You'll be glad to know that stretch marks are purely cosmetic and pose absolutely no health risks whatsoever... but that doesn't mean we wouldn't like to prevent or banish them, does it? That's what I thought.
"Stretch marks". Aside from the equally distasteful terms "cellulite" and "wrinkles", these two words have the uncanny ability to make women shudder and cringe. But guess what? Like it or not, as with their aforementioned unpleasant friends, these streaky discolorations are a reality for most women at some point in their lives.
What Causes Stretch Marks?
Skin - our largest organ, which so many of us take for granted - is composed of three strata: the epidermis (outer layer), the dermis (middle layer), and the subcutaneous stratum (innermost layer). Stretch marks occur in the dermis, the resilient middle layer that helps the skin retain its shape.
These cosmetic blights occur when expanding skin is stretched to its limit, losing its elasticity through rapid growth and/or weight gain; what you're actually seeing are tiny tears in the connective fibers of the dermis.
Weight Gain and Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
While stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body where the skin has been stretched, they are most likely to appear in places where fat is stored. Due to the massive physical changes of pregnancy it's probably no surprise that stretch marks are quite common during this life phase; about 50 to 90 percent of women will get stretch marks on their abdomen, breasts, thighs or buttocks during pregnancy.
Skin Color and Stretch Marks
Depending on your natural skin color, stretch marks begin as raised pink, reddish brown or dark brown bands that later turn a brighter violet or purple, or intense brown (for darker skinned gals). Over time, these vivid marks smooth and fade to a color a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone. They usually become less noticeable over time.
The earlier you begin treating stretch marks - before they have lightened and flattened - the more likely you are to diminish their appearance later on.
You'll be glad to know that stretch marks are purely cosmetic and pose absolutely no health risks whatsoever... but that doesn't mean we wouldn't like to prevent or banish them, does it? That's what I thought.
How to Prevent and Eliminate Stretch Marks
Genetics play a large part in determining whether or not you are predisposed to developing stretch marks. If your mother got stretch marks, chances are you'll get them too. Ethnicity also figures in; women with darker skin are less likely to get stretch marks. Taking these factors into account, there are a few things you can do to decrease the odds of getting them.
Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and keep your skin well-moisturized, as this will help your skin stretch without damaging the dermis. Many women swear by saturating their skin with intense moisturizers such as cocoa butter, vitamin E, wheat germ oil, and lanolin (or other specially formulated stretch mark solutions containing these ingredients) to heal and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. This strategy tackles the problem from the outside in, in an attempt to strengthen and repair the collagen and elastin production within your skin.
Removing Stretch Marks
If you are really disturbed by your stretch marks, you can always go the high-tech route and look into plastic surgery or blue light therapy in an attempt to get rid of stretch marks. The most common high-tech treatment is laser surgery for stretch marks, which is actually an out-patient procedure used in the removal of stretch marks that has little to no recovery period.
The earlier you begin treating stretch marks - before they have lightened and flattened - the more likely you are to diminish their appearance later on. Large fluctuations in your weight - either loss or gain - also affect the magnitude of stretch marks. So in addition to not being particularly good for your health (which of course is actually more important), you should avoid huge swings in your weight to prevent dramatic stretch marks.
