The term Stretch Marks is a bit of a misnomer, as these vertical marks on the skin which start off being red or purple and then slowly turn white are signs of the skin not actually stretching, but of the lower levels of skin (dermis) sustaining a tear.
Much time has been spent and much research has been done on how to remove stretch marks, with some remedies being more successful than others, and it is true to say that the majority of women will sustain stretch marks at some time during their life, whether stretch marks appear in adolescence or in pregnancy; and just under half of all young men in their teens will also get them.
Males and females get stretch marks in different places, with women suffering from the visible marks most commonly in the pelvic area, around the tummy and down the thighs, while men tend to get them showing around the pectoral area and on the shoulders, with the arms also being affected – often if the muscles there are bulking up rapidly through exercising with heavy weights (made worse by taking steroids), or during puberty.
Men are usually just as keen to remove stretch marks as women are, as stretch marks, (or striae distensae to give them their Sunday name), while normally being harmless, are unsightly and can cause embarrassment and lack of self-confidence in the sufferer.
Stretch marks occur when excessive levels of glucocorticoid hormones are produced within the body, preventing the supportive elastin and collagen layers from doing their job of repairing and protecting the dermis (lower levels of skin).
If insufficient collagen and elastin are produced, the skin levels below the surface, known as the dermis, are likely to tear; and to make things worse top layer of skin becomes thinner making the damage visible and the skin appear to have an unsightly rippled effect.
Stretch marks can have several courses, the most common being pregnancy and the rapid growth spurts of adolescence, but people who are obese or lose or gain large amounts of weight frequently can also be susceptible, with the most serious cause of stretch marks being a medical condition called Cushing’s disease.
It is not easy to remove stretch marks completely as the damage to the skin is in the lower layers, but products containing the Vitamin A derivative, retinol, have been proved to be very effective in firming and improving the texture of the skin, thus disguising the marks, and there are surgical techniques that are expensive but effective, such as cosmetic or laser surgery.
If you believe Stretch Mark Removal is impossible – think again.
