When stretch marks show up on your body, those unsightly lines can get in the way of your self confidence and a positive self image. Many people don't like to talk about the problem if they have the condition. But when they do show up, you need to find out as much as you can about the causes and about how to get rid of stretch marks.

When your skin is stretched beyond its limits, such as during pregnancy or periods of excessive weight gain or loss, it loses its elasticity and becomes damaged. Your skin's middle layer, or dermis, is where the damage happens. The damage, however, appears on the top skin layer, which is where you actually see the stretch marks.

Studies have shown that the processes involved in the formation of stretch marks will also lead to the expansion of your capillaries. This leads to stretch marks that are frequently purple or red. At the beginning, they are often purple. Over time they fade and can often become white.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of stretch marks is to use a specially formulated . The ingredients of these creams include moisturizers such as lanolin, cocoa butter and Vitamin E, or beneficial oils such as lavender and olive oil. AHA and Vitamin A are common ingredients in the more advanced stretch mark cream formulations.

These products work to improve your skin's flexibility as well as regenerating skin cells. Most of these products are considered to be quite effective at lessening the scars, particularly creams containing cocoa butter.

One other easy to use product for getting rid of stretch marks is vitamin E oil, particularly when it comes to stretch marks caused by pregnancy. Vitamin E oil is effective at keeping your skin taut and firm, even when pregnant.

When you're trying to select the stretch mark removal cream that will work best for you, there are lots of choices, quite of few of which you can get without a prescription at your local store. Many highly effective stretch mark creams can also be purchased online.

You can also try various methods including surgery, dermabrasion or laser treatments to eliminate those unsightly stretch marks. You might think that undergoing a surgical procedure to get rid of stretch marks is somewhat drastic, but the truth of the matter is that it's still one of the most effective means of managing the problem.