Castor oil benefits for Stretch marks .

STRETCH MARKS:

Indented, reddened streaks that usually appear on the skin from rapid weight gain or from weight changes.

Stretch marks are common occurrences from adolescence through adulthood. Technically, these marks are scars. They happen when the skin is stretched out a lot in a short period of time. During the process, collagen in your skin ruptures, leaving behind stretch marks as it heals.

New stretch marks can be pink, red, or purple in color. They can eventually turn white or brown. Stretch marks often develop around the stomach, upper arms, and hips, but they can occur anywhere the skin is affected.

Hormones and genetics may dictate whether you’ll get stretch marks or not. These scars are commonly seen after:

• a growth spurt, especially during puberty
• significant muscle growth from weight training
• pregnancy
• significant weight loss or gain

Stretch marks are permanent, but they tend to fade on their own over time. The earlier you treat stretch marks, the less noticeable they may be. There is nothing proven yet to prevent stretch marks, but moisturizing stretching skin makes sense

Moisturizing the skin is crucial to fade and prevent stretch marks, and we know that vegetable oils are excellent skin moisturizers. However, out of all oils, people swear by using castor oil for stretch marks and claim it to be an excellent skin moisturizer.

While there is no scientific merit to the claim, there are a few reasons castor oil may help minimize the appearance of stretch marks. This article explains why castor oil may work for stretch marks and a few DIY ways to use it for your skin. Read on.

Castor oil may help reduce stretch marks due to the following reasons:

• Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, along with certain salts and esters. All these have a skin-conditioning effect and keep your skin moisturized (1).

• Castor oil prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). In rat studies, castor oil showed a “burst effect,” i.e., the membranes were swollen due to complete hydration and became permeable.

• Another study found that moisturizers could improve the symptoms of scars. Anatomically, stretch marks are like scars. Hence, proper moisturization and improved TEWL can help improve their appearance .

The moisturizing effect of castor oil can help improve scars. 

Culled from Stylecraze