Medically known as striae gravidarum, stretch marks are caused by excessive stretching of the skin and by a loss of collagen and elastin in your skin. As you grow older, your body begins to slow down and lose it's ability to produce connective tissue. Without collagen and elastin, your skin cannot 'stretch out of' and 'go back into' place as easily.
Genetics, pregnancy, rapid weight gain, rapid weight loss, and puberty are the usual culprits of this condition. However, other things can cause them like growth spurts in adolescent boys and girls, changes in medications or the frequent use of steroids, lack of certain nutrients, depression or extreme unhappiness, and sudden changes in physical or environmental conditions.
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This is actually a recent picture of Cindy Crawford bearing the brunt of motherhood. Not exactly the Cindy we all know and love! Still, you have to admire her for not being afraid to have her photo taken! Good on her!
Teenagers regularly complain about the condition, and almost half of all expectant mothers will end up having them. Pregnant women may start to develop marks on the abdomen during the second half of pregnancy as the skin stretches to accommodate the growing baby.
It is most prevalent however, during the last few weeks, for marks to simply just 'appear out of nowhere'. Striae can appear seemingly out of nowhere. However, besides the abdomen, stretch marks commonly occur on the hips, breasts, and buttocks. Other causes of stretch marks are excessive immobility, and for no particular reason.
Depending on your skin color, the marks start out as pink, reddish brown, or dark brown streaks. The reddish-brown pigmentation in the marks gradually fades, and the stretch marks or "striae" begin to look like glistening silvery/white lines of scar tissue.
One thing you can do right now is prevention. You should always try to prevent stretch marks before they happen. If you are presently pregnant, start using oils before you need them. The extra moisture should help start to add more elasticity for your skin as the baby grows. Also, don't take too hot of showers or just shower every other day. If you over-moisturize your skin, you are signaling your sebaceous glands that you have enough moisture. They will slow down production. To make your genes work for you, let the natural oils in your skin surface.
Drinking plenty of water, eating healthy foods, and exercising can help with the elasticity of your skin and it's ability to bounce back from pregnancy. Genes do have a lot to do with a lot of things but I'm not convinced. Many women that have stretch marks have children who don’t ever get them and visa versa.
Stretch marks start from deep within your skin’s tissue and gradually lift to the surface. Although in many cases they seem to ‘just appear’ overnight, they actually happen gradually. Once they present on the skin’s surface, they become clearly visible.
Stretch marks happen to a variety of different people. Men and women, thin and fat, old and young all experience them. Stretch marks do not hurt or irritate the skin, but can look rather unsightly. The worst damage they do, is to hurt your self-esteem. People with striae may feel ‘different’ or ‘embarrassed’ and want to cover their skin. Loss of self-image is also a concern.
Most people think that they are not curable. Indeed, they are very difficult to get rid of, but it can be done. Different people will have different results using various methods. There is no one ‘cure all’ product. You must find the one product that works well for you, and stick with it! Fortunately, a lot of the products can be either made at home, or bought cheaply online.
Other vitamin supplements like zinc and vitamins A, D, E, and B-complex help support skin and should be taken as a preventative measure.
Take Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Borage oils, fish oil, flax oil, and olive oil provide some of the best Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids help You can also increase your consumption of nuts and seeds. They are very high in Omega 3’s, which are important building blocks of our cell membranes.
Drink at least 2 liters of water daily to keep skin hydrated and moisturized.
Despite other people’s opinions, massaging your stretched skin does help. Use the ironing massage technique to really get circulation going below the surface. Go along the lines and use firm pressure on any part of the body that is supported by your bones. Massage increases circulation to the affected area and stimulates new cell growth. Any cream or massage oil if fine to use, but creams containing oils with healing properties such as vitamin E oil are best. These oils may prevent scarring and limit more damage.
Creams containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) can help exfoliate old skin cells, which stimulates your body to produce new ones. AHAs are usually derived from fruit and they are sometimes called ‘fruit acids’. AHA’s can improve your skin texture and color by increasing cell regeneration.
Subcision (needling) Needling is done with the use of a commercial tattoo machine. The machine punctures the skin creating perforations in the skin. This stimulates production of collagen and elastin. When the new skin is visible, it will be smoother and tighter. Collagen is the substance that gives skin its vitality, healthy glow and helps it keep renewing itself. The result is smoother, firmer, younger looking skin.
Because it does not burn the skin as lasers and dermabrasion do, the risk of scarring or hyper-pigmentation is lower. It is also not as invasive, so the skin needs less time to recover. Right after the treatment the skin will be red, swollen, and irritated. After a few days, the symptoms will subside and makeup can cover the remaining irritation. The swelling should go away in a week or two. Some people with dark skin may not be good candidates for needling because of the risk of hyper-pigmentation. People with diabetes and other conditions need to consult with their doctors before treatment.
Use Retinol A after you get them to diminish their appearance. These are only available by prescription at your doctor's office.
Chemical peels can help diminish their appearance fast. These used to be only available in the doctors office but are now available for purchase online.
One of the biggest obstacles is that you can't change what you do not acknowledge! Many women (and men) choose to overlook their unsightly marks and simply chalk them up to getting older. That's all fine and dandy if they really, really don't bother you. However, the problem is that they can (and will) get worse over time. Prevention is truly the key, however, there are many things you can do to treat them if you just have the desire to change and the knowledge to get you there. These puppies aren't going away on their own. It's up to you to make some changes and put some good old effort into your skin care! See the next page for more targeted treatments!
Low and behold, the fact is, that no one is immune from their skin stretching. When it shrinks back, it often looks even more unsightly!
