Stretch marks travel as long, narrow lines across our bodies. Some proudly claim these tiger stripes while some await the day for their total uprooting. Perceptions are subjective but that doesn’t mean we can’t get into the objectives of stretch marks. We break down these crawling human twines, so read on!
What are stretch marks?
Stretch marks are the result of your skin stretching or shrinking rapidly. Besides genetics, the level of cortisol or ‘stress hormones’, that weaken elastic fibres in the skin can cause stretch marks to appear. This results in the skin being unable to resume to its original form.
How do they look?
Stretch marks manifest differently depending on where and how long you’ve had them. Here are some of its variations:
- Streaks with slight ridges or indentations.
- Pink, red, black, blue or purple streaks.
- Darker coloured streaks that fade to a lighter colour.
Who can develop it?
These groups of people are more susceptible to bearing stretch marks:
- Men and women. Although it tends to affect women more.
- Pregnant women.
- Adolescents who hit puberty.
- Those using corticosteroids.
- Those who exercise and use anabolic steroids.
- Those who have had breast enlargement surgery.
- Those with a personal or family history of stretch marks.
- Those who experience massive weight gain or weight loss.
How to treat it?
Most of the time, stretch marks are a cosmetic complaint. You can consider these treatment methods:
- Creams: Tretinoin, hyaluronic acid.
- Laser: Fractional photothermolysis, excimer laser therapy, pulsed dye laser therapy.
- Oils (research is still ongoing): Cocoa butter, coconut, olive and almond.
- Cosmetic surgery.
To prevent its emergence, you can:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Aim for slow and gradual weight gain during pregnancy.
- Drink plenty of water.
- The facts are simple: stretch marks are a part and parcel of our skin’s journey. Let’s learn to embrace our natural tiger stripes.
Sources: Healthline, WebMD, Medical News Today, Mayo Clinic, NHS UK, Cleveland Clinic, Very Well Health
