Too many women are confronted at some point by a double whammy: the development of cellulite on their thighs, hips or buttocks and stretch marks that occur as the result of pregnancy or weight loss. While the two conditions may not arise simultaneously, the decision to do something about both is a single occurrence driven by the desire to clean up troublesome skin problems.
Both are caused by damage in the same area of the skin, but they are not conditions that will respond to identical treatments. Stretch marks are the result of breaks in the connective tissue beneath the outer skin caused by stretching from pregnancy, from weight gain, or from rapid growth. Those breaks make their way to the surface and often result in scar tissue as well as discoloration from broken capillaries. Over time the discoloration dissipates with the growth of new tissue – the white scar tissue that most people associate with stretch marks.
Cellulite causes are also the body’s response to natural occurrences as well. There is a layer of fat beneath the surface skin that is held in place by connective tissue that is a network of strands. That connective tissue can loose its elasticity and harden, eventually resulting in the fat tissue pushing through the gaps between those strands. That creates the bumps that give cellulite its dimpled effect.
While there is no preventing either condition, there are anti cellulite creams that can reduce the prominence of cellulite skin. An effective program with cosmetic products will minimize the appearance of cellulite as long as treatment is continued. There are also laser cellulite treatments that can make the appearance of cellulite more subtle, but these treatments are also only a temporary fix without periodic repetition.
Laser treatment on stretch marks can significantly reduce the evidence of the scar, by generating the production of new tissue beneath it. Some salons will use chemical peels to try and remove the tissue left behind by stretch marks. There are also topical creams that use retinol or alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs) to generate new skin growth. However there is no treatment short of plastic surgery that will remove a stretch mark completely.