Stretch marks: How can you get rid of these stripes?

Stretch marks are a rip in the skin’s dermis, which is the layer between the epidermis and hypodermis. When the skin is subject to a sudden, intense bout of tension, the tissues stretch without breaking. The stretch marks are visible on the surface of the skin. They take on the appearance of fine, sinuous scars. They are purplish in colour when they appear. They are considered to be in an inflammatory stage. Then, their colour fades and takes on a slightly pearly white colour. In some cases, their colour fades to become the same colour as the skin.

Stretch marks normally appear on the belly, buttocks, breasts, biceps, knees and thighs.

Stretch marks: what are the causes?

Stretch marks affect 70 % of women. In fact, pregnancy is the main cause of stretch marks. During, pregnancy, the skin of the belly is subject to tension and it is common for stretch marks to appear on the abdomen, the belly and the sides, as well as the breasts.

When you gain a lot of weight, the amount of fat increases significantly, which also causes stretch marks to appear on the arms, thighs, belly, buttocks and hips. It is also common for very active, sporty people who put on a lot of muscle mass, which can cause small, stripy scars.

When people, particularly teenagers, go through a growth spurt, they may get stretch marks on their body.

Medical developments have now shown that stretch marks can also be caused when patients have a high level of corticoids in their body. Cushing’s syndrome is caused by cortisol (cortex), also known as the stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands.

Finally, thin, fragile skin is an important factor in the appearance of stretch marks.

Stretch marks: what are the treatments?

There is no ‘miracle cure’ for getting rid of stretch marks once and for all but many methods are very effective in making a visible impact on their appearance to help avoid the insecurity they cause when they appear on the body.

Different procedures can stimulate and/or renew collagen and elastin in the skin. Recent red stretch marks and older white stretch marks that are more like fine scars gradually fade away until they become almost undetectable.