Why Do Stretch Mark Products Have Such A Clumsy Rate Of Effectiveness?

2008-02-15 Word Count: 800 Category: Beauty

The answer may very well appear from understanding that the skin matrix is responsible for the skin's mechanical properties, like firmness, strength, suppleness, and elasticity. Stretch marks are tears in a skin matrix affected by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the contrary of those just mentioned. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is identified by weakness, thinning, roughness, sagging, stiffness and decrease in the size of tissues, diminished cellular proliferation, and loss of functions, also called atrophia.
The skin matrix is a precious resource which is both produced and consumed quite frequently during our lives. On one hand, skin matrix is regularly synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other hand, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by gelattinase and collagenase enzymes, also called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then recycled. By digesting or chopping up key matrix proteins, such as collagen and elastin, MMP enzymes play an underappreciated yet critical role in skin physiology.
In healthy and youthful skin, the synthesis and degradation of the matrix are in balance: damaged or redundant matrix is degraded while the deficit is restored by the ongoing biosynthesis. Unfortunately, this difficult balance gets interrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or as we age, too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be improved by either increasing supply (boosting biosynthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).
In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically important, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the epidermis. These skin fibers supply the resiliency of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble collagen and elastin fibers depends on the interdependence between 3 factors. The first is the presence of active fibroblasts, which emanate the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative quantity of several skin matrix components within the dermis also exuded by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are responsible for both cell degradation progressions that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their renewal for the creation of new proteins (amino-acid chains).
So beware of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT have any effect.
What is necessary is the biosynthesis and proper self-assembly of complex skin structures from inside out your body. The first step in elastic fiber formation is the manifestation of small cell surface-associated elastin globules (soluble tropoelastin) that enlarge in size with time (microassembly). The elastin globules are eventually transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the extracellular matrix where, through an intricate and coordinated biological process, they integrate into bigger structures (macroassembly) and become crosslinked funtional fiber-like polymers with changeable deformation and high resilience.
Collagen and Elastin Synthesis Boosters May Fail or Fall Short in People Affected by Atrophic Skin.
The newest stretch mark treatments and prevention products are aimed at replenishing skin matrix by stimulating the biosynthesis of collagen or elastin (e.g. ascorbic acid, copper peptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, oligopeptides and other|synthetic copper peptides, ascorbic acid, oligopeptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, and other). Unfortunately, this approach fails or falls short in most people bearing atrophic skin, probably due to the peculiar chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an inability to answer to matrix synthesis boosters.
Their failure to treat existing stretch marks is most probably due to something important ingredient missing in those products; an element that would help your body to get rid of scar tissues and stretch marks. In fact, your body needs two things to accomplish this.
One, your body needs to be able to distinguish or identify scar tissue from the adjacent functional tissues in the skin matrix. Second, it must be able to process the proteins that those scar tissues are made off and separate their component amino-acids to then eventually use them to create new skin matrix elements.
This can only be accomplished by the action of two types of ingredients that act in concert. One is messenger molecules able to connect communication between cells and allow them to distinguish scar tissues from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast development. The other crucial ingredient is enzymes that dissolve the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were recognized by the messenger molecules.
Combined methods that introduce some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical lotion that contains not just hydrating enhancers or collagen biosynthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' injured cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can provide substantial improvements.
Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.

This free Beauty article is brought to you by http://www.articlevista.com

Please browse our webpage to learn more about how stretch marks may be treated and prevented (www.abate-stretch-marks.com) with an effective stretch mark product (www.abate-stretch-marks.com/skin-marks.htm) that is safe for stretch marks treatment and prevention during pregnancy (www.abate-stretch-marks.com/pregnancy/).