Similar to scars and other blemishes on the skin, stretch marks are feared by most women since the do no want to see any imperfections on their skin. But unlike scars which can be easily prevented by avoiding situations where one can be exposed to physical damage to the skin, stretch marks are very hard to avoid and prevent. This is because they usually arise as natural by-products of the natural processes in life.

One of the first causes of stretch marks is growing up during puberty. During this stage in life, the body grows very fast that sometimes, the skin is not able to keep up with its growth. When one grows too large due to excessive eating, or when women get pregnant, the skin may also stretch past its limits which cause these marks to appear.

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 all problems, situations and sicknesses, it is always better to prevent them from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, this is a different case as it is very hard to prevent the formation of stretch marks. Most people would not be conscious about their bodies during puberty thus marks formed at this time in life are rather unavoidable.

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.

Preventing stretch marks from forming is always the better way to go so that you won't have to deal with them. But for unavoidable cases, there are also many procedures and techniques that you can try to get rid of these blemishes on your skin.