Can You Really Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

I'm always envious of people who have a child (or four) and can calmly claim that they have no stretch marks. None. I am not one of those people. My days of wearing revealing swimsuits are long past. They ended somewhere around the time I entered my seventh month of pregnancy with my first child.

I've heard so many "stretch mark prevention" tips that I could probably throw up a little in my mouth if I heard one more. Seriously, I don't care how much cocoa butter/shea butter/Palmers/belly butter/whatever you slather on your tummy - if you're going to get them, you're going to get them. Supposedly, they are genetic. Thanks, mom!

It's important to remember that stretch marks are literally scars, and can be treated as such. So while there may not be any magical cure or treatment to prevent them or get rid of them once you have them, I'm sure there is a way to minimize their appearance. Laser skin resurfacing comes to mind, and perhaps some day that will be high on my list of priorities. Until then, I came across a fantastic review of several products over at Total Beauty that discusses this very thing.

So, if your stretch marks are bothering you, and you can't afford the laser, maybe try a few of these. You never know - they might help you out.