Stretch marks and scars are blemishes on the skin that almost all women are afraid of having. This is because they make the skin look ugly. One downside to stretch marks is that it is very hard to prevent compared to regular scars, which can be avoided by staying away from situations where accidents may occur, and wearing protective equipment. Marks due to the stretching of the skin naturally arise so they are much harder to prevent.

One of the earliest times when these marks are prone to forming is during puberty. This is because the body rapidly increases in size while the skin is unable to stretch and grow fast enough to keep up with the body. Other times in life when tearing of the skin may also occur is during pregnancy, or as a result of a rapid increase in weight that may be due to excessive eating.

Comparing men and women, women are more prone to the development of stretch marks. This is because they are subjected to more bodily changes in a lifetime compared to men. This is especially evident during pregnancy. In addition to this, the various hormonal changes that occur in women may also contribute to the easier tearing of the skin.

Although women are more prone to developing stretch marks, men can also have them even though they do not get pregnant and do not have many variations in their hormone levels. As stated earlier, excessive eating which leads to a rapid increase in size may lead to the formation of these scars. Body building which leads to a rapid increase in mass may also be a cause for skin to tear.

As with other situations, preventing a problem is always easier than solving it. Unfortunately for this case, it is very hard to prevent the formation of stretch marks. This is because some marks may have been formed during puberty when you were not yet conscious about your body, while some just really happens no matter how much you try and prevent them from forming.

Even though they are hard to prevent, there are still ways that you can try and lessen the chances that these scars form on your skin. When you are anticipating your body to undergo a rapid increase in size such as in pregnancy, you can apply creams such as cocoa butter on the areas that will most likely be affected. Adding supplements to your diet which can help in increasing the skin's elasticity may also be a good idea. As for other factors such as excessive eating, these may simply be controlled so that the body does not increase in size that fast.

For marks that are already present on your skin, there are several ways that you can try to eliminate them. The more effective and expensive ways of getting rid of them is through laser treatments or microdermabrasion. Other cheaper ways is by using scar removal creams and other home remedies. These may not completely eliminate scars and marks but they can lighten their appearance thus making them almost invisible.

The best way to avoid stretch marks is by preventing them from forming in the first place. There are many ways that you can do to prevent them from forming. But for already existing scars, there are also procedures and methods that you can try so regain your flawless looking skin.