How to reduce the appearance of stretch marks

At Clarins, we believe in loving the skin you’re in and caring for it as best you can. For us, this means embracing stretch marks as part of a beautiful journey into parenthood, for example, or simply appreciating your body and the incredible things it can do.

While stretch marks are common, natural, and completely unharmful, some people may wish to limit their appearance if it makes them feel more confident in their skin. Many people experience stretch marks, so finding answers to questions such as do stretch marks go away and how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy is useful in helping you understand, appreciate, and embrace your body, just as it is.

Firstly, what causes stretch marks?

Stretch marks are usually the result of your skin over-stretching and losing its elasticity. Excessive weight gain or pregnancy often go hand-in-hand with stretch marks, though hormonal changes can also cause them to appear.

What do stretch marks look like?

Stretch marks appear as lines on the surface of the skin, though their length, width, and depth will vary from person to person. They look red when they first appear (due to swelling), then gradually fade to white. Stretch marks appear on areas of the body where volume can increase significantly, such as the breasts, hips, buttocks, thighs, abdomen, arms, and lower back.

How to remove stretch marks

While it’s unlikely you’ll be able to remove your stretch marks entirely, there are steps you can take to help prevent stretch marks from forming in the first place and to reduce the appearance of stretch marks already present. Here are a few options.

1. Choose a targeted body treatment

Targeted body treatments are perfect for minimising the appearance of stretch marks and restoring beautiful skin. That’s why we’ve created Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Expert to help soften the effects of weight fluctuations and pregnancy. Using our new PhytoStretchComplex — Organic Green Banana to stimulate collagen production and Centella Asiatica to reinforce and protect elastin fibres from breaking down — Stretch Mark Expert improves the skin’s elasticity to visibly reduce the appearance of blemishes. With a comforting texture that quickly absorbs into the skin, stretch marks become less visible over time, and skin feels silky-soft and expertly nourished.

You can boost the effects of your targeted stretch mark treatment with our best-selling Tonic Body Treatment Oil. Made with 100% pure plant extracts — such as Rosemary, Geranium, and Mint — this healthy formula helps firm, tone, and improve your skin’s elasticity to soothe and soften over-stretched skin.

While there’s no stretch mark cure, their appearance does fade naturally over time. Many people find that regularly applying a stretch mark cream helps create a visible difference within a matter of months.

2. Exfoliate your skin

Regular exfoliation helps to prevent the build-up of dead cells on the skin’s surface. This allows your stretch mark prevention cream to work harder by absorbing deeply into the skin, while also helping to exfoliate away any new blemishes that form.

3. Keep an eye on your weight

Though it’s natural for your body to grow and expand, especially during pregnancy, one way to help reduce stretch marks is to limit the extent to which your skin tissue changes. Eating healthily and ensuring you don’t gain unnecessary or excessive weight is a good way to do this.

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