Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are a form of marking on the skin with a silvery white hue. Stretch marks are mostly associated with pregnancy, obesity, bodybuilding, puberty, and intense physical activity. Between 75 and 90% of women develop stretch marks to some degree during pregnancy. People who are obese often have stretch marks. Bodybuilders are prone to getting stretch marks because of the rapid body changes that bodybuilding can produce. Stretch marks also may occur if a person uses steroid-containing skin creams or ointments (such as hydrocortisone) for more than a few weeks, or has to take high doses of oral corticosteroids for months or longer.

Stretch marks are effect of an elevated level of circulating glucocorticoids throughout the bloodstream. Glucocorticoids is a hormone which secreted by the adrenal glands (they lie on top of the kidneys). It becomes elevated during pregnancy, adolescence, with obesity, weight lifting and Cushing’s disease. The glucocorticoids hormones responsible for the development of stretch marks affect the dermis by keeping the fibroblasts from forming collagen and elastin fibers, necessary to keep quickly growing skin taut. This creates a deficiency of supportive substantial, as the skin is stretched and leads to dermal pulling.

Human skin has three different layers: the epidermis (outer layer), the dermis (middle layer), and the subcutaneous stratum (innermost layer). Stretch marks occur in the dermis, the resilient middle layer that helps the skin retain its shape. Stretch marks happen when the tissue under the skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching. Then, scars called stretch marks may form.Stretch marks first appear as reddish or purple lines, but tend to gradually fade to a lighter color. At first, stretch marks may show up as reddish or purplish lines that may appear indented and have a different texture from the surrounding skin

Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body. They are most likely to appear in places where larger numbers of fat is stored. Most usual places are the abdomen (especially near the belly-button), breasts, upper arms, underarms, thighs (both inner and outer), hips, and backside. They pose no health risk in and of themselves, and do not compromise the body's ability to function normally and repair itself.

Treatment

Various treatments are available for the purpose of improving the appearance of existing stretch marks, including laser treatments, dermabrasion, and topical applications (e.g. cocoa butter). A certain procedure for removing lower abdominal stretch marks is the tummy tuck, which removes the skin under the belly button where stretch marks frequently occur.