Stretch Marks On Breasts: Causes & Natural Remedies To Get Rid of it

Stretch marks on breasts are a common complaint in women. Stretch marks occur at many other locations too and can affect both men and women alike. There are many reasons for stretch marks and many ways of treating them too. This article deals with stretch marks on breasts in detail, along with its causes and natural remedies to cure. Stretch marks can occur due to many reasons like body building, pregnancy, and the like. Some stretch marks go away by applying lotions and creams but some stretch marks are so deep that they never go away. The main reason behind development of stretch marks is tearing of the skin meaning that the skin is stretched excessively which leaves a mark behind either because of a growth spurt or weight loss or gain at an incredibly fast rate.^[1] Stretch marks may occur on any area where there is a buildup of fat. Some of the common areas where stretch marks can be seen are belly, hips, thighs, breasts, arms, and lower back. ^[2]

Breasts are a common area of stretch marks, particularly in women. The stretch marks on breasts can be caused due to a sudden growth in size and volume of the breasts. This can be seen commonly during pregnancy when the breasts start to fill up with milk and there is an increase in the size and volume of the breasts. The stretch marks appear on the lower and the upper side of the breasts.^[3]

Some of the potential causes for stretch marks on the breasts are:

• Weight Changes – Weight changes are one of the most common causes of stretch marks on breasts. When women gain or lose weight rapidly. Breasts store a lot of fat and any loss or gain of weight affects this storage of fats and can cause stretch marks on breasts. Because of sudden fluctuation in weight, the skin on the breasts begins to stretch and once they get stretched beyond their normal elasticity, stretch marks develop. This is mostly seen in people with certain medical conditions like cancer where there is a sudden weight loss and other conditions like a metabolic disorder. People who adhere to unhealthy means to lose weight also tend to have stretch marks on the breasts.
• Natural Growth – Natural growth is one of the causes of stretch marks on breasts. This is more commonly seen in girls in their teens. This happens due to a growth spurts where the size and volume of the breasts increase rapidly. When young girls reach puberty and their breasts start to grow quickly, some girls may experience stretch marks on breasts.
• Pregnancy – One of the commonest of stretch marks on breasts is pregnancy related breast changes. During pregnancy as the breasts start to fill up with milk, the size and volume of the breasts start to increase rapidly. This causes the skin of the breasts to stretch more than its capacity resulting in stretch marks on breasts. At times, many women experience growth in breast size immediately after childbirth.
• Genetic Issues – People have different genes. No two people have same genetic build up in their bodies. It makes their bodies react differently based on their genes. It can make some women to have more stretch marks on breast than others. The effect of weight issues or pregnancy will show more in them in comparison to others. For such people even the recuperation of skin after an injury might lead to stretch marks. Genetics and ethnicity both can influence the causes of stretch marks on breasts.^[4]
• Medical Conditions – Certain disease conditions like Cushing’s syndrome tends to cause stretch marks on the breasts. At times, stretch marks are caused because of adverse effects of medications.^[5]

There are a lot of creams and lotions, which claim to treat stretch marks, although they may not be the actual cure for stretch marks on the breasts. It is important to understand here that stretch marks in and of itself very difficult to get away with. They can be controlled to a certain extent and the creams can hide them for some time but the fact is that they are still present. Laser treatments are also a popular form of treatment but they also tend to lighten the marks but not completely eradicate them. Many people prefer to use natural remedies to cure stretch marks on breasts, which can lighten the affected areas and give them a healthy look naturally. Some of the effective natural remedies to cure stretch marks on breasts include

• Scrubbing of the affected area for exfoliation followed by massaging is recommended. Cocoa butter, shea butter, olive or coconut oil can be used for massaging.
• Lemon, turmeric and egg white mask can be applied on the breasts to cut down the prominence of stretch marks on breasts. These are the best natural remedies to cure stretch marks on breasts.
• Application of aloe vera gel is popularly used as natural remedy to cure stretch marks on breasts.
• Rubbing a slice of potato or applying potato juice is a good natural way to control stretch marks on breasts.
• A mixture of raw sugar, almond oil, and lemon juice works as a good exfoliator and act as natural remedies to cure stretch marks on breasts.
• A paste made of lemon juice and cucumber also does wonders on stretch marks on breasts.
• A mixture of cocoa butter with wheat germ oil is also recommended for stretch marks on breasts.^[6]

Even if in certain cases like pregnancy, stretch marks on breasts cannot be avoided there are certain measures that can be taken to prevent them from being too much prominent. Some of the effective ways to prevent stretch marks on breasts include the following.

• The collagen present in skin is responsible for elasticity. To ensure proper elasticity of skin women should keep the skin moisturized always. It will help the skin to accommodate itself to rapid increase or decrease and prevent or at least lessen stretch marks on breasts.
• Taking skin nourishing diets can help in preventing stretch marks on breasts to some extent. A diet rich in vitamin A & vitamin E with omega 3 should be consumed as much as possible. Foods rich in antioxidants can also help. Women should consume fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, walnut, fish and fish oil in their diet.
• Drink plenty of water to keep the cells plump and the skin moisturized and fresh. It will make skin healthy. Women should drink at least 8 glass of water along with herbal tea. Eating fruits and vegetables with water content like cucumber, tomato watermelon, etc. can also help in lessening stretch marks on breasts. These also acts as natural remedies to prevent stretch marks on breasts.
• Exercising is another great way to increase elasticity of the skin. Stretching exercises can also help. It also leads to blood circulation and detoxification of skin. It makes skin healthy. Exercises will also help in maintaining proper weight and eliminate any stretch marks at budding stage itself. Yoga, Pilates, and other low-impact exercises are useful in preventing stretch marks on breasts.^[7]

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