What exactly are stretch marks?

Tears in the dermis can occur when the skin is stretched past a particular point, and micro bleedings will likely show up in the dermis. Furthermore, the layer of skin becomes quite thin, which enables these bleeds to be visible via your skin and appear as pink or reddish marks. Therefore when the body regenerates new cells, these new cells are poor collagen creation of this same type, and discoloration can occur as a result of a rip in your skin and have another color than that of your regular epidermis. The result is what we generally refer to as stretch marks.

Stretch marks are stripes on the skin that look a bit like scars. Fresh stretch marks are initially red or bluish. They usually fade to shimmering white streaks over time. They can be up to a half inch wide.

Although stretch marks often occur in women, there are also stretch marks in men. They occur, for example, in some bodybuilders or in men who have gained a lot of weight in a short time. In addition, stretch marks develop during puberty, when the body proliferates.

How do stretch marks develop?
As the name suggests, scar-like skin changes occur when the skin is stretched excessively. Thus, during pregnancy, stretch marks often appear, especially in the second half. According to this study, there are other possible triggers, for example:

• rapid weight gain
• rapid, substantial muscle build-up (e.g., through bodybuilding)
• hormone treatment
• prolonged use of cortisone
• puberty
• obesity (adiposity)
• infections such as typhus, typhoid fever, tuberculosis
• Cushing’s syndrome (the consequence of pathologically increased production of the adrenal hormone cortisol)

The origin of stretch marks lies deep in the skin. Suppose the connective tissue stretches too much, the elastic fibers in the subcutis tear. Then the underlying tissue shows through.

Those most susceptible to stretch marks are individuals who may be expanding rapidly in dimension, ultimately causing the skin to stretch. For example, teenagers growing due to growth spurts during puberty can be susceptible to developing stretch marks. In addition, as their bodies quickly increase to accommodate the growing infant, expectant mothers may also be sensitive to stretch marks. Rapid weight gain is one cause, and these marks might also result from the rapid bulking that can take place in weightlifting. This is the case because the rapid growth in muscle size causes the skin to stretch a great deal.

How to remove stretch marks

The good news is that if you are sick of seeing those unsightly stretch marks, there are means of removing stretch marks. Laser treatment is a wonderful alternative; however, this approach can also be the priciest, although in the event you’d like the most uncomplicated and most rapid means to eliminate those marks.  In addition, laser therapy can give you an area for brand new tissues to regenerate. These new tissues will have precisely the same texture and consistency as your epidermis, which is expected as collagen generation will be even now.

Related: Do you suffer with cellulite? Check out the best cellulite treatment options

By getting dermabrasion, a different way to do away with marks is. This operates by causing abrasion to the outside coating of your skin to get rid of darkish places and any defects on your skin. This may not have the preceding marks when your skin regenerates a new layer. One disadvantage of the process is that the outermost protecting coating will be misplaced, and the epidermis is likely to be very raw and possibly sore for the next few days.

Popular stretch mark creams

Through the use of keloid elimination creme, typically, the most popular manner of removing these marks are lotions that work by exfoliating the outer levels of the skin so that the old tissues found in the scar will be replaced by younger tissues and stimulating active tissue regeneration. During this process, your skin sheds the keloid off and replenishes it with the epidermis, that’s just like your regular skin tone. It’s also a lot more affordable, although this requires that you keep using the lotions.

Another well-liked choice is the usage of cacao butter. A few are cautious about using keloid elimination creme as these are chemically based substances that will have unfavorable outcomes if too many toxins inundate the body. On the other hand, Cacao butter is an all-natural lotion that functions as a facial moisturizer that might assist avoid or decrease the synthesis of stretch marks, mainly when used throughout maternity.

Aside from simply counting on these processes of scar elimination, it’s also wise to help your body by consuming the best types of foods. In return, this can aid in regenerating epidermis tissues. Apart from simply eating a well-balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and green tea and meals like walnuts, fruits, fish, and yogurt will also help maintain your tissue’s hydration level and assist in flushing out toxins from within your body.

Can I prevent stretch marks? Since they are pretty stubborn, stretch marks are difficult to remove. To prevent the tissue tears from occurring in the first place, there are some measures you can take to avoid them specifically:

• Drink plenty of water
• A healthy, balanced diet
• Regular exercise and sports
• Alternating showers
• Kneading and plucking massages with the fingers
• Brush massages with a dry brush or a massage glove
• Well-fitting bras, especially when doing sports
• Regular creaming and oiling of the skin

Pregnant women, in particular, can use massage oil or lotions to promote the elasticity of their skin and prevent stretch marks on the abdomen. But even outside of pregnancy, a body oil such as almond or jojoba oil helps keep the skin supple. Massage brushes or massage gloves can also be used on dry skin to stimulate circulation.

Can stretch marks be treated? Self-treatment with massages.
There are no actual home remedies for stretch marks per se. Nevertheless, the use of oils and creams together with a massage with the fingers or a derma roller can alleviate stretch marks just as well as prevent them.

Above all, the daily application of special creams or a scar care oil keeps the skin supple and can help to reduce the cracks. Castor oil, calendula ointment, or an ointment with vitamin A are suitable here. But beware: for treating stretch marks on the abdomen or other body parts, vitamin A lotion is not an option. Both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, it could cause significant harm to the child.
In combination with a massage, lotions and oils can be worked well into the skin. The classic plucking massage helps to strengthen your connective tissue and stimulate blood circulation. This involves taking small areas of skin between the thumb and forefinger and pulling them away upwards.

If you don’t feel like picking with your fingers, you can also try at-home micro-needling once a week. Using beauty tools like a dermaroller, ultra-fine needles are inserted into the skin, stimulating collagen formation to reseal microscopic wounds. The protein contained in collagen serves as a stabilizer for the skin and can thus reduce stretch marks on thighs, buttocks, and the like.

What helps against stretch marks?
Stretch marks often appear on the chest or abdomen. Stretch marks on the buttocks and thighs are also typical. On the other hand, stretch marks on the back or face are relatively rare.

Medically, you do not have to do anything about them. However, if the stripes bother you from a cosmetic point of view, a visit to a dermatologist may help.

The medical professional has various procedures at his disposal to treat stretch marks. This does not make stretch marks disappear. However, they may become somewhat weaker.

Procedures for the dermatological treatment of stretch marks are, for example:

Laser therapy: laser treatment of stretch marks is mainly considered for fresh, still red stretch marks. In dark-skinned people, however, this can easily lead to hyperpigmentation – the treated skin areas then appear darker than the surrounding healthy skin.
Chemical peels: fruit acid peels, for example.

Mesotherapy: drugs are injected directly into the deeper layers of the skin as a depot for active ingredients.

Carboxytherapy: carbon dioxide is injected directly into stretch marks to improve circulation.

Surgical cryotherapy: with this method, the stretch marks are destroyed explicitly by cold in the form of liquid nitrogen.

Local dynamic micro-massage (LDM): the stretch marks are massaged with the help of high-frequency ultrasound.

Reflective Skintonic Depresso Therapy is a new type of suction massage technique.

Home remedies for stretch marks

As a rule, you cannot get rid of stretch marks. But with one or another home remedy, it is possible to mitigate them a little.

Massages
With regular plucking massages, you promote the blood circulation of the affected skin area. To do this, take small skin rolls between your thumb and index finger and gently pull them upwards. This type of massage is not suitable for pregnant women in the pubic region and generally in the last four weeks before birth. This is because it may trigger premature labor.

Oiling
Used daily, nourishing oils make the skin supple. For example, warm castor oil or calendula ointment has proven particularly effective against stretch marks. Special cellulite oils are also suitable for firming overstretched skin.

Micro-needling
In micro-needling, you run a small roller studded with fine needles over the stretch marks. This creates microscopic wounds in the skin. To close the tiny wounds, the body secretes collagen. As a side effect, the protein firms the skin, reducing stretch marks. If you don’t want to do the usually painless treatment yourself, a beauty salon is a place to go.

Self-tanner
The simplest option is to conceal stretch marks with a self-tanner. The artificial tanning agents soften the color difference between the skin and stretch marks to no longer be so noticeable.

How to prevent stretch marks
It is best if stretch marks do not appear in the first place. Some measures can be taken to prevent stretch marks. These include:

• cold showering of the skin
• healthy diet
• drink plenty of fluids
• sports and exercise
• well-fitting bra to protect the breast tissue
• dry brush massages with a massage glove
• plucking and kneading massages

Regular application of skin care products containing, for example, alphaTocopherol in combination with elastin, hyaloron, panthenol or collagen.