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Step 1
Stay out of the sun. The sun's damaging rays can worsen the appearance of stretch marks. Wear a high-SPF sunscreen on your stretch marks whenever you go out in the sun.
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Step 2
Apply cocoa butter to the stretch marks. Cocoa butter has long been used as a natural means to treat stretch marks and scars. Since cocoa butter is highly moisturizing, it aids the skin's ability to heal.
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Step 3
Massage the stretch marks. This improves blood flow to the scarred skin, thereby speeding the healing process. Aim to massage your stretch marks for two to three minutes at least three times daily.
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Step 4
Use a scar treatment cream. Since stretch marks are essentially scars on the skin's surface, you can use any standard scar cream. Most over-the-counter creams contain onion extract, which has been shown to lighten scars over time. With diligent application, you can expect to see improvement in 8 to 12 weeks.
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Step 5
Get a prescription for a Retin-A cream. These topical treatments aid in skin-cell regeneration so new skin cells are produced more rapidly to replace the damaged skin cells. You must have a doctor's prescription to get Retin-A cream.
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Step 6
Consider chemical peels. A licensed practitioner applies chemicals to your stretch marks, which essentially burn the top layers of skin. Once the skin has healed, the stretch marks will be lighter and less noticeable. Generally, multiple peels are required to achieve desired results.
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Step 7
Talk to your dermatologist about laser resurfacing treatments. Laser light targets the stretch marks, effectively breaking up the pigmentation in the skin. In addition, the lasers encourage collagen production, making skin appear fresher and younger. Be aware that laser treatments are generally expensive and painful, and multiple treatments are usually required.
