Does cocoa butter help with stretch marks

The tips and tricks that you may have heard on how to treat Stretch Marks might be a little bit of a stretch.

Stretch marks are a type of scarring. When your skin contracts or stretches rapidly, the collagen and elasticity break. Although beauty enthusiasts have claimed for years that cocoa butter can reduce and even prevent stretchmarks, dermatologist John Anthony, MD, says there is no evidence to support this claim.

What to do instead of cocoa butter, the anti-stretch marks savior that you have been told about.

Can cocoa butter reduce stretch marks?

Dr. Anthony states that cocoa butter does not prevent stretch marks or even reduce their appearance.

Cocoa butter, also known as theobroma (cocoa) oil, is a yellowish oil that comes from roasted cocoa beans. Theobroma oil has been marketed as a natural way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but it does not work. In tests, cocoa oil did not perform better (or worse than placebos.

Cocoa butter can be used on the skin with no worries unless you are allergic to it. It is high in fatty acids and can keep your skin moisturized. You will also feel a bit luxurious. Don’t expect it to eliminate stretch marks.

What other butters, oils, or creams are there?

Many people believe that other natural products, such as olive oil and shea butter, can also help to reduce stretch marks. Unfortunately, none of these products actually work on stretch marks. Shea Butter does have many other benefits for skin and hair.

Almond oil used to be thought of as a way to reduce stretch marks in pregnancy. However, later research revealed that it may lead to premature birth.

Dr. Anthony states that “some of these products have not been well studied as to their use during pregnancy.” Dr. Anthony warns, “Talk to your doctor before using any botanical creams.”

Stretch marks: Other treatment options

Only tretinoin has been shown to be effective in treating stretch marks.

Dr. Anthony says that retinols like Retin A(r) are the most common treatment for stretchmarks, particularly when they are in their early stages. However, they should not be used while pregnant.

Stretch marks can be treated in other ways.

Glycolic Acid Creams: Glycolic acids are exfoliants, meaning they help your skin shed the outer layer of its skin and renew its surface.
Chemical Peels: Glycolic Acid peels and TCA peels are chemical peels that may help to diminish the appearance of stretch marks but are usually not enough to make a difference.
Laser treatment: Dermatologists may try to treat stretch marks using different types of laser treatments, but these are often expensive and are not covered by insurance. They can also cause discoloration for people with darker skin.

What to avoid when treating stretch marks

You should avoid tanning if you want to remove stretch marks.

Dr. Anthony says that some people try tanning to hide their stretch marks. This is something doctors do not recommend — for stretch marks or in general. Exposure to the sun can be harmful to your skin and also affect scars.

He explains that “normal scars can cause pigmentary issues if exposed to the sun.” It’s not known if stretch marks can cause pigmentary problems, but they compromise the skin. I always recommend sunscreen.

If you want to camouflage them, sunless self-tanner can provide temporary camouflage. It’s also much safer for your skin than a real tan. You can use sunless self-tanner to hide them temporarily. It’s safer for your skin.

Stretch marks will they disappear?

It’s normal to have stretch marks. You can’t do much to prevent them. The only thing you can do is keep your skin moisturized (which you should be doing anyway, whether or not you are worried about stretchmarks).

Stretch marks are also not something that can be predicted. Most likely, they’ll appear when you experience rapid weight gain or loss, such as during pregnancy, growth spurts, or bodybuilding.

Dr. Anthony says, “We, don’t understand why some women get Stretch Marks during Pregnancy while others don’t. But we do know that young people and those with significant weight gain are more likely to get them.”

While you might not be able to prevent stretch marks from appearing, you don’t have to live with them forever.