If you’ve had it up to your neck dealing with the stretch marks on your body, you’re likely thinking of taking some drastic measures. Perhaps you have tried almost everything, including using stretch mark removal creams promoted over the Internet. There are literally lots of companies vying for your business, and it is not surprising to see vying products created by the same maker being touted aggressively by hundreds of resellers.

You have a lot of choices when it comes to stretch mark creams. The question is how can you be sure if a stretch marks cream is the real thing? Before you take hold of one or some stretch mark creams off the shelf, like the popular Tri Lastin Stretch Mark Cream, and head for the cashier, pause for a second. Below are 5 indicators that the stretchmark creams are not going to do anything to solve your problem.

1. The maker makes claims that are founded only on studies they have paid for. Results of such studies have not been reviewed by the FDA, an independent research lab or credible third parties like expert physicians.

2. There is only one study adding support to the claims referring to the stretch mark cream’s effectiveness.

3. The cream for stretch mark is being sold on a web site where an invitation for people to become a reseller is very evident.

4. Claims that are just too good to be true, such as “Stretch marks and skin spots vanish each time you put on this cream!” or “Stretch marks are gone in just seconds!”

5. Finally, a stretch mark cream is not going to reduce stretch marks for you if its manufacturer or marketers make use of medical facts that are extremely complicated so hardly anyone can understand them and then using those facts to support their claims when it comes  to cures for stretch marks.

Do you already have a stretch mark cream you’re using? If so, what made you purchase it? Relate it to the 5 indicators enumerated above. Perhaps there were fantastic claims made about it or the results of the studies on its effectiveness were not evaluated by the FDA or an independent research lab. This is an indication that the cream isn’t the real thing. Which is why up until now, there aren’t any marked improvements on your stretch marks.

Avoid falling for shady products, such as stretch mark creams and lotions, even if they come with a money-back guarantee. In many cases, a long paragraph in fine print accompanies these money-back guarantees, which is  there to protect the manufacturers against losses when customers return the products.