What you need to know about your stretch marks

This is to all the superhumans who are tired of looking at stretch marks. There are some common misconceptions and unawareness regarding stretch marks which can frustrate us and be a hindrance to manage and accept them. Stretch marks typically do not go away but they can be managed. We know you have some questions and we’re covering all of it to help you manage your stretch marks and love yourself a little harder!

1.What are stretch marks?

Stretch marks or as scientific jargon calls them ‘striae distensae’, are those annoying streaks around your joints, breast, bum, stomach, and thighs. They are those annoying streaks that run across your skin and could be in any colour.

Before we get into colours, let’s understand how are stretch marks formed. It is mainly because your skin has lost elasticity in that region. You might wonder why skin loses elasticity. That depends on the degree of stress on the skin (sudden weight loss or gain), pregnancy, medical conditions like Cushing’s disease, puberty- when the body grows rapidly, and cortisol production in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that can mess with the elasticity and collagen of the skin.

 2.What are the types of stretch marks?

When the stretch marks are just about to form, they can be purple, blue, or red in colour, depending on your skin colour. When they are just starting to form, you might feel itchy in that region but otherwise, stretch marks are not harmful. These stretch marks are still treatable with the right ingredients and routine. How? Read till the end!

But then there is another type of stretch mark which can reduce overtime but are stubborn and needs a lot of work. As the stretch marks mature, they will turn white and could even form indentations on the skin which you can feel when you run your fingers over it. These stretch marks cannot just vanish. They will take a lot of time and energy and self-love to reduce.

Ugh, that’s just too much to handle. If you’re someone who already has stretch marks then we can relate to the emotional damage that it brings. But we know a few tricks to manage stretch marks. Let’s hear some more facts!

 3.How to manage stretch marks?

It is delusional to think that one can vanish the stretch marks. There are no creams, lotions, gels, or serums that can undo the stretch marks completely. However, you can still try to fade it or reduce it. Also, to reduce the stretch marks you need to be ridiculously consistent with the application of certain ingredients. According to the American Association of Dermatology(AAD), there are two ingredients that can provide relief to some extent when it comes to reducing stretch marks-

• Retinol
• Hyaluronic acid

We’re just going to swiftly plugin how our gentle cream- Bomb bum cream has both of them and even more to treat your skin. While it is scary for some to use Retinol on the skin, we know just how to give you that cushion of safety while using our cream. Our Bomb Bum cream has Retinol liposomes. Retinol is basically entrapped in a tiny vesicle with an aqueous centre and phospholipid membrane as the covering which mimics the skin cell’s membrane. Nerdy much? We simply mean to say that the Retinol liposomes are great to ensure that Retinol reaches the skin cells that need it the most and helps to boost the cell’s regeneration capacity.

This is not it, it also has Hyaluronic acid which is known to prevent water loss and attract moisture from the surroundings to the skin. Plump, moisturised skin is the easy way to reduce stretch marks. We have even gone the extra way and sprinkled some Shea, Mango, Cocoa butter, Panthenol, and Vitamin E to nourish and moisturise the skin.

With all of this, you need to ensure that you’re massaging your skin well to improve blood circulation in that region and hence help improve skin regeneration. That reminds us that we have also added Black crowberry extract and Siloxanetriol Alginate. They are both anti-cellulite agents and help smoothen the skin. It took us a while but we totally nailed Bomb Bum cream’s formulation and all of this is just to ensure that we are more confident in our skin.

 4.How long does it take to heal stretch marks?

We know you’re anxious. It can be stressful too. But every skin is scientifically and philosophically unique. If you’re consistent with a treatment method then you may end up treating it in a year or it may take a few too many years to reduce the stretch marks to great extent. The point is to accept them and aim to reduce them if it makes you happy.

Lovers mostly remember each other by beautifying each other’s flaws but then when it comes to self-love if working towards the body of your dreams makes you happy then you must.

 Written by Divya Salvi