Stretch marks are also medically referred to as striae. These are a type of scarring of a person's skin which has a silvery and white hue to it. These stretch marks or striae can appear on any part of a person's body. These parts include the sides of one's stomach, the higher portion of a person's chest, the underside of one's belly, the centre line along one's thighs, the curve of one's posterior and the area near one's armpits. Normally stretch marks tend to appear or form in those areas of a person's body where the fat gets stored. Most often stretch marks are linked with people who are overweight or are obese.

Olive oil

These people are usually over eaters. But stretch marks do form for a variety of other reasons. Some if these other reasons include body building, pregnancy or any kind of intense, strict physical workout. These marks are usually the result of an increase in the level of glucocoticoids that are circulating and then enter one's bloodstream. These hormones are secreted by one's adrenal glands. This hormone secretion will increase when a woman gets pregnant. They also increase during puberty or when the person is following an intense exercise regime. However there are other people who can go through life and never suffer from these problems of stretch marks.

There are various ways to tackle this problem of stretch marks during pregnancy and post pregnancy. The main aim is to increase the skin's elasticity. The first step is to drink plenty of water and fluids in a day. A woman should be drinking at least 8 to 10 bottles of water. Drinking plenty of water helps in ensuring that the body's tissues get properly hydrated. It also helps in removing any toxins that might be there in a person's body. The woman should consciously try and eat a healthy and nutritious diet. This is a diet that mainly consists of nuts, fruits, vegetables, protein, fish and essential fatty acids. This will would also aid in the skin getting softer and tighter everyday. A woman can try applying some cocoa butter or even some emu oil on the areas where there are stretch marks visible. When rubbing in any oil or cream in the skin, one should massage the area as this helps in increasing the blood circulation to that area. Olive oil, castor oil, ground coffee, peanut butter, aloe vera are all great ingredients that can be rubbed into one's stretch marks to help to lighten them.