This is one of the most common questions people have about stretch marks and for good reason. Most of us experience stretch marks at some point in our lives, typically during puberty, pregnancy, or a period of weight fluctuation. Stretch marks are also somewhat dependent on genetics, with some people being more prone to developing them than others.
The good news is that stretch marks are most visible when they first form. Stretch marks are actually scars, which means they are caused by physical damage to your skin. This damage usually appears as dark purple, red, or inflamed lines.
As with any scar, stretch marks are permanent, but their appearance will gradually lessen over time. When fully faded, stretch marks typically appear as faint silver or white lines on your skin. You can expect your stretch marks to fade in about 6-12 months. Proper skin care, hydration, and even a healthy diet can help enhance healing.
Is it true that coffee can reduce stretch marks?
This question has been bouncing around the internet for forever, with most sources entirely dismissing the idea that coffee can help reduce or repair stretch marks.
The most common way that people use coffee to address their stretch marks is not by drinking it. Rather, they apply coffee grounds to their skin along with olive oil in an exfoliating scrub.
While there are currently no significant scientific studies exploring this question, we do know that applying caffeine to your skin can help stimulate collagen production.
The coarseness of the coffee grounds will also work as a natural exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and encouraging cell turnover. Faster cell turnover and increased collagen production can both help stretch marks fade more quickly.
While both of these aspects lend some credibility to this at-home remedy, we’re not aware of any scientific evidence that proves the effectiveness of coffee as a stretch mark solution.
The bottom line? Until we see some real research to prove that a coffee scrub will heal stretch marks, we will keep our expectations low with this one.
How effective is honey for getting rid of stretch marks?
Honey doesn’t just taste amazing, it also has many medicinal benefits due to its bioactive nature, but can this sweet treat actually help reduce the appearance of stretch marks?
Honey has natural anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for thousands of years to treat infections. Science has proven that when applied to wounds, they are less likely to become infected and inflamed and heal more quickly. This results in smaller, less noticeable scars.
While honey will do little to reduce the appearance of existing stretch marks, this therapeutic effect can help heal new stretch marks.
That said, keeping your skin properly hydrated and moisturized during pregnancy or weight change is a far more effective way to help your skin keep up with the changes that your body is going through. A product like TriLASTIN Stretch Mark Prevention Cream is specifically designed for this purpose and is a far more effective way to treat stretch marks. You can also use it alongside TriLASTIN HT to open your pores for greater effectiveness and TriLASTIN Nourishing Body Oil to lock in hydration and speed up healing.
So, in an emergency honey can be a great, natural way to help any type of skin injury heal, but it’s definitely not the best option for stretch marks.