Stretch Marks Getting Under Your Skin?

What causes stretch marks?

Male Strech Mark ScarringStretch marks are medically referred to ass “striae.” Stretch marks can often appear after rapid weight gain or loss. Both pregnancy and teen years are characterized by when growth spurts do to increased levels of steroid hormones necessary for growth of the fetus and adult maturation during puberty. Stretch marks can also be brought on the by the stretching of the skin caused from obesity and and increase muscle mass gained through weight lifting.

In August 2008 issue of Esthetic Dermatology News, Mohammed L. Elsaie, MD, MBA, said Genetic factors – including inherited defects of connective tissues—also play the role. But the basic causes of stretch marks are unknown.

Stretch marks are known to affect the vast majority of women and they are difficult to get rid of. Treatment of straie is best if done in the initial phases. This is usually characterized by a reddening or purpling that can be noted in fairer skin people. Later on the tone and color of the stretch mark will be closer to the skin but are noticeable because of paler pigmentation. Sometimes they have an indentation characteristic as well. In the latter stages stretch marks are less responsive to treatment.

Leslie Baumann, MD, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Group
and author of The Skin Type Solution; notes that the key is to prevent them.

Baumann states that; “Avoiding rapid weight gain or loss is a good start. For those who are pregnant or experiencing the hormone changes of the teen years, it is crucial to moisturize, the skin becomes more plaint, more plasticized and better able to stretch when it’s well hydrated.”

She recommends moisturizing three or four times a day with products that contain cocoa butter or shea butter as a prine ingredient. Massage the moisturizer deep into breasts, belly, hips, and buttocks.