The Myths about Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are a condition that a vast amount of people live with everyday. Though it is unsightly, it is completely harmless. Many people offer advice on how to prevent them, treat them, and other such matters, but they also spread myths about the scars we call stretch marks. Below are a few of the myths that are talked about the most.
The first myth is only pregnant women get stretch marks. It is true that 90% of pregnant women get stretch marks, but other people also develop stretch marks. Anyone who gains weight rapidly is susceptible to stretch marks, and this includes children going through puberty and weight lifters.
The second myth is only women get stretch marks. Men can also develop stretch marks as well as children. Men who do a great deal of weight lifting and build muscle quickly are particularly susceptible to developing them. Men who gain weight quickly for other reasons are also at risk of getting stretch marks.
The third myth is stretch marks go away once you lose the weight. Some stretch marks do fade away after you lose the weight you gained, but most have a tendency to hang around. Skin that has thinned and stretched to form stretch marks does not easily return to normal.
The fourth myth is you can't prevent stretch marks. There are ways to minimize your chances of developing stretch marks. Proper diet and nutrition top the prevention list. These help keep weight gain moderate and skin in a healthy state.
The fifth myth is only plastic surgery can treat stretch marks. There are many ways to treat stretch marks besides resigning yourself to plastic surgery. Chemical peels, laser therapy, and pulsed light therapy are just a few of your options.
The sixth myth is once you get stretch marks you just have to live with them. You can either opt to cover your stretch marks, treat them, or remove them. Many advances in technology have given us a greater number of options for dealing with unsightly stretch marks.
The seventh myth is stretch marks are expensive to treat. Some treatments such as plastic surgery can be quite costly, but there are other choices you can make to treat your stretch marks. Many lotions or creams can reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Chemical peels are also an alternative option.
The eighth myth is stretch marks aren't worth the time to treat. Even a slight reduction in the appearance of stretch marks is worth the time and effort to treat them. Any improvement is worth the investment of time.
The ninth myth is teenagers and young children don't get stretch marks. It is very common for teenagers and young children to develop stretch marks. These occur because of the rapid growth spurts that children undergo. The tenth myth is insurance will pay for stretch mark treatments. Unfortunately, most insurance companies consider stretch marks purely a cosmetic issue and thus do not cover any treatment or removal of stretch marks.
