All You Need To Know About Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are indented streaks or lines that are not painful. It usually appears on areas such as the upper thigh, hips, back, upper arms, legs, breasts, stomach, or even the buttocks. Many people do not like how stretch marks look on the skin as they might find it unattractive and a lack of confidence.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are considered scars that form when the skin is stretched or shrinks rapidly. Collagen and elastin is what support the skin from rupturing and maintaining a smooth skin texture.

Early appearance of stretch marks tends to appear in red, purple, pink, reddish-brown or even dark brown and the colour of the stretch marks that formed varies to the colour of the skin tone. Some might experience stretch marks that can be itchy or even slightly raised when they first appear.

But what exactly are stretch marks? Stretch marks are common and can happen to anyone, however, there are many reasons that cause stretch marks.

Pregnancy

A mother’s biggest love are the drawings of lines that remain on the tummy after birth. They are a symbol of a mother’s scarification and gift from the angel.

Hormonal changes often occur when a pregnancy is involved, it affects the skin and makes it easily prone to getting stretch marks. Too much weight gain during pregnancy can also lead to the formation of stretch marks. Stretch marks happen when the middle layer of the skin, also known as dermis, is stretched and breaks down in places. However, it is not recommended to cut down on the food consumed as a healthy diet is needed during pregnancy.

Puberty

The body experiences growth sprouts during the puberty phase and rapid growth of body sizes happens. Skin is fairly stretchy, however, if too much of the skin is being pulled and stretched, the collagen in the skin that produces naturally is disrupted as it is the major protein responsible for the tissue in the skin.

Stretch marks can also happen to any body size. Individuals who are not overweight can also experience stretch marks as fluctuating hormones is one of the culprits like puberty.

Heredity

Genetic reason is also one of the factors that causes stretch marks. If any family member experiences stretch marks issue, especially your parents, stretch marks will more likely appear on your skin too.

Dry Skin

Our skin often requires moisture and it helps in repairing dry skin, especially by keeping all three layers like hypodermis, dermis, and epidermis soft and smooth. Moisture boosts growth and collagen stimulation, providing our skin with elasticity.

Cushing Syndrome

Cushing syndrome is one of the rarest and uncommon conditions. It occurs when the body overproduces a kind of hormone called cortisol containing steroids, or it can also occur by consuming oral corticosteroid medication.

Signs of cushing syndrome can start showing up gradually or suddenly and can get worse if it is left untreated. More fats that are produced in the body or a weight gain are symptoms of cushing syndrome, including chest and the tummy, back of the neck and shoulders, with fats producing and causing stretch marks and a hump back.

Is There Any Risk Of Getting Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are usually not harmful and do not carry any medical condition. However, many people find that stretch marks are unappealing and bring down their confidence.

How Can You Prevent Stretch Marks From Getting Worse?

• Maintaining current weight, losing or gaining weight slowly can prevent stretch marks from getting worse. Whether the stretch marks are caused by pregnancy, it is always important to control your diet and maintain a healthy weight.
• Consuming food that is rich in nutrients can also prevent stretch marks from getting worse. Do you know that stretch marks are formed when our body does not have enough nutrients? Foods that are rich in nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, zinc and protein benefit the skin and boost the skin health, as well as unprocessed food.
  • Vitamin C: An important nutrient that plays a big role in collagen production, responsible for maintaining the skin’s elasticity. Collagen helps the skin to reduce wrinkles, and it can also benefit from getting stretch marks. Fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruit, oranges or tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C.
  • Vitamin D: A healthy level of Vitamin D added into your diet can decrease the risk of stretch marks. The sun is a good exposure to receive Vitamin D, food such as cereal, bread, or dairy products like milk and yogurt also contain Vitamin D.
  • Vitamin E: Known for its anti-ageing and skin regenerating benefits that reduces the appearance of stretch marks and scars.
  • Zinc: An important nutrient that promotes skin health and the process of wound healing, and also helps in decreasing the risk level of inflammation. Foods such as nuts and fishes that contain zinc can help maintain a healthy skin.

Are There Different Types Of Stretch Marks?

There isn’t a specific type of stretch marks and it does not look like. However, the appearance and colour of the stretch marks varies depending on how long the stretch marks have been formed. The appearance of the stretch marks can be classified as: – Striae Atrophicans (thinned skin) – Striae Gravidarum (following pregnancy) – Striae Distensae (stretched skin) – Striae Rubrae (red) – Striae Albae (white) – Striae Nigra (black) – Striae Caerulea (dark blue)

How Can You Learn To Love Your Stretch Marks?

Why should you not feel ashamed of your stretch marks?

Stretch marks can appear in many areas of the body and it is perfectly normal to feel self conscious about them. Stretch marks are nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about because it is important to know the purpose of self love. Learn to embrace yourself and make the best out of it.

• Appreciate the growth of your stretch marks. Stretch marks can also be formed just by working out. When the collagen that our body naturally produced cannot catch up with the rapid stretching of the muscle, leading to the forming of stretch marks.
• Taking care of your skin, however, not trying to heal the skin completely can also help us to learn to love the stretch marks. Because the pressure set for the mind to totally get rid of the stretch marks can cause a negative impact on self-esteem.
• Taking photos of the stretch marks is also a way to record the different stages of growth in life such as the puberty period that causes a spurt in growth, or the start of a new life inside you, pregnancy.

Solutions To Stretch Marks Reduction?

Stretch marks can fade away on their own over time or it may not even fade away completely. However, there are several treatment options including aesthetic treatments or home remedies available that help in reducing stretch marks.

Aloe Vera Gel

Stretch marks are seen as a type of scarring that heals from damaged skin. Aloe vera includes skin-repairing elements that can help to soften the skin, preventing or reducing stretch marks.

Hyaluronic Acid

Applying hyaluronic acid to the early stages of the stretch marks can advance the fading process and make it less noticeable.

Retinoid Cream

Early stretch marks that are a few months old are easier to remove with the application of retinoid cream that is retrieved from Vitamin A as it can help to improve the skin appearance of the stretch marks.

Fractional CO2 Laser

A non-invasive treatment that is effective in treating scars caused by acne or stretch marks. It is a laser treatment that targets damaged skin and triggers skin to repair naturally by stimulating collagen reproduction. Fractional CO2 Laser targets stretched skin and scars without causing any inflammation or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), leading to a softer and smoother skin.

Fractional CO2 Laser requires 3 to 6 treatment sessions depending on each individual with a minimal downtown of 3 to 5 days.

Sylfirm X

An innovative radiofrequency (RF) microneedling that allows customization dedicated to treat different skin concerns like pigmentations, wrinkles, redness, acne scars, large pores, dull looking skin and stretch marks.

Sylfirm X triggers the skin with its natural healing process known as skin rejuvenation by penetrating the most outer surface layer of the skin. This process is to stimulate collagen reproduction and skin regeneration with minimal to no downtime to treat skin’s elasticity, uneven skin tone, pigmentation and ensuring that the body produces enough collagen to maintain the concerns.

Conclusion

In conclusion, various reasons can cause stretch marks, but a loss of collagen and elasticity is one of the main reasons stretch marks occur. However, in this era, we are lucky to have advanced solutions to treat skin concerns safely with FDA-approved aesthetic treatments.