STRETCH MARKS – OFTEN THE PRICE OF HAPPINESS

Stretch marks are often the price the mother ends up paying for her bundle of joy and so I refuse to refer to them as unsightly, but they are a common and often temporary problem. They pose no long-term health risks, and treatment is normally intended to improve the self-image of the mother who has her hands full anyway!

These white and purple scars, known as stretch marks, affect almost 90% of women after pregnancy. The greater degrees of skin stretching in obese women with larger babies like the diabetic mothers make them more prone to stretch marks. Age-related changes in skin collagen and connective tissue that affect the likelihood of tearing make the elderly mothers more prone to these marks.

But pregnancy is not the only reason of stretch marks, abdomen is not the only place which has these blemishes and females are not the only sex that is having them! They can also occur in men and teenagers who rapidly lose weight. 

Why do stretch marks appear?

Stretch marks develop when the top layer of the skin expands or contracts faster than the layer beneath. These changes cause the connective tissues, such as collagen and elastin fibers, to break and leave the dermis scarred. As the body grows, the connecting fibers in the dermis slowly stretch to accommodate slow growth. However, rapid growth leads to sudden stretching. This causes the dermis to tear, allowing deeper layers of skin to show through.

They are more likely to develop and become more severe where there are high levels of circulating cortisone, or when cortisone is applied to the skin. Cortisol, the stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is converted into cortisone. This weakens elastic fibers in the skin.

Stretch marks on an athlete

Stretch marks are seen not only women after pregnancy but also:

- Teenagers that grew suddenly
- Athletes who are very physically active
- Bodybuilders who gain and lose weight
- People on steroids
- People who have lost weight rapidly
- People who have put on weight rapidly
- Women who have had breast enlargement surgery
- Individuals with thick skin
- People with hormonal failure
- People suffering from Cushing's disease or Marfan syndrome. 

 Types of stretch marks:

Most stretch marks have a veiny or branched pattern, exposing the areas where the skin has thinned, and tissues have been damaged. Before stretch marks begin to emerge, the skin can appear thin and pink. It may also feel irritated or itchy. The marks initially develop as wrinkly, raised streaks that can be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown or dark brown, depending on skin color. These are called Striae rubra. The streaks eventually fade and flatten and tend to change to a silvery color over time and settle as thin, white scars called striae alba. Stretch marks may gradually become less noticeable, but this can often take years.

Stretch marks associated with pregnancy are called striae gravidarum.

Stretch marks at sites other than abdomen are also called striae, striae distensae (SD), or striae atrophicans

Where do we see stretch marks?

While mostly it is the striae gravidarum that are commonly encountered but stretch marks are also seen on the breast, hips, flanks, buttocks and thighs. The skin covering the breasts is thinner than it is in many other parts of the body, making it more vulnerable to fine tears. Hormonal events, including pregnancy and puberty, cause the breast tissues to expand quickly. Breast surgeries often change the shape of the breast suddenly, forcing the skin to adjust quickly and increasing the risk of new scaring. Hips, flanks and thighs show striae usually after massive weight loss.

Treatment:

Creams, gels, lotions, and cosmetic surgery have all been proposed as treatments for stretch marks, although there is little medical evidence to support the effectiveness of such treatments. So far current treatments are particularly limited in their ability to deliver long-lasting improvements for all skin types.

Stretch marks often fade over time and become unnoticeable. For women who develop stretch marks in pregnancy, these usually become less noticeable around 6 to 12 months after giving birth. Makeup can be used to conceal stretch marks on more exposed areas of the body while they are more pronounced.

Many popular products that claim to get rid of stretch marks are just a marketing trick or myth. If you want to prevent stretch marks, these products do work well, but they do not help get rid of already existing scars. Some tips to bear in mind:

- Special creams and lotions are just moisturizing creams and lotions, which cannot eliminate stretch marks from the skin.
- Cosmetic products containing tretinoin (vitamin A that works against pimples), collagen and hyaluronic acid won't help you get rid of stretch marks despite their properties of active substances.
- Oils like coconut, almond, olive and those with vitamin E, shea oil, and others, won't erase stretch marks even if you massage the skin regularly.
- Medicinal herbs like aloe can't remove scars, even if the wisest representatives of traditional medicine promise it will. Ingredients like coffee, honey, and sugar body scrubs or peels can help simply because these products are scrubs. They remove the upper layer of scars and slowly make your stretch marks look more like healthy skin so that they become less visible.

Reliable professional methods:

The fight against stretch marks using modern technology too has not met with perfect satisfaction. Below are some recommendations: 

Peeling: Scrubs are made of smooth natural components; peeling procedures imply the effect of aggressive chemical substances. Local anesthesia is usually used. 

Microdermabrasion: This is a rather painful procedure as it removes several layers of the epidermis with the help of aluminum oxide crystals. This method is supposed to force newer and younger skin to grow faster.

Laser: Laser therapy is a new and effective method against stretch marks. As well as microdermabrasion devices, it removes skin and affects deeper layers too. There are instances when laser is performed under general anesthesia. One of the advantages of laser therapy is that it is not all that expensive and there's a low chance of having any adverse reactions. 

Plastic surgery: Sometimes people turn to this method of removing the damaged skin by a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. This reduces the area of skin afflicted with stretch marks ant stretches out the remaining abdominal skin to make it look smoother. 

Mesotherapy: A number of useful substances such as hyaluronic acid and vitamins are included in the mesotherapy injections. It's especially suitable to prevent stretch marks and it's more effective than creams and lotions containing the same substances. 

A creative solution: Today you can cover your scars with tattoos. But the success rate will depend on your skin, the ink and the tattoo artist's experience and style.  Think twice before doing so if stretch marks are new and still purple. In this case, it is better to wait as your tattoo can get damaged or ink can fall out. Women should also not get a tattoo while breastfeeding. For tattooing it is recommended to wait at least 1 year and only when the family is complete.