When Age Weathers the Skin: Tackling Stretch Marks in Advanced Age

It is quite obvious that as a person ages, the skin ages as well. Sometimes, a person feels twenty but the skin shows the real, biological age. Some people of advanced age simply give up on their skin, especially with stretch marks. But does this have to be the case? Should we really sacrifice the beauty of the human skin as we get older?

The answer is a resounding no, because we can still combat stretch marks applying general principles of skin care. You might be surprised how the little things would catch up with us. Never take your skin for granted, because your skin would eventually show just how much you took it for granted. And sometimes when this finally happens, damage control would be that much harder to pull off.

No stretch marks at 40? 50? 60?

Before we head on to the specific problem of stretch marks, we have to assess whether our skin has really aged due to sun damage. If you loved basking in the sun for the past thirty years and you have never worn sunscreen until now, you can be sure that your skin has taken quite a lot of sun damage by now. Unfortunately, sun damage is permanent, and there is nothing really you can do about it.

What you can do now is to make sure that you don't weaken your skin any more than you already have. Always wear sunscreen, and if you are indeed of an advanced age, then you have to settle for the minimum of 15, as any higher SPF would probably cause allergic reactions.

Allergic reactions might lead to permanent allergies to certain chemical compounds- and the last thing you need is to develop allergies to the one thing that can shield you from the daily rays of the sun.

If you haven't been paying attention to what dermatologists have been trumpeting for the past few decades, then it's time that you be reminded of the age-old wisdom regarding moisture and skin: You need to moisturize and you need to get as much moisture on the skin as inside the body. Drink plenty of water and rub on moisturizers as often as you can to make your stretch marks less visible. Olive oil is actually a wonderful moisturizer massage oil, massaging your skin should also be part of your daily routine.

If your stretch marks are a few years old, then you can be sure that it would be harder to get rid of them now. But if you are willing to give it a shot, try pampering and massaging the affected areas with almond oil and lots of moisturizers. Try treating the areas also with the known facial chemical compound called Tretinoin.

You will see that the areas you have been treating will regain a measure of suppleness and that the stretch marks would eventually flatten out. Though people have different skin types, the skin will respond to massages and the rejuvenating oils. Just remember to do it regularly and the results will come in time.