Shea Butter for Stretch Marks
Stretch marks can be an awkward, stressful and embarrassing problem that many people have to deal with. The good news is there’s plenty you don’t have to be stuck with stretch marks forever. There’s plenty of things that you can do to reduce the appearance of stretch marks – but first, you’ll have to appreciate what stretch marks are and how they come about.
What are Stretch Marks Anyway?!
You don’t need to be told what stretch marks are because they are so common place! But knowing the science behind stretchmarks can help us to tackle stretch marks with a little more understanding.
Stretch marks, medically known as stria, are thin and long lines found on the skin, which start out red to purple in color and slowly turn silvery white to pale yellow with time. Stretch marks appear when the skin rapidly stretches, at a rate faster than which the skin can create extra cells to cope up with the expansion. When this expansion occurs, the dermis (middle layer of skin) tears, resulting in the inner layers of skin containing blood vessels and capillaries to show through. This process is often itchy, sometimes painful, and the affected skin is often dry and flaky.
Stretch marks usually fade over time, as the blood vessels underneath contract and the fat under the skin, which is pale yellow in color, shows through.
Why Do People Get Stretch Marks?
There are a few common reasons people get stretch marks. These include:
- Rapid weight gain or rapid weight loss
- Pregnancy
- Sudden growth spurts in children and teenagers
- Rare health conditions
- Misuse or overuse of certain medications
Is Shea Butter the Natural Solution for Stretch Marks?
There are many treatments available for stretch marks such as conventional stretch mark reducing creams, laser therapy and cosmetic surgery. The downside is conventional creams may containing unwanted toxic ingredients such as parabens and artificial fragrances, while treatments such as laser and cosmetic surgery are costly and come with severe side effects.
Shea Butter is one of the top ingredients, provided by nature, that has wonder qualities including stretch mark reducing abilities. It is completely natural, free of artificial toxic additions and is packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Extracted from the seeds of the African Karite tree, shea butter in its raw form is rich in Vitamins E, A and F, which together form a powerful combination of nutrients that protect the skin from UV damage, prevent premature aging of the skin, promote faster healing and regeneration of the skin, prevent stretch marks and scarring, reduce hyperpigmentation, even out skin tone, moisturize and hydrate skin and more!
Can Shea Butter Remove Stretch Marks?
As with all other treatments for removing stretch marks, there is no 100% guarantee that shea butter will completely alleviate your stretch marks. But one thing is for sure, shea butter makes a huge difference in improving the appearance of your stretch marks and using shea butter on stretchmarks gives amazing results, as compared to using nothing at all!
Shea butter provides intense moisturization to stretch mark affected skin which may be dry and itchy in the initial stages. This can be greatly soothing and relieving.
Shea butter when applied to stretching skin, like a pregnant lady’s belly, will provide more elasticity to the skin and help reduce the intensity of the stretch marks.
For stretchmarks that have already formed, continue using shea butter to help with faster fading of the stretch lines. Shea butter has antioxidants that help skin heal faster as well as help even out the skin tone.
Some Pointers about the Shea Butter you Need to Use
→ Firstly, make sure you are using the RIGHT shea butter; one that says 100% pure, raw shea butter. This is the one that has all the nutrients intact and provides the highest benefits.
→ Check the expiry date of your shea. The fresher, the better. Expired products may be rancid and harmful and may not work effectively.
→ Gently exfoliate the affected area before applying shea butter. This will ensure deeper penetration of the goodness of the butter.
The Right Way to APPLY Shea Butter for Stretch marks
- Begin by gently exfoliating the affected region with a mild exfoliant like oatmeal soap.
- With clean hands, rub some shea butter between your palms to melt the shea and make it easier to apply.
- In a firm circular motion, apply the shea onto the affected region, and continue massaging to stimulate the area and enable deeper sinking in of the butter.
- Apply 2 – 3 times per day, especially taking care to apply at nighttime because this is the time the skin undergoes regeneration and healing.
