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Think that you have been scratched by a jungle cat in your sleep? No, they are actually stretch marks! Heres how to hide the appearance of those little red lines.

Stretch marks are the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth or weight gain that overcomes the skins elasticity.

For those lucky enough not to have stretch marks and don’t know what they look like, stretch marks give the appearance of reddish, purple lines, that sort of look like cat scratches.

Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body, but are most likely to appear in places where larger amounts of fat are stored. Ie butt, tights and belly. Although stretch marks are generally associated with pregnancy and obesity, they can also develop during rapid muscle growth.

There are many creams and potions out on the market. Though cocoa butter is an effective moisturizer, no research studies have shown its ability to either prevent stretch marks, or to reduce their appearance once a stretch mark has already formed, so give the cocoa butter the flick. Instead, look for products that contain ingredients such as Centell asiatica extract, vitamin E, elastin, collagen, panthenol and hyaluronic acid to reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Fake tan is a great way to hide stretch marks. Stretch marks on pale skin is alot more noticeable than stretch marks on darker skin.

If all else fails and stretch marks are still getting you down, you can always opt for the mother of all treatments – laser. Using scattered pulses of light only a fraction of the scar is zapped by the laser over the course of several treatments. The body responds to each treatment by producing new collagen and epithelium. This is most expensive treatment, but the most effective, it beats any old cream in a jar.