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It’s pretty clear that stretch marks can be very ugly. No matter the color or size, nobody wants to suffer them. And once you do have them, they’re extremely hard to eliminate. Most women will acquire stretch marks at some point in their life, so there are always people looking for a stretch marks treatment.
What are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks usually show during periods of growth or when you rapidly gain or lose weight. As your size and form changes, your skin has to give to adapt the change. Stretch marks are most usual during adolescence and pregnancy – times when the body suffers rapid changes. But what exactly causes stretch marks to appear?
The skin has 3 layers: the epidermis, or external layer; the dermis, the middle layer; and the subcutaneous stratum, the lower layer. While skin is very elastic and can stretch a fair amount, it does possess its limits. Once that limit is reached, the production of collagen gets disrupted; skin loses its elasticity and the connective fibers inside break. And all that equals you forming a stretch mark.
Can I get rid of Stretch Marks?
Some persons are more susceptible to forming stretch marks. Rid your skin from them can be hard, because genetics can play a role, so if your mother had stretch marks, you’re more likely to have them, too. Also, your ethnicity can determine whether you’ll have stretch marks, as well as how evident they will be. Darker skinned persons are less likely to have stretch marks while fair skinned are more likely to notice little red or pink marks.
The appearance of a stretch mark depends on the tone of your skin. They may be reddish brown, dark brown or pink and will usually turn purple over time. Stretch marks do fade eventually, becoming less noticeable on their own. Sadly, this can take quite a while; likely longer than you would like. As for where you might observe them, the hips, stomach, breasts, thighs and buttocks are most usual but it is also possible to see them on the legs, arms, pretty much anywhere fat gathers and stretches the skin.
Prevention
Some persons are lucky enough not to have stretch marks, or to have them very rarely, but for most of us, they’re a fact of life, especially during pregnancy. Statistically, between 75% and 90% of enceinte women will develop stretch marks. Some people claim that applying a moisturizer or other lotion on the affected areas will minimize the possibilities of stretch marks developing by improving the skin’s elasticity. It can’t hurt to try, but be aware that that’s not a infallible solution to rid stretch marks.
