75-90% of all pregnancies cause the women to develop stretch marks at one point or another during the pregnancy. Stretch marks are most common late during the pragnancy and the 6-7 months are the most critical.

Although pregnancy is a very common reason behind stretch marks, they can appear in any situation where the skin is subjected to rapid stretching. Quick muscle growth or rapid growth during puberty is two situation when stretch marks can occur. Another cause of stretch marks is weight gain when the skin has to stretch to give space for the fat.

Stretch marks, also known as striae, are actually a form of scarring on the skin and even though they may diminish with time they do not disappear completely. A lot of different stretch mark cream variants are available on the market, but be careful because manufacturers have a tendency to promise more than what they can deliver. One way of getting more unbiased advice is to use stretch mark cream reviews from different sources. If you want to find the best stretch mark cream you should always consider what type of cream you want, to you want one to prevent stretch mark or to treat existing stretch marks.

In addition to creams, laser treatments, dermabrasion and retinoids are also used to make existing stretch marks diminish. Dermabrasion is a cosmetic medical procedure where the surface of the epidermis is removed by sanding. Earlier dermabrasion used a small electric sander on the stretch marks but today methods using carbon dioxid or laser more are common. Newer techniques cause less discomfort and are easier to control than the classical dermabrasion.

Retinoids are chemically related to vitamin A and help regulate cell growth in humans. They affect cell proliferation and differentiation, immune function, and bone tissue growth, and play an important role in the activation of tumour suppressor genes. Retinoids are not just used for treating strech marks but also for treating skin lesions caused by Kaposis sarcoma.

Be careful when you use retinoids as a treatment for strechmarks as a prolonged high intake can cause sever side affects including but not limited to hair loss and even death.