Stretch marks are considered as the scarring of the skin without any pain. This mechanical tearing is due to the rapid growth of the body, which occurs during puberty, pregnancy, and weight gain such as in obesity cases and muscle training. These tears would appear to be red in color at first, and then it lightens into a white silvery color.



Men and women are all prone to stretch marks, but women are more particular to these ugly markings. Stretch marks are considered as the scarring of the skin without any pain. This mechanical tearing is due to the rapid growth of the body, which occurs during puberty, pregnancy, and weight gain such as in obesity cases and muscle training. These tears would appear to be red in color at first, and then it lightens into a white silvery color.

Even though our skin is elastic in nature, it does have its own limits. When rapidly and overly stretched, it does leave markings due to the dermal skin tears. Other known terms for stretch marks are the following:

&bull Striae Cutis Distensae

&bull Striae Distensae

&bull Striae Atrophic

&bull Striae Gravid Arum

&bull Linea Albicante

&bull Striae.

When the skin is experiencing progressive as well as continuous stretching, it becomes more at risk to have stretch marks. This stresses the connective tissues of the dermis layer of the skin. This action leads to unwarranted mast degranulation. Due to this degranulation, the elastin as well as the collagen is also damaged. Usually, there will be no formation of stretch marks when the dermis is resilient. However, in some cases, the dermis lacks support, which makes it vulnerable.

Stretch marks can be found anywhere on our body. Yet, it is usually found where enormous quantity of fats is located. Usually, areas for stretch marks are hips, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, upper arms, breasts as well as underarms. Thus, stretch marks have no harmful risks. However, a lot of people found its appearance quite unappealing.

There are a lot of ways to prevent stretch marks from occurring. Although there are some instances when it is unavoidable, like in the case of pregnancy, with extra care and appropriate measures, chances of stretch marks can still be lessened. Some of the ways to prevent stretch marks are by having a balanced diet that is rich in minerals and vitamins, so as not to gain weight. Another is by doing simple exercises everyday for about 30 minutes up to 1 hour. This can really help you maintain your healthy weight. Another measure is by massaging the part of the body where stretch marks are likely to appear, so as to improve the blood circulation in that area, which may, in turn, strengthen the dermal tissue. Moreover, drinking plenty of fluids can also help reduce chances of having stretch marks.

As for men who are working out in order to have bulky muscles, there are ways for them to prevent having stretch marks. One way for men, who work out, to prevent getting stretch marks are by going slow on their exercise routine. This is in order to avoid gaining body mass faster. It is also advisable to never overdose on steroids due to the fact that that they can cause stretch marks. Moreover, by adding vitamins, especially zinc, your body may reduce the chances of having stretch marks.

Thus, as mentioned above, stretch marks are sometimes unavoidable. If you already have stretch marks, there are also some ways on minimizing their appearance or to totally remove them. Although stretch marks do not pose any danger to our body, the bad thing about them is the fact that people in terms of their appearance on the body generally accept them. Imagine wearing a two-piece bathing suit with stretch marks on your abdomen. In this situation, especially for the beauty conscious and vain people, manufacturers as well as cosmetologists to solve this dilemma now create a lot of means.

Some ways of removing stretch marks are by applying creams that contains high content of Vitamin E and various natural oils. Another way is by going through a sunless tan, which can decrease the appearance of stretch marks.

As for medical treatments, one should seek the advice of a dermatologist in order to get the appropriate procedure for removing stretch marks. One course of treatment is to have several sessions of "Microdermabrasion".

"Microdermabrasion" helps remove stretch marks by rubbing the skin's surface where stretch marks are present. With this mechanism, it exfoliates the skin, subsequently stimulating it to form new Collagen and Elastin on the skin. This results to a smoother and clearer skin.

Another medical method would be the use of plastic surgery method known as "Tummy Tuck". In this procedure, the skin under the navel area is removed. Thus, if you want a non-intrusive way of removing your stretch marks, laser treatment is a considerable choice. In laser treatment, beams of scattered light are targeted on the stretch marks. Just like in "Microdermabrasion", this procedure requires several treatments. The good thing about this method is that there is no downtime.

Although having stretch marks pose no health risks, it is still your body and it is up to you to decide if you would like to eradicate it. Beauty, as they say, is skin deep. It is more of how you feel about yourself and how you look. If you are not comfortable with having stretch marks, it will always be your call to have it treated.