Greetings I hope you are all doing well, this week I will tackle a topic which many will experience eventually; Stretch marks.
There are a lot of oils out there and medications and remedies touted as the cure for stretch marks however to be honest when can only reduce the appearance of stretch marks and not rid of them completely.
Here is a brief outline of what stretch marks are and how they are formed.
Your skin has three layers which are the Epidermis (outer layer), the Dermis (which is the middle layer) and the Hypodermic or Subcutaneous (the deepest layer).
Stretch marks form in the dermis layer when the connective tissue is “stretched” beyond the power of its flexibility due to rapid expansion or contraction of the skin.

• consuming protein, zinc and Vitamin C rich foods in abundance, green salad, milk, fish, nuts and citrus fruits help a lot in diminishing stretch marks.

According to www.top10 homeremedies.com; When your skin is stretched, collagen is weakened and its normal production cycle is interrupted and damaged.
This ultimately results in fine scars under the top layer of the skin. Initially the marks look pink or red, but over time a thin, silvery line appears on the skin surface and a stretch mark is formed.
This type of scarring happens when the skin cannot bounce back after pregnancy, weight gain, or extreme weight loss.
Homeremedyshop.com lists the following as also causing stretch marks ; The physical stretching of the skin at the end of pregnancy, extraordinary weight gain, specially on arms, thighs and the waist.
The use of certain medications, lotions, pills, Corticosteroid creams, and steroids causes stretch marks as does Adrenal gland diseases, Cushing’s syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Other causes are Genetic disorders, Muscle building, Hormonal changes during puberty and heredity causes.
There are many ways one can reduce the appearance of stretch marks .
The most important remedy is water because water hydrates your body in and out, it also carries nutrients and oxygen to all parts of your body. If you drink enough water (2 to 3 liters a day) your body is hydrated enough to Detox your skin pores.
Sugar is used as an exfoliant for skin so take a tablespoon of sugar, some drops of almond oil and add some lemon juice, mix and rub on stretch marks for 10 minutes and rinse off.
Potatoes and the juices they emit are actually really rich in minerals and vitamins and help promote skin cell growth.
Take a thick potato slice and rub it gently on the stretch marks then when juice is dried rinse off with Luke warm water.
According to homeremedyshop.com ; “Aloe vera is considered to be the most effective homeopathic remedy for stretch marks and various other skin problems. It is known for its healing and soothing properties. Apply aloe vera directly on the stretch marks. After a few minutes, clean it with lukewarm water.
Alternatively, take a one-fourth cup of aloe vera gel. Extract oil from 5 vitamin A capsules and 10 vitamin E capsules. Mix both the oils with aloe vera. Rub this mixture carefully on the affected area until it gets fully absorbed. For better results, apply this mix daily.”
Olive Oil is practically a magical oil extremely rich in antioxidants and nutrients, its used for hair on your face and for healing purposes it can be used for stretch marks.
Just warm the oil slightly by putting it in a bowl or little bowl and steeping that in hot water then rub directly on affected area, this will improve your blood circulation.
Lemons contain acid which is used to treat stretch marks, acne, skin injuries, and scars. All you need to do is squeeze some juice from lemons, then massage onto the affected area for about ten minutes in a circular motion, and then clean off with warm water.
You can also mix some cucumber juice with lemon juice and apply as above.
Homeremedyshop.com advises adopting the following practices; consuming protein, zinc and Vitamin C rich foods in abundance. Green salad, milk, fish, nuts and citrus fruits help a lot in diminishing stretch marks.
Doing  yoga (there are yoga centers in Lusaka such Kuthuta by Towani Clarke or check listings online for other cities) and other physical exercises on the regular basis.
Pregnant women should not use creams and solutions, prepared from chemicals. Instead of fading away stretch marks, they may result in skin damaging rashes.
Please don’t scratch the affected area and always keep your skin moisturised.
That’s it for this week, next week we tackle the remaining Stretch Mark Remedies.
Lets chat some more in my divadiarys@gmail.com mail box and on my blog divadiarys.blogspot.com, you can also follow me on twitter @Arushapot and on Facebook.
Have a beautifully healthy week and stay warm.