There are certain periods in your life when your skin can be stretched beyond its capacity to expand. It can be a result of rapid weight gain or loss, including that which occurs during pregnancy. At some point your skin’s elasticity will reach its limits and will start to develop little rips. These will eventually become the scars known as stretch marks.

They’re quite difficult to eradicate. However, if you’ve decided you want to eliminate your stretch marks, you have a few choices to look into.

Many people simply go to the store to purchase a stretch mark cream. Often, they won’t go to the trouble of visiting a specialist to find out the various methods for treating their stretch marks. But if they did, they would realize that there are lots of options beyond a simple lotion or cream.

One means of helping you to eliminate those ugly lines is through a plastic surgery procedure. Another option is laser surgery, which can be performed without having to be admitted to a hospital or clinic. This is an effective way to get rid of stretch marks that doesn’t require a lot of recovery time.

However, a lot of people aren’t able to handle the high cost of treatments such as plastic surgery and laser surgery. They’re not cheap. For these people, lotions and creams are a considerably less costly approach to help get rid of stretch marks.

Stretch mark creams repair elastin, a fiber in your skin that helps keep your skin taut. They also encourage the production of collagen, which causes your skin to plump up. In the end, your stretch marks should be much less noticeable, if not invisible.

However, you must be prepared to experience some side effects, including red and swollen skin. Read the directions thoroughly before using these products, and don’t overdo the application. Otherwise you might end up with painful, irritated skin.

Stretch mark lotions and creams come in a wide assortment of formats and ingredients. There are those who swear by products that list emu oil or cocoa butter in their ingredients. Vitamins C and E are also common components of these products. You might find that these are less irritating to your skin than some other formulations.

It’s important that you be aware that each person responds differently to the various stretch mark removal treatments. Results are never 100 percent guaranteed with any  method.