What are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks are white silvery lines that look like veins on the epidermis or outer surface of your skin. They occur mainly on fat depositing areas like the thighs, breasts and pregnant abdomens of women. Stretch marks are formed as a result of the skin expanding too fast during puberty and pregnancy. These unsightly white lines are harmless scar tissues. Some people may live with it while for others, it bothers them a lot.
Who gets them?
Stretch marks occur on both men and women. It does not only occur on one sex alone. Pregnant women are most prone to stretch marks because of the steady growth and stretching of the skin across the stomach during the period of a pregnancy. Children who are obese may also get stretch marks on their bodies. But for most people, it starts to form during puberty when the girls start to put on weight on their thighs and breasts. For men, they develop muscles during puberty and stretch marks may be seen on the outer skin of the muscle tissues. The skin is the largest organ in the human body covering a wide surface area.
The normal production of collagen which is the protein that makes up the connective tissue in your skin is disrupted when the skin in overstretched during puberty. As a result, you will see fine white lines that traverse alone the skin resembling veins and arteries on the skin surface. Unless cosmetic surgery is used, stretch marks cannot be removed but can fade over time with the use of stretch mark creams.
If you don’t pay attention to it, it does not bother you. But for some people who love swimming and like to flaunt their bodies while sunbathing or frolicking on the beach, stretch marks may make them feel inferior as they can be seen around the thighs and hips that are visible to the public. People, who are obese or fat, tend to have stretch marks on their butts, thighs and hips. Stretch marks also occur on bodybuilders who are prone to getting them because of the rapid changes that bodybuilding can bring. Such people tend to consume more protein and steroids to pump more muscle fibers to their bodies. As a result of the fast development of muscle tissues in bodybuilders, stretch marks can take place too.
What do they look like?
Initially, stretch marks appear as reddish lines that have a different texture from the normal skin. Over time, it turns lighter and seems to blend in with the color of the skin, fortunately. The consolation is that stretch marks can fade over time, though they may not totally disappear. Stretch marks are also known as striae in medical terms or in dermatology.
Are there health risks?
Stretch marks are extremely common and pose absolutely no significant health risk to an individual. The extent of the stretch mark is purely skin-deep, and it does not reflect any health risks. Unfortunately, most people, especially women, find it aesthetically unpleasant, and hence, developing stretch marks becomes a cause for concern.
How do I treat them?
There are effective treatments available, such as Revitol, which specifically treat stretch marks and reduce their appearance. In addition, there are several creams that help in preventing stretch marks before they are likely to appear; for example, in the case of a pregnant woman, applying a lotion or cream on the stomach during the period of the pregnancy can be beneficial in preventing stretch marks.
There are also more expensive and long-term treatments like cosmetic surgery, laser therapy and chemical peels; however, these can be painful and may not always be effective.
How can we help you?
ClearStretchMarks is dedicated to giving consumers reliable and up to date information on various stretch mark treatments. It is our goal to find sensible and long term methods of treating and healing stretch marks permanently.
We also reviewed some popular stretch marks creams and ranked them based on based on ingredients, effectiveness, safety, value and customers's feedback.
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