Much has been made this week of Miranda Kerr’s seemingly miraculous return to form post-pregnancy. The model, who is married to actor Orlando Bloom, gave birth seven months ago to a 4.5kg baby boy. She appeared this week on the catwalk in Sydney, and most comments on her performance have centred on the fact that her body appears unchanged by pregnancy.
Most of us are not so lucky. While the model is apparently unaffected by stretch marks, Victoria Beckham has reportedly ordered £3 000 worth of anti-stretchmark cream following her last pregnancy, and the majority of women are the same.
Stretch marks are caused when the skin reaches its limits of elasticity. They commonly appear during pregnancy on the breasts, stomach (of course), arms and hips, although in severe cases the whole body can be affected.
These marks are a type of scar, and so once they are there, they will not disappear. They made fade in time, from the initial red to a silvery-white, but will not go completely. The most effective stretch mark treatment involves a combination of microdermabrasion and laser therapy.
The microdermabrasion exfoliates the skin, removing the damaged layers, while the laser therapy stimulates the production of collagen and new skin cells that will allow the skin to regenerate itself.
