Tips on How To Get Rid Off Stretch Marks in 2021
Stretch marks are a natural part of life and there is never a reason to feel ashamed of them. Stretch marks can be a cause of insecurity for many people and can even cause physical irritation such as soreness or itchiness.
Stretch marks can appear almost anywhere on your body, but they’re most commonly found on your stomach, thighs, breasts, upper arms, and buttocks. They also tend to affect women more than men.
Here’s what you need to know about stretch marks, what they are caused by, and how to help treat them.
The causes of stretch marks
The skin contains three primary layers: the outer epidermis, the middle dermis, and the inner hypodermis. Stretch marks form in the dermis, when its connective tissue stretches beyond its inherent elastic properties. Most commonly this is caused by a rapid expansion or contraction of the skin, such as during a growth spurt, a sudden weight gain or loss, or pregnancy. About 50-90 percent of people develop stretch marks after delivery.
The fibers stretch to accommodate your body’s normal growth as you age. However, rapid growth taxes the tissues and leads to tears, permitting the deeper skin layers to show through as bands of colored lines — stretch marks.
Stretch marks are also more likely to form and become more noticeable when the body has high levels of circulating cortisone, which is derived from the stress hormone cortisol produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisone weakens the elastic properties of the tissue. Adrenal gland disorders, including Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan’s syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, can also cause stretch marks by increasing cortisone levels in your body.
How stretch marks are treated
There are many different types of treatments and skin products for stretch marks, each targeting a different aspect of the skin’s properties. They include:
Topical creams
Tretinoin cream restores the skin’s collagen, a fibrous protein in the dermis layer that helps give your skin elasticity. It works best on recent red or pink marks. However, it may cause skin irritation and isn’t suitable for pregnant women.
Microdermabrasion
This treatment uses tiny crystals scrubbed over the skin’s surface to remove the top layers containing the stretch marks. Microdermabrasion may improve the look of older stretch marks.
Chemical peels
A peel is an acidic solution used to burn off the top skin layers, removing dead and damaged cells and boosting new skin growth. While this treatment may help a bit, it won’t completely get rid of any type of stretch marks.
Heat treatments
Heat treatments use different delivery systems, including radio wave energy and ultrasound, to heat up the dermis layer, triggering collagen production.
Laser therapies
There are a number of different types of laser therapy that use light instead of heat to reduce or remove the appearance of stretch marks:
Pulsed dye laser therapy: used on new, red stretch marks, the energy triggers collagen and elastin production
Fractional photothermolysis: similar to the pulsed dye laser but targets a smaller area and causes less skin damage
Fractional CO2 laser therapy: removes columns of tissue and smooths out old, white-colored stretch marks
Excimer laser therapy: uses targeted ultraviolet B (UVB) light to trigger collagen and elastin production
Always remember stretch marks are natural and a majority of people experience them at some point in their life and with or without them you are beautiful.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q. Can you stop stretch marks once they start?
A. Treatment. There is no proven way to get rid of stretch marks once they appear. However, some new treatments look promising, including Laser or light therapy, We would advise getting the treatment done by a Dermatologist.
Q. Can stretch marks go away?
A. Stretch marks often begin as red or purple marks, and slowly fade to white or silver over time. The difference in color distinguishes how old the marks are. Though they may never disappear completely, treatment can lighten the color of your marks and shrink them.
Q. What should you not do for stretch marks?
A. Soft skin doesn't tend to develop stretch marks as much as dry skin does. Recommendations by skin experts for daily water intake are 104 ounces for men and 72 ounces for women.