You step out of the shower one morning and you scream like Janet Leigh in "Psycho." You see your abs in the mirror...your lower abs. The stretch marks look like an alien creature's been burrowing into your stomach. However did this happen?

It doesn't take a mad scientific genius to see that stretch marks are damaged muscle fibers. For the curious, here's how it happens:

• The middle layer of skin, the dermis, is damaged and worn by ups and downs in weight and hormones.
• Fibers are stretched beyond their limits.
• Reddish lines appear like traces of blood
• The lines gradually fade and turn slightly silverfish
• Finally, the lines transform into stretch marks.

Here's the horrific part: You can never completely eliminate the damage. However, you can restore your skin's elasticity and you don't need to drink vampire blood to do it. Before you join the ranks of the undead (their faces, after all, never wrinkle), invest in skin care products such as Stretch Away or moisturizers for stretch mark treatment.

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