Where do stretch marks come from: causes and methods of combating them

Author Anastasia Chepalda

Updated: 05/31/2020 16:55 Published: 02/06/2018 20:00

beauty

The worst thing is that, as is commonly believed, it is completely useless to fight stretch marks. Neither diet, nor sports, nor creams, nor cosmetic procedures will help. Is everything really so hopeless? Should we give up and develop complexes?

6 shared

how to deal with stretch marks?

The problem of stretch marks worries many women. Men also have them, but our “Apollos” are much less concerned about this problem. A woman whose:

• hips
• butt
• stomach
• breast

“decorated” with unsightly whitish stripes, very shy about his body.

Stretch marks are not dangerous to health and are not some kind of deformity that is worth being ashamed of, and they are not at all repulsive to the male sex. Therefore, the fact that it is unlikely to be possible to get rid of them without a trace is not a tragedy.

But you can make them almost invisible, and the skin acquires a healthy, beautiful and well-groomed appearance. And if in the future beach season you want to boldly flaunt in a bikini, then the struggle for beauty should begin from today.

Etiology, where do striae come from?

Let's find out why stretch marks appear on the body. The skin of any healthy person has an elastic structure; if you stretch it, it returns to its normal shape. The substance cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal cortex, takes part in the synthesis of collagen. If the adrenal glands do not work as they should, the elasticity coefficient of the skin decreases, tears and microtraumas appear. Such a metabolic failure usually occurs in women:

1. after 45 years, with a decrease in the level of production of sex hormones;
2. immediately after pregnancy;
3. for diabetes;
4. with pathologies in the functioning of the endocrine system, with hypothyroidism;
5. with chronic overdose of ultraviolet radiation, with abuse of solariums or self-tanning;
6. for skin dyshidrosis, for skin diseases with dry peeling.

In all these cases, there is an increased likelihood of stretch marks. In addition, scientists have found that those at risk for stretch marks are:

• Patients with skin diseases who have been taking hormonal drugs (Prednisolone and analogues) for a long time.
• Athletes who abuse steroids dramatically gain muscle mass.
• Overweight people prone to rapid weight gain or loss.
• Those who are actively growing, children and teenagers.

If the stretch marks are deep, strong and cover more than 30% of the body, we are talking about a hormonal disorder, and not just a local cosmetic defect.

Advice! A dermatologist and endocrinologist will help determine why the skin looks this way. There is no need to ignore these signs of adrenal hypersecretion; you should urgently visit a doctor.

Causes

In addition to the age of the expectant mother, the number and condition of ruptures is influenced by a number of factors, among which the main ones during pregnancy are:

• heredity;
• the presence of excess weight and its sharp increase;
• amount of vitamins and microelements;
• level of physical activity;
• bad habits;
• metabolic disorder;
• disruptions in the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, obesity);
• weak abdominal muscles;
• swelling of the mammary glands.

In women in labor, ruptures in the breasts appear due to a sudden influx of milk. The glands swell greatly and become heavier, so it is necessary to wear supportive underwear and moisturize the cover with special creams.

If there is stagnation of milk in the breast, use a breast pump to express the excess milk. You should not knead the seals manually - this will lead to stretching and subsequent “sagging” of the breast.

Read also: What is swaddling a woman after childbirth?

Variations in color and depth depending on time

The epidermis consists of 3 layers, and the depth of the skin break can vary. According to depth they are distinguished:

• Thread-like, superficial striae. All fresh stretch marks first look like very thin stripes (less than 1 mm in width, and some of them never expand. A distinctive feature of filamentous stretch marks is their smooth surface, they do not sink in or rise above the average level of the skin. This type can be easily eliminated .
• Atrophic, shallow. With such damage, the rupture reaches only the upper layers of the epidermis, the depth of the injury is no more than 1-1.5 mm. Stretch marks of this type can be located in a horizontal or vertical direction and can intersect each other at any angle. Relative to the skin level, they fall 1 mm, while the width of the striae can be any, from narrow (1-3 mm) to very wide (5 cm or more).
• Atrophic, deep. The deep layers of the epidermis and even subcutaneous fatty tissue are subject to trauma. At their core, such striae are atrophic scars with a characteristic uneven surface. The depression relative to the skin level ranges from 3 mm to 0.8 cm. Typically, deep stretch marks are located where there is a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, on the lower abdomen, on the sides of the thighs, on the buttocks.

Dermatologists have found that stretch marks and cellulite are most often symptoms of elevated cortisone levels, and when hormonal levels are normalized, these defects can be quickly eliminated. How stretch marks form:

• If a person gets fat, the skin tension coefficient increases. Cells do not have time to divide at such a speed, and an area with thinned epidermis is formed. In this place, the production of fibrin, a substance that is part of connective tissue, increases. A strip forms, which gradually becomes more uneven and wider. Fresh stretch marks are identical in color to cuts or bruises; they are scarlet, rich and bright. In this case, patients complain of obsessive itching at the site of injury.
• Over time, fibrin replaces the normal epidermis and a scar forms. Just like all other atrophic scars, the striae begins to darken, the red tint is replaced by purple. Typically, red stretch marks last no more than 3-6 months, then their color changes to crimson, blue and purple. However, widening or deepening of the defect does not always occur.
• Old stretch marks are areas of the skin where the process of fibrin production has stabilized; they no longer change, grow or itch. The purple color fades and becomes bluish and then white.

It is known that white stretch marks react poorly to ultraviolet radiation and practically do not tan. This is due to the fact that connective tissue cells do not produce the pigment needed for tanning.

Interesting! Using self-tanning against stretch marks brings virtually no results.

White stretch marks are an unwanted and difficult to eliminate defect, but red and purple ones can be easily dealt with using folk and home methods.

How to remove pink stretch marks

Removing pink stretch marks is somewhat easier than getting rid of white ones. Unfortunately, creams and popular folk remedies in this case are still ineffective, which cannot be said about cosmetological techniques. To eliminate the problem, it is enough to undergo a course of mesotherapy or laser treatment of the skin.

Laser

Benefits of laser pink stretch mark removal:

• relatively low cost;
• rapidity;
• high efficiency.

To eliminate stretch marks using laser treatment, as a rule, 3 to 5 procedures are required.

The Novoklinik aesthetic medicine center uses the Synchro Play DEKA device, which was created by an Italian company that is a world leader in the production of laser equipment.

It allows for effective and safe exposure, and the built-in cooling system reduces discomfort to a minimum.

Location and direction of striae

Regardless of what part of the body is affected, stretch marks are not a normal skin condition. As a rule, there is a relationship between the cause and location of stretch marks:

1. In patients who gain weight rapidly, atrophic scars affect the areas that increase in volume most quickly. These are the abdomen, buttocks, forearms and thighs.
2. In athletes, especially those who enjoy strength training, scars are located on the chest, forearms and thighs.
3. In pregnant women, naturally, the breasts are the first to suffer. Striae can be seen in this area already in the 1st trimester. From the 2-3 trimester, red stretch marks cover the abdomen; in 80% of cases, due to weight gain, they appear on the buttocks and on the front of the thigh.
4. In children and adolescents, any area can be affected, but most often stretch marks are located on the back and abdomen, and in rare cases on the legs. Dermatologists cannot always understand why, with normal hormonal levels, teenagers face such a problem. There are suggestions that a hereditary predisposition is to blame.
5. In patients with skin diseases, striae are always located near areas with dyshidrosis, edematous plaques or foci of dermatitis.

It is worth noting that with rapid weight gain, stretch marks are located vertically, and with hormonal disorders, they are usually either horizontal or crossing each other.

By understanding why the skin gets torn, you can significantly simplify the treatment process and prevent the appearance of stretch marks. Without eliminating the cause, stretch marks will appear again and again, and no folk remedies or medications will help stop the pathological process.

Stretch marks do not pose a direct threat to health, but if they are a symptom of adrenal hyperfunction, the patient needs the help of an endocrinologist. In all other cases, this is nothing more than a minor cosmetic defect, which is considered repulsive by about 80% of respondents.

Prevention

Changes in hormonal levels lead to disruption of the synthesis of collagen and elastin in the skin, as a result of which the skin does not have time to stretch following an increase in body weight. The skin becomes thinner and tears, and stretch marks are a kind of scar that appears at the site of wound healing.

By the way, if stretch marks occur outside of hormonal changes, you should think twice and consult a doctor, as this may be a symptom of a serious illness.

So what can you do as part of this process called stretch mark prevention? Prevention of stretch marks requires you, first, to maintain your weight at a stable level. A rapid increase in body weight will inevitably lead to the appearance of stretch marks. Secondly, preventing stretch marks suggests you eat right.

The most successful in this sense will be a diet with a predominance of proteins. Don't forget about seafood, fruits and vegetables too. And be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water daily. You should reduce your intake of salt and foods with preservatives.

Thirdly, prevention of stretch marks advises to exercise wisely. On the one hand, physical exercise is undoubtedly very useful, since during the training the skin is saturated with oxygen, which means it becomes firmer and more elastic. But on the other hand, actively building muscle mass or no less actively stretching muscles can have a negative impact on the skin.

By the way, there are no special exercises to prevent stretch marks. But at the same time, any physical activity is excellent for preventing stretch marks: walking, running, swimming, cycling, and more. And even the set of exercises that you do daily at home is also great.

Fourthly, the prevention of stretch marks says that you need to be especially careful about your body during pregnancy and after childbirth. To prevent stretch marks, use bandages and special bras. And every day lubricate “dangerous” places with a special cream or just olive oil.

Consult with your doctor which remedy for preventing stretch marks will be most appropriate for you. Fifthly, use all available options to prevent stretch marks. In particular, daily washing of “dangerous” areas with cool water followed by rubbing with a terry towel hardens the skin and prevents the appearance of stretch marks.

Massaging problem areas is great for preventing stretch marks. You can massage with your hands, you can use a massager or a brush with stiff bristles. You can do a massage during water procedures, then the massage will also be a scrub. A variety of creams and scrubs are used to prevent stretch marks.

To improve the prevention of stretch marks, buy such creams in pharmacies that offer lines of medicinal cosmetics. Prevention of stretch marks today is carried out in beauty salons. You will be offered special programs that include, for example, body wraps. Wraps improve blood circulation, nourish and moisturize the skin, it becomes more elastic, less stretched and torn.

Video: Important information

See what the composition of the cream for stretch marks during pregnancy is 9 months.

Does Orbitrek help against cellulite at home? Review in the article.

Stretch marks are suspicious stripes that one (un)fine day settle on our skin. And even in the most inappropriate places.

Who are stretch marks, where do they come from and why don’t they want to leave, is it possible to prevent the appearance of uninvited guests, and how to deal with stretch marks if they do come and unpack your suitcases - read in this post.