Curing Stretch Marks

2008-04-23 Word Count: 450 Category: Beauty

Stretch marks are irregular, linear scars that appear on your skin during pregnancy or rapid weight gain periods. Their medical name is striae distensae, and they are actually scar tissue.
Stretch marks happen due to excessive stretching of the epidermis (the external layer of the skin) and the dermis, which is the layer of skin below that consists of connective tissue, blood vessels and collagen.
As the skin is stretched, the biological synthesis of collagen is altered and stretch marks form. In theory, they can turn up anywhere on the body, but the main areas afflicted are places where the body changes in size.
Pregnancy stretch marks use to appear on the thighs, hips, breasts, stomach and buttocks.
But if you think it's only pregnancy, and being female, that puts you at risk of stretch marks, you're wrong. Body fat has a role to play in the formation of stretch marks, so they can afflict anyone who gains weight rapidly. Bodybuilders can also have stretch marks, and young men can develop them around the shoulder skin if they have a bit of a growth spurt or carry a bit of excess weight on their backs.
One thing many women ask is, are stretch marks hereditary?
Some connective tissue diseases make some people prone to stretch marks, but they only afflict a very small group of the population.
As far as developing stretch marks as a consequence of pregnancy goes, if your mother developed them it doesn't necessarily imply you will. It is largely down to how much weight you gain during the pregnancy. Also, having kids close together doesn't elevate the chances.
Stretch marks commonly start out as purplish streaks on the skin, which means the stretch mark, or scar, is inflamed. If you do nothing to it, eventually the inflammatory element disappear and the mark fades in color to silver or white.
The bad news is that stretch marks never actually cure. But there are several remedies for stretch marks you can apply to improve their appearance.
One is a vascular laser, which is virtually painless and can reduce the color and texture of the marks in some people.
Skin care treatments include several over-the-counter creams and oils, many of which can be applied to the skin in areas at risk during and after pregnancy, and pharmaceutical creams containing retinoids and vitamin A can also be used post-pregnancy.
Diet can aid avoid stretch marks too. Consuming a balanced, healthy diet can definitely help. You won't have a massive elevation in your weight during pregnancy, and an extra is that you won't have a lot of weight to lose afterwards.

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