There are a few reasons why stretch marks may show up on your skin. It is important to understand what they are, so you can understand when and why they occur. Keep reading for all the information you need on stretch marks, including where you may see them and how to lessen their appearance.
Reasons Of Stretch Marks Formation
There are times in your life when your skin may start to stretch. This can happen during sudden weight gains, during pregnancy, or even through puberty. Other times include when you take certain prescriptions or are having hormonal fluctuations.
These times are when you will most likely see stretch marks, also known as striae. What is happening is that the dermis of your skin is being stretched to its limit, which causes a type of scar that is easy to see.
The outermost layer of your skin is known as the epidermis. This layer protects you from things like infections and keeps you from losing too much water through sweating and other processes. Underneath that layer of skin is the dermis, which is what is being torn when you have stretch marks. The dermis is responsible for lessening strain on the body. It is able to keep this from happening because of what it’s made of, which is primarily collagen and other types of tissue that are able to stretch efficiently.
Collagen is very important because it is found all over our bodies as one of the most abundant proteins we have. It helps keep everything connected and protected from tearing, in everything from bones to skin. Without collagen, you’d have to worry about a lot more than marks when it came to your skin being stretched out.
Aging and Skin Collagen Matter
Although collagen will help you out throughout your life, you won’t always have the same amount. As you get older, your collagen also won’t work as effectively as it did when you were younger. This doesn’t mean you don’t have any, but it may mean that it has lost some of its effectiveness.
For example, the collagen in your skin won’t help it stay as firm, which contributes to the reason why some people get things like wrinkles and fine lines. You also won’t produce as much collagen when you get older as you did earlier in your life. This is something you should be aware of, so you’ll know that you need to start taking care of your skin as soon as possible.
Collagen Breakdown
The breakdown of collagen is gradual and doesn’t happen all at once. Collagen cells have a certain lifespan, so it is constantly present in the body. Since it’s built into the special connective tissue that is present in the dermis, it has the ability to protect you from injury and other things without problems. If you aren’t always harming yourself or working out in excess, you should be able to keep your collagen working well for you, even as you age. There are even certain foods and products you can use that may help you produce more collagen, so you can always do some research to see what will work for you.
Stretch Marks Appearance
If you have stretch marks or have seen them on someone else, you know that they are not all the same color. Some are bright red and others are barely visible and seem white in color. The color of the marks is determined by how old they are and how severe the skin has been stretched.
In other words, if the skin has been stretched too far, they may appear red or purple in color and will get lighter over time. On the other hand, when they are white or silver, this means the skin hasn’t been stretched as much, or that they have been present on the skin for quite a while.
There is good news though. Some stretch marks are able to become almost invisible over time and you can use different over the counter products to make them appear lighter. This means you probably won’t have to deal with red lines all over your body throughout your whole life.
Of course, almost everyone has a stretch mark or two, so it isn’t something you should be ashamed of, especially if you got them during your pregnancy. What you are actually seeing is your skin stretching and your blood vessels showing, so it isn’t something that is especially weird. It shows that your body was actually trying to protect you from damage, and you have a little scar to prove it.
Stretch Marks In Teenage Years
Besides during pregnancy, it’s very common to have stretch marks when you’re a teenager. This is because puberty consists of a lot of hormonal fluctuations, changes in your body shape, growth spurts, and even weight gains or losses. All of these things are likely to cause the skin to stretch, leading to these marks.
Factors That Can Provoke Stretch Marks Development
There are certain factors that will almost always cause stretch marks. They will appear mainly on the stomach, buttocks, thighs, and hips, but can appear in other places as well. The main culprits are weight gains and hormonal changes, such as those that happen during pregnancy, but there are others as well. Here’s a look as some of these factors.
- Vitamin deficiencies: There are certain vitamins that are essential when it comes to collagen production. If you don’t have these vitamins in your diet, it could lead to your skin being weaker than you want it to be. Make sure you’re getting Vitamin C, A, and E in the foods you eat.
- Hydration problems: It is imperative that you drink enough water to keep your skin healthy, no matter what age you are. Otherwise, your skin and other organs will not be able to do the things that they need to do. Just like adding certain vitamins in your diet, you also need to drink enough water.
- Skin problems: If your skin is too dry or you go out in the sun too much, you may be more prone to stretch marks. It is essential that you moisturize and take care of your skin, to keep it healthy and strong.
- Smoking or drinking: Smoking and drinking are both habits that are bad for your skin. They can make your skin lose its moisture or cause other types of damage to the skin. If you do smoke or drink occasionally, make sure that you are also taking care of your skin as well and keeping it clean.
- Bodybuilding: If you are very serious about bodybuilding or work out every day, this can cause constant changes to your skin and muscles, which will lead to marks. Again, it is important to try to not tear your muscles and skin repeatedly, especially if you don’t offer them time to heal in between workouts.
Methods For Elimination Of Stretch Marks
You can’t really make stretch marks go away completely but you can make them less noticeable. The main way that people do this is by using certain lotions or creams. There are so many on the market that you can look out for, and they are more likely to work if they have great compounds in them like cocoa butter or Vitamin E, although not all types will work the same on every person.
For example, if all of your stretch marks are white, they will be harder to lighten than ones that are red or purple. This is because the white ones are older and most likely have lightened up over time on their own.
The best way to find a product that works is to read reviews to see how effective it has been for other people, so you can know what to expect when you use it.
Some people also get surgery to get rid of stretch marks. This is mainly for people that feel that the marks are affecting their life, as this is a costly method, which can also be quite painful for some. If this seems like something you want to do, you can look online for doctors or clinics in your area for more information.