Some Basic Information About Stretch Marks

What are stretch marks?

Stretch marks, or gravidarum, are a type of scarring. Stretch marks usually appear as a result of obesity, pregnancy, bodybuilding and even puberty. Stretch marks are caused when the skin is stretched beyond its natural elasticity. This disrupts the body’s normal production of collagen, which is a special protein that keeps the skin elastic. When collagen production is disrupted, the skin becomes less elastic and, therefore, more prone to stretch marks.

What do stretch marks look like?

Stretch marks are small, indented streaks that can be found throughout the skin. The streaks are more rough and uneven than the surrounding skin. When stretch marks first appear on women with light-colored skin, they are usually pink, reddish-brown or almost purple in color. In dark-colored women, stretch marks are usually very dark brown.

Over time, stretch marks generally fade and become lighter in color. In fact, stretch marks actually become lighter in color than the surrounding skin. Unfortunately, they never go away and, though the color may fade, the change in texture remains.

Since weight gain is the culprit for stretch marks, losing weight - whether from the birth of a child or from a change in diet – often causes the stretch marks to become less visible. This is because the skin returns to its original size, causing the indented streaks to contract and become less noticeable.

How does puberty affect stretch marks?

Most girls and boys going through puberty will develop stretch marks, though some will develop more than others. This is because pubescent children grow and gain weight rapidly as their bodies change.

For pubescent girls, stretch marks most often occur on the breasts, butt, hips, and thighs. While stretch marks are most common in girls, boys can also get them in their arms, legs, and other parts of their bodies as their bodies change and grow.

Does medication increase my chances of getting stretch marks?

People who use skin creams or ointments containing steroids, such as hydrocortisone, for a month or longer are more likely to develop stretch marks. Also, people who take high doses of oral corticosteroids for several months increase their chances of developing stretch marks.

Many pregnant women and mother’s consider their stretch marks “Badges of Honor.” Yet, if all women had this calm mind set we wouldn’t be seeing such a rise in cosmetic dermatology. In fact, every where you turn there are advertisements claiming to not only prevent stretch marks, but eliminate them altogether.

The reason that stretch mark elimination and reduction is such a strong market is because it does not just affect pregnant women and mothers. In fact, there are different types of stretch marks, or Striae. Commonly, stretch marks are caused by a rapid growth, such as with pregnancy. However, some cases are caused by the use of certain steroid creams, and even medical conditions can cause stretch marks.

Stretch marks occur when the skin stretches so fast that collagen is damaged. Basically stretch marks are a type of scar caused by damage to your stretched skin. When stretch marks first appear, they are red or purplish in color. This is a result of hyper pigmentation which is a higher number of pigments. These stretch marks are called striae rubra.

When stretch marks have matured, they are called striae alba. They usually become hypo pigmented meaning that they no longer contain pigment, the substances that give our skin color. As a result these types of stretch marks have a silvery appearance and will probably appear less noticeable than the striae rubra.

Stretch marks may also be striae atrophicans. Atrophy is a term used to describe a thinning of the skin. When stretch marks first occur as striae rubra the skin is commonly thin. As the stretch marks become striae alba, they tend to gain thickness and are no longer striae atrophicans.

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