see the desired results.
