Best Stretch Mark Removal Creams of 2012

It's no secret that stretch marks can be very embarrassing and make us feel self-conscious - especially when we wear our favorite swimsuit or take off our clothes. These scars vary in severity, but they all have one thing in common - they are unsightly, and nothing seems to get rid of them!

Stretch marks are generally caused by weight fluctuations due to fast weight gain or pregnancy. There are dozens of so called stretch mark removal remedies and products available on the internet - but if you've experimented with any of them, then you probably already know that most of them simply don't work. The main problem is that most stretch mark creams and remedies only treat the surface of the skin - while deep scars primarly lie deep within the skin at the epidermis layer.

Can Topical Creams Really Repair Stretch Marks?

This is a common question among many women (and even men), and the answer to that is both Yes and No. Many stretch mark removal products available on the market don't contain the necessary ingredients to help reduce the appearance of scars, or they don't contain a large enough quantity of the key ingredients to become effective. In order for a cream to help reduce stretch marks, it needs the right ingredients to treat the root source of the problem at the epidermis layer of the skin, rather than just treating the surface layer.

Key Ingredients That Help Remove Stretch Marks:

• Regestril - This little ingredient is rarely used in many common stretch mark creams, despite showing more than a 70% improvement in the appearance of stretch marks in just a short time. Registril makes the skin thicker, healthier, and stronger.
• Pro-Coll-One+ - This substance has the ability to increase the collagen in healthy human friboblasts by as much as 1190%! In other words, it helps heal and smooth out the skin.
• Pro-Svetyl - This ingredient is rarely contained in any stretch mark creams, but it works extremely well nonetheless. Pro-Svetyl has been clinically proven to reduce acne scarring, although it's skin regeneration effects are also very helpful for getting rid of stretch marks as well.

Which Stretch Mark Products Work Best?

Our editors have reviewed over a dozen different stretch mark removal creams in order to figure out which products contain the necessary ingredients to reduce scarring, and find out which products are nothing more than marketing hype and false promises. Below you will find a side-by-side comparison chart for the most popular stretch mark brands on the market, as well as a brief review of our top 2 recommended products.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are certainly an issue that many of us have become familiar with, and it seems more and more men and women are suffering from their affects with each passing year. However, with that said, many of us still don’t really understand what stretch marks are or what causes them. Well, let’s change that right now.

Stretch marks themselves are formally referred to as “striae” or “striae distensae”, and they typically appear on the skin after rapid weight loss or rapid weight gain. While they are most commonly seen during pregnancy or thanks to the effects of puberty, stretch marks can also be caused by obesity, weight lifting, growth spurts of any kind, or even surgery.

Stretch marks now affect up to 90% of all women in some form or another. Thankfully this has led to more and more research on the matter and the creation of treatments and products that can treat and remedy stretch marks like nothing we would have seen years ago.

Stretch Mark Treatment Procedures

While there are a number of stretch mark treatment methods that appear to be available today, not many of them actually work very well at all. Let’s take a quick look at the options available, and help you determine which may be the most ideal for you. (Keep in mind, as with most issues, the effectiveness of any one treatment depends largely on your overall age, your diet, your skin tone, and the severity of the issue)

Stretch Mark Creams

The consensus among skin care experts is that stretch mark creams are the most commonly ideal way to prevent and get rid of stretch marks. The key is finding the stretch mark creams that are proven, reputable, and made with high quality ingredients.

When you consider the affordability of stretch mark creams when compared to other treatments, and the fact that scar removal creams are pretty much the only way to prevent stretch marks from appearing in the first place, it is easy to see why this is the most popular treatment available today by far.

Laser Stretch Mark Removal

Laser stretch mark removal has really increased in popularity over the years, as the process has been improved and refined. Unfortunately the major drawback with this stretch mark treatment is the massive price tag that comes with it. In addition to a high price tag, laser removal also comes with a wide variety of potential risks and drawbacks that might discourage many people from going this route.

Stretch Mark Surgery

The process of having surgery to treat stretch marks is a concept that really doesn’t make much sense when you get down to it. Not only is the cost of surgery incredibly expensive, it is not guaranteed to work, and could come along with side effects that were much worse than the original stretch marks in the first place.

Our Recommendation

The safest and most inexpensive way to get rid of stretch mark scars is to use topical creams and lotions that contain the necessary ingredients to increase your skin's production of elastin and collagen. The problem has always been separating effective stretch mark removal creams from low-quality serums or remedies that barely work. Thankfully, we've done all the homework for you. Good luck in your journey, and hopefully you've found our advice and product ratings useful in determining which method is best for your current situation.