How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks Using Emu Oil

As the body’s largest organ, the skin has the incredible ability to expand and contract as needed.

Yet despite its strength and elasticity, the skin’s supporting tissues get damaged if they stretch too far or too fast.

This rapid expansion of the skin results in all-too-familiar stretch marks.

In fact, up to 90% of women get stretch marks during pregnancy — although they can show up in people of nearly all ages and skin types.

Luckily, a moisturizer like emu oil that penetrates the skin deeply slowly helps to get rid of stretch marks.

Now let’s dive deeper into everything stretch marks.

Stretch Marks 101

Also known as striae distensae, a stretch mark is a scar that develops when the skin stretches or shrinks quickly.

How?

This sudden change causes the collagen and elastin to rupture, so as the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.

Stretch marks initially look red, purple, pink, reddish-brown, or dark brown, depending on your complexion. Early stretch marks may feel slightly raised and can be itchy.

With time, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath your skin. If you run your finger over a mature stretch mark, you often feel a slight depression.

Causes of Stretch Marks

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the skin’s fibers become soft and stretch to make room for the growing baby. Thus stretch marks appear on the tummy, thighs, and breasts due to the continual tugging and stretching.

Puberty

During puberty, teens undergo sudden growth spurts and may either rapidly gain or lose weight. This sudden stretching and contracting of the skin results in stretch marks on the hips, thighs, and breasts.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroid products used to treat skin conditions like eczema can also cause stretch marks by reducing your skin’s collagen levels. This makes it difficult for the skin to stretch and makes you prone to developing stretch marks.

Health Conditions

Rare health conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, and other adrenal gland disorders may cause stretch marks.

With Cushing’s syndrome, the body overproduces the hormone cortisol, resulting in the formation of stretch marks.

Meanwhile, Marfan syndrome results from a faulty gene that weakens the body's skin and connective tissues. This reduction in elasticity makes the body more prone to developing stretch marks.

Body Building

For weight training enthusiasts, rapid growth in muscle mass and misuse of anabolic steroids to accelerate muscle growth may cause stretch marks to appear.

This group often includes people suffering from a behavioral syndrome called muscle dysmorphia where they have an exaggerated belief that their own body is too small, too skinny, or not muscular enough.

However, in most cases, the individual's build is normal or even exceptionally large.

Stretch Mark Treatments

There are treatments performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons that offer hope for reducing the appearance of stretch marks.

Although not all the available options work for everyone, many find success with some of the following treatments.

Retin-A

In one early study, a cream containing 0.1 percent tretinoin cream appeared to diminish early stretch marks.

How does this work?

Tretinoin penetrates through the upper layer of skin and rebuilds collagen, which explains its ability to improve stretch marks for some people.

Only available by prescription, tretinoin’s benefits appear to work best on new stretch marks. But once the stretch marks fade to white or silver, it may no longer be beneficial.

Note: This form of treatment is not suitable for pregnant women.

Laser Treatment or Light Therapy

Laser therapy is one of the latest treatments that appear to be effective in making stretch marks less noticeable.

How so?

Pulsed dye lasers and intense pulsed light can improve the appearance of stretch marks and increase collagen production over time.

Note: Only a plastic, cosmetic, or skin surgeon should carry out these procedures.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) recommends laser or light therapy for significant improvement in the appearance of stretch marks.

Platelet-Rich Plasma With Ultrasound

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is popular because it revives skin and increases the production of collagen.

PRP therapy uses platelet-rich plasma taken from the person’s own blood before the procedure.

A study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy suggests PRP therapy coupled with an ultrasound device may be a sound treatment for making stretch marks less noticeable.

In fact, over 70 percent of participants in the study reported “good” or “very good” improvement in their appearance.

Plastic Surgery

Procedures like tummy tucks and thigh lifts work by removing excess skin and tightening the remaining skin and tissue.

A doctor or healthcare professional may recommend this procedure for people who have sagging skin due to weight loss or pregnancy.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most suitable candidate for this procedure:

• Maintains a stable weight and good health.
• Does not smoke.
• Has realistic expectations about what the surgery can do.

Although these procedures aren’t specifically designed to remove stretch marks, the removal of excess skin from the body may lead to fewer stretch marks.

Alternative Home Remedies

Certain store-bought creams, oils, and other topical skin products claim to reduce or even prevent stretch marks.

Some of the most popular ingredients include cocoa butter, olive oil, and almond oil.

Despite the claims on the bottle, no over-the-counter cream or oil has been proven to help prevent or treat stretch marks.

This is because stretch marks occur in the skin’s deep dermal layer, where most ointments cannot reach.

Yes, stretch mark creams may not prove to be the foolproof treatments of your fantasies — but proper skincare can help your skin look and feel its best.

The number one way to achieve this is to keep your skin moisturized from the inside and out; this is where emu oil shines brightest.

Made from the fatty tissue of the flightless bird called emu, emu oil comprises polyunsaturated fatty acids that deeply penetrate the skin.

In fact, in a study on using emu products as alternative medicine, researchers noticed a remarkable reduction in inflammation in subjects with carrageenan-induced arthritis.

Therefore, they concluded that emu oil’s skin permeation properties can be exploited to enhance the delivery of drugs through the skin.

“This oil is gorgeous and absorbs beautifully. So deeply moisturizing. This and Squalane are all I need. I also love that emu oil is a highly effective penetration enhancer. Everything that I apply underneath penetrates better. Tried it on our  lips!! I have no desire to try different emu oil. I also find this affordable given the quality. ❤️” - Labella1985

We recommend you moisturize your skin with emu oil or emu oil cream twice daily to optimize skin elasticity and strength. This way, your skin is less likely to tear when stretched.

Bottom line: The answer to preventing stretch marks or scars is to keep the skin hydrated.

Emu oil moisturizes the skin and improves or prevents damaged skin and scars. It can also be used on new or old scars and stretch marks to help reduce their appearance.

How Do I Permanently Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

Here’s what Dr. Debra Rose Wilson has to say about this,

“There may be many effective ways to prevent stretch marks, but to date, there is no research to support these methods. It makes sense to keep the skin hydrated and moisturized to allow top layers to stretch and respond to sudden growth and stretching. Eating well will give the skin cells immediate access to nutrients and healing at the first sign of stretching trauma. If there is no risk to a home remedy for preventing stretch marks, such as using sunscreen and extra moisturizing, I encourage you to use these. They can’t hurt, and someday there might be some research to support their use.”

Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT

You heard the doctor; moisturizing is one of the most promising home remedies to fade stretch marks.

And we’ve got the perfect moisturizer for you.

Amazon | Emu Oil

“This Emu oil is premium quality! It has no scent and looks milky, but on the thicker side like it should be. It goes on smoothly, feels silky and penetrates into the skin leaving it hydrated without feeling too oily. I'm using it on little stretch marks on my side from having my baby. No results yet, but I've only been using it for a few days. It does definitely keep them moisturized and not itchy. I had with pimple that was red and inflamed and after 2 uses it was noticeably less red. Definitely recommend!” - Marie