What Causes Stretch Marks?
Stretch Marks also known as striae will usually be found in those areas of your body where your skin is most likely to come under excessive tension – hence its name. This article will address what causes stretch marks.
These areas are the abdomen, breasts, arms, thighs, legs and hips. They are usually a purple reddish color and glossy in appearance. They pose no health risk but are often unsightly which can lead to a lack of self esteem and confidence.
Both men and women can be prone to stretch marks. Whether you will suffer from them are not cannot be known, but it is thought that genetics does play a part in it. So you can start by asking close family members.
The problem occurs in the middle layer of your skin, known as the dermis. This middle layer of skin is elastic and helps the surface layer regain its shape after it is stretched. Like a rubber band, if the dermis is suddenly placed under tension, parts of it are prone to tearing.
Pregnancy
The most recognised time when stretch marks can occur is during pregnancy. During the third trimester (6 months onwards), the rate of growth of the unborn baby increases at a much higher rate. This causes the Mother’s skin surrounding the womb area to literally tear and effectively cause stretch marks which is effectively scarring.
Sudden Changes in Weight
The second most common cause of Stretch Marks is sudden weight gain or weight loss. This can particularly happen in puberty where the hormones in your body are at their most imbalanced. For the same reasons as pregnancy, the skin is suddenly placed under excessive stress causing it to tear.
Diet
Poor diet can lead to sudden changes in weight which in turn can cause stretch marks.
Genetics
Genetics can determine who gets stretch marks or not. This basically means that when stretch marks commonly occur in your family, you are more likely to get them. One study I found says that around 90% of women will get stretch marks of some form.
Treatments
Treating these stretch marks can be as simple as applying one of the popular stretch mark creams. Prevention is the best strategy, so if you have just found out you are pregnant you might like to consider one of the creams I have reviewed on this website. Applying these creams or lotions to the abdomen or thighs, ideally as soon as they are noticed will help them fade and be less noticeable. Other treatments include moisturizers such as cocoa butter or shea butter, retinoids, dermabrasion, laser treatments, and surgical procedures like the tummy tuck have been used. Other products include vitamin C, peptide-containing products, wheat germ oil and glycolic acid.
Some creams I reviewed are more suitable for the prevention of Stretch Marks. If applied early on in the pregnancy and continuously, the skin is kept elastic making it less likely to tear during the later stages of pregnancy. One product I review is Trilastin, which has seen the best results for old stretch marks as it actively replaces the broken down collagen in the skin.
