Ugh. Stretch marks.
No matter what I do, they never seem to go away.
I’ve learned to accept them as part of my body. I don’t hesitate to wear a bikini anymore. Let the world see them, I just want to have some fun.
But I’d be lying if I said I’m not hoping for someone to come up with a cure for stretch marks that really works.
Helix BioMedix Inc did just that. This company made a peptide called Heptapeptide-7 that promises to rid you of stretch marks. Is it too good to be true? Let’s see what the science says:
What’s Heptapeptide-7?
Hexapeptide-7 is a synthetic peptide made up of seven aminoacids, including asparagine, glycine, arginine, and isoleucine.
It’s specifically designed to mimic the “natural sequences found as part of the body’s own defense and repair system.“
In other words, if you can recreate the mechanism the body uses to repair itself, you can fix stretch marks, right?
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What Does Heptapeptide-7 Do?
Helix BioMedix Inc swear Heptapeptide-7 is a godsend for mature skin.
A 2010 study Helix BioMedix Inc did on 32 50-something women found that Heptapeptide-7 stimulated keratinocyte proliferation and migration and induced collagen synthesis. This reduced wrinkles on the forehead and improved the texture of the skin. How?
Keratinocytes are the predominant type of cell on the surface of your skin. Their job is to create a protective barrier against heat, bacteria, water loss, UV rays and other enemies of the skin.
Keranocytes play a role in wound healing, too. When skin is hurt, they travel to the wounded area and fill in the gaps. In then same way, they can fill in fine lines and wrinkles, making them look smaller. But this effect is only temporary.
Boosting collagen, on the other hand, prevents new wrinkles and sagginess. Plus, it’s supposed to reduce stretch marks as well. But, I couldn’t find any independent studies claiming Heptatapeptide-7 reduces stretch marks. Only Apothederm, a company owned by Helix BioMedix, makes this claim.
Me thinks I’ll be waiting for an independent source to confirm this before I invest in this peptide.
The Bottom Line
Hexapeptide-7 is a new promising ingredient that could help in the fight against wrinkles and stretch marks. That’s what the manufacturer says anyway. I’m waiting for independent studies to confirm this before slathering it all over my stretch marks.
