Stretch marks are a common problems for many people, especially for
women after pregnancy. They appear when the connective tissue in the
dermis (middle layer of skin) gets stretched beyond its normal limits
due to rapid expansion or contraction of the skin. This can happen as a
result of a number of things like rapid weight gain or weight loss, post
pregnancy, prolonged use of some medications and so on. As a result of
the skin stretching the collagen production gets disrupted and when
these weakened collagen fibers don’t align properly we end up with fine
scars that appear under the top layer of the skin.
There are a number of natural remedies for this condition but the most effective one is lemon juice. It’s rich in vitamin C, fatty acids and citric acid which help in exfoliation of the dead skin cells and aid the healing and elimination of stretch marks as well as other skin injuries, acne and scars. Even though lemons are acidic they have enough moisture to hydrate the skin and are also excellent skin-whitening agents. They contain anti-bacterial properties which relieve skin-related eruptions.
Using lemons to eliminate stretch marks is very simple. Just cut a lemon in half and rub the affected skin with it. Squeeze the lemon slightly to release the juice onto the stretch marks, and apply it using a circular motion. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water. Repeat the procedure twice a day for a month and you’ll notice the stretch marks disappearing completely.
You can also use lemon in a combination with cucumbers (equal parts lemon juice and cucumber juice), or extra virgin oil as well as mixing a few drops of lemon juice in some honey.