Stretch marks, or Striae gravidarum, are a type of scarring. Stretch marks usually appear as a result of obesity, pregnancy, bodybuilding and even puberty.
Stretch marks are caused when the skin is stretched beyond its natural elasticity. This disrupts the body’s normal production of collagen, which is a special protein that keeps the skin elastic. When collagen production is disrupted, the skin becomes less elastic and, therefore, more prone to stretch marks.
What are stretch marks? Whether you’re currently experiencing stretch marks, or you will enter into a time in your life when these nasty skin marks are most likely to become an issue (pregnancy or weight loss as an example), you’ve possibly done a little of looking and keeping reading the different procedures and preventives that are readily available.
One word you’ll view repeatedly once more is collagen, with treatments professing to have, improve or assist the skin create this mystery chemical. So you may be questioning; what is collagen, and how does it associate with extend marks?
Collagen is a healthy protein of combinative cells in the skin. Exactly what this indicates is it is among the main contributors toward making the skin stretchy and supple. Wrinkles, great lines and various other indicators old skin are because of the levels of collagen minimizing in the body as a person obtains older.
So, just what’s the collagen stretch marks connection? Well, when an individual’s physical body shape or weight adjustments very rapidly, the body can not very generate more than enough collagen to keep the skin elasticity up with the modifications. This causes the fibres of skin to extend and break, leaving behind those red marks that at some point vanish into silvery white lines.
So, now our company know the fundamentals of this skin healthy protein, we could check out exactly how we could use this know-how of collagen in stretch marks to assist stop and lessen the look of those irritating silvery lines.
By increasing the skin’s level of collagen, stretch marks could be protected against or their appearance lowered. Regrettably once they are there they will never ever vanish completely, but with some Tender Loving Care and some collagen their look can be decreased drastically.
The first means to market collagen synthesis in the skin is offer your body the right energy to generate the healthy protein. This suggests eating a well balanced diet plan, and keeping your vitamin degrees up, especially vitamin E and vitamin C. Keeping on your own moistened is likewise quite essential, so drink a lot of water and avoid high levels of caffeine and alcohol.
An additional way to assist collagen along that will additionally allow with the look of stretch marks is everyday exfoliation. Scrubbing aids in taking out layers of lifeless skin cells, which have the double advantage of keeping your skin looking soft and glowing. It also removing those lifeless cells urges the growth of new cells, and then the production of collagen. Making this a day-to-day program in time will also do marvels for the look of stretch marks.
What Do Stretch Marks Look Like?
Stretch marks are small, indented streaks that can be found throughout the skin. The streaks are more rough and uneven than the surrounding skin. When stretch marks first appear on women with light-coloured skin, they are usually pink, reddish-brown or almost purple in colour. In dark-coloured women, stretch marks are usually very dark brown.
Over time, stretch marks generally fade and become lighter in colour. In fact, stretch marks become lighter in colour than the surrounding skin. Unfortunately, they never go away and, though the colour may fade, the change in texture remains.
Since weight gain is the culprit for stretch marks, losing weight whether from the birth of a child or from a change in diet – often causes the stretch marks to become less visible. This is because the skin returns to its original size, causing the indented streaks to contract and become less noticeable. How does puberty affect stretch marks?
Most girls and boys going through puberty will develop stretch marks, though some will develop more than others. This is because pubescent children grow and gain weight rapidly as their bodies change.
For pubescent girls, stretch marks most often occur on the breasts, butt, hips, and thighs. While stretch marks are most common in girls, boys can also get them in their arms, legs, and other parts of their bodies as their bodies change and grow.
People who use skin creams or ointments containing steroids, such as hydrocortisone, for a month or longer are more likely to develop stretch marks. Also, people who take high doses of oral corticosteroids for several months increase their chances of developing stretch marks.