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.

Women are generally more prone to forming these marks as they are subjected to more changes in their body during their lifetime. One such time is during pregnancy, where an extreme change in the body occurs. In addition to this, the hormonal changes that occur in a woman's body can also contribute to forming these marks.

But men can also develop these marks. Although men do not get pregnant so they wouldn't have to undergo drastic changes in their bodies, and they are also subjected to fewer variations in their hormone levels, there are still other situations as to when they can develop these scars. Aside from excessive eating and increase in weight, body building which leads to sudden increase in mass can also lead to extreme stretching of the skin.

As the saying goes, 'an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.' This also applies in this situation. Preventing these scars from forming is better than having to deal with them when they are already present. Unfortunately, it is very hard to prevent these marks from forming especially when these were formed during puberty and you were still not conscious about your body.

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.

As for existing marks, there are a lot of ways as to how to eliminate them. The most expensive treatments such as laser and microdermabrasion are usually the most effective. But other methods can also be tried such as home remedies and scar removal creams wherein the color and texture of these scars can be lightened so that they appear to be invisible.

The best way to avoid these stretch marks is by preventing them from forming. Unfortunately, this is very hard to do as some may still form no matter how much prevention you do. In these cases, you may resort to scar removal techniques so that you can regain your flawless looking skin.

Learn more about how do you get rid of stretch marks. Visit Jen Hopkins's site, www.SecretsToGetRidOfStretchmarks.com, where you can find out all about how to get rid of stretch marks and other valuable information about the topic.