Stretch mark, also known as striae by dermatologists, is a skin disorder produced by different kind of occurrences. However, the instance is the same; for a determined reason there is an overstretching of the skin. This interrupts the production of collagen, the protein that our body uses for connecting our tissue.

Drink plenty of water. Adequate hydration keeps your skin soft and less likely to develop stretch marks. Caffeine can increase your risk of stretch marks. If you're stuck on your caffeinated coffee or tea, make sure you balance the fluids. Drink just as much-or more-water as you drink coffee, tea, or soda. Stretch marks can also result from nutritional deficiency. Be sure to consume foods that promote skin health: foods rich in zinc, such as nuts or fish; foods high in vitamins A and C, such as carrots and citrus fruits and milk; protein-rich foods, such as eggs.

Stretch mark prevention will save you the trouble of getting rid of stretch marks once they've occurred. Stretch marks occur because the collagen and elastin that bind your skin are stressed during weight gain, resulting in tears in your skin's elastic fibers. Typically, on light-skinned women, stretch marks will appear red or pinkish. Darker-skinned women will notice that their stretch marks are lighter than the surrounding skin. They may appear on your abdomen, buttocks, breasts or thighs.

Use other creams if you prefer. Good examples include cocoa butter, mederma cream; Retin A cream (but only if you're not pregnant); Vitamins A, E, or K; caster oil; laser surgery, in extreme cases; and thiosinaminum, which is a chemical extracted from mustard seed oil.

Maintain healthy hydrated skin by drinking plenty of water. Hydrated skin remains soft, supple, and less likely to develop stretch marks. Caffeinated coffee, tea, and soda tend to dehydrate the skin leaving you more vulnerable to stretch marks. Eat foods that promote skin health such as foods high in zinc, vitamins A, C, and D, and protein rich foods.

Excessively rapid weight gain as found in pregnancy and bodybuilding or on the other hand excessive weight loss.

Shea butter is a great moisturizer to minimize the appearance of stretch marks. It softens and smoothes the skin. You can find it at a health food store or an ethnic market in your area.

Currently there is no way to actually repair damaged skin fibers, so one alternative to get rid of stretch marks is to remove them. This requires cosmetic surgery. During surgery, the skin is cut away; though in some instances, doctors cannot remove all of the damage. An added benefit of cosmetic surgery is the ability to pull the remaining skin taut. This will also improve the appearance of stretch marks.

Some creams are not effective in making your stretch marks disappear is because they cannot penetrate deep enough into the skin to repair the damage. Most customers are disappointed because they only relieve the itch caused the stretch marks. They could not prevent them from developing. However, there are a few creams in the market that get rid of stretch marks. They are effective because they contain active ingredients such as collagen, vitamin E, Retin A, and elastin.

Vitamin E oil is very popular massage oil during pregnancy to prevent stretch marks. These stretch marks creams and stretch mark oils have been specifically designed to keep your skin taut and firm during pregnancy. Vitamin E and cocoa butter can help because they add elasticity to your skin and help it to return to its natural condition. Vitamin E is useful both inside and outside of the body. When taken as a supplement it is a powerful antioxidant for protecting and healing the skin.