Oftentimes, we mistake stretch marks for cellulite and vice versa. In some cases, people may think that they’re both the same thing. However, they are two different things as statistics reveal that about 90 per cent of women have cellulite while 80 per cent have stretch marks.
Both are harmless to your health but knowing the difference between stretch marks and cellulite can help you make an informed decision if you ever plan to undergo stretch marks and cellulite removal.
Moving forward, we’ll focus on the differences between stretch marks and cellulite along with the causes and recommended treatment for the two conditions.
Stretch Marks vs Cellulite
Stretch marks and cellulite are two different conditions that affect your skin’s appearance. Here’s how they differ:
Stretch marks often appear as thin, long lines which are red or purple. These narrow, long streaks will eventually fade into a lighter colour over time. They mostly develop on areas that are likely to stretch out if there’s a weight gain or loss, especially on the back, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, flank, and hips.
Cellulite, on the other hand, often appear as dents over layers of the skin, making it appear uneven. It’s most commonly found on lower parts of the body such as the thighs, hips, and buttocks.
The appearance of stretch marks or cellulite can make you feel extremely self-conscious about your body but finding out the reasons behind their development may help you understand your body better.
Causes of Stretch Marks and Cellulite
While the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks are unpleasant to the eyes, there are reasons for their appearances on our skin.
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks appear when your skin is stretched beyond its limits due to a variety of reasons such as extreme weight gain or loss. When this happens, your skin’s connective tissues can’t match up with the changes experienced by your body. Thus, causing damages and scars to form on your skin.
Cellulite
Cellulite, however, form on your skin as a result of the total opposite reason for stretch marks. They appear when cellulite forms inside the fatty layer that resides between the muscle and your skin. It further progresses into skin indentation as fat cells continue to grow and forces the skin outward, pulling on the muscles. So, anything that increases fat accumulation in your body will cause cellulite to appear.
Treatment for Stretch Marks and Cellulite
We’ve learned that stretch marks and cellulite are two different things and will require different treatments to remove them from your body. While it may be impossible to completely remove stretch marks and cellulite, some treatments work to make them appear less visible.
Stretch Marks Treatment
Bear in mind that stretch marks are scars that form on your skin due to extreme stretching or shrinking of your epidermis. Like most scars, they are permanent and can’t be removed. But you can make them appear less visible in several ways such as applying topical creams or undergoing an aesthetic procedure.
Cellulite Treatment
Similarly, you can treat cellulite using the same methods but be sure to avoid sudden weight loss as that can cause stretch marks to appear. Additionally, you can opt to apply retinol-based creams to rejuvenate your skin while minimising the dimpling of your cellulite.
Should these methods yield less effective results on your skin, you can opt for a laser treatment which works to break the tough bands beneath your skin and at the same time, thicken your skin to minimise the appearance of cellulite.
Now that you’ve learned about the difference between stretch marks and cellulite, you can now proceed on to the next step to treat your stretch marks and cellulite. Be sure to seek medical advice from the professionals in stretch marks removal , to better understand about stretch marks and cellulite treatment.
