Stretch marks

Known by doctors as “striae” stretch marks are unsightly and can have psychological effects on certain individuals, this in turn can have an effect on a persons quality of life ……

What can I do about stretch marks?

Introduction

Hello there, firstly I would like to Introduce myself, my name is Sharon, and secondly I would like to thank you for your visit to stretch marks.info, and I would like to say- I hope you find the answer/s to your question/s and hopefully find what you are looking for here on this site. This web site has been put together primarily to remove all the laborious legwork and researching of information on this topic of stretch marks, a stretch mark cream and information review site you might say.

Also on this site you will find my extensively researched information on stretch mark creams, and other topical treatments. Information I have gathered on this site from many months of on line research from forums, wiki, personal reviews, and topic related web sites such as this. My tedious research and evaluation of data collected on the subject, and processing of this information will hopefully help you to determine the best stretch mark cream that suits your needs (if any) and answer that burning question ……. do stretch mark creams work?

I had to get to the very bottom of the subject at hand and find out, Is there a cure for stretch marks? Do stretch marks creams work? What is the best stretch marks cream? What is the best stretch mark treatment? and home remedies for stretch marks, below is my review …..

What are stretch marks?

Stretch marks develop when underlying tissue as in your top layers of skin known as the dermis expands at a much faster rate then the epidermis (the skin above) stretch marks are sort of a form of scarring you might say. Our skin comprises of around 80% collagen, and about 4% elastin, the elastin is the protein that allows our skin to stretch and gives our skin its suppleness, and elasticity, without elastin our skin would virtually tear. The elastin allows our skin to return back to its natural form after minor or excessive stretching.

What causes stretch marks?

So, what causes a stretch mark? a stretch mark occurs when the elastin fibers get damaged, the actual damaged elastin protein fibers within the skin is the cause of the stretch marks. The collagen fibers also start fraying under excessive stretching and stress and any type of activity that produces an excessive stress on the skin can potentially be the cause of stretch marks.

So basically, stretch marks (or striae) or singular stria, (stretch marks) are caused by excessive stretching of the skin, damaged elastin protein fibers in the skin are are the cause of stretch marks, this is one of the primary cause of stretch marks. Other causes of stretch marks are hormonal and part of the natural aging process.

Pregnancy hormones and increased levels of glucocorticoids also play a huge role in development/ causes of stretch marks including pregnancy stretch marks. It is said that 70% of women will get stretch marks during pregnancy, hormonal changes during pregnancy is triggered by pregnancy, this in turn also causes stretch marks due to glucocorticoid hormones in the blood stream that retard the production of collagen.

The cause of teenage stretch marks as teens grow is fairly common, the processes of growing vertically as well as horizontally causes teenage stretch marks. Teenager stretch marks are more common in Girls then Boys, and in teen girls teenager stretch marks on the breasts are common as well as the hips which are all normal symptoms of puberty, all of the above makes it very difficult to prevent stretch marks and stretch marks in some are just a normal part of the growing process.

Other causes of stretch marks

Other common causes of stretch marks can be as follows ..

Pregnancy
losing weight too quickly
Increased levels of glucocorticoids
Gaining weight rapidly
Rapid growth eg. puberty
Teen growth spurts
Bodybuilding, a common cause of stretch marks in men and women

How to get rid of stretch marks?

Getting rid of stretch marks can be rather difficult taking all of the above into consideration on getting rid of stretch marks.The degree of success you will have with any treatment you find will be affected by a number of factors such as your skin tone, your diet and physical activity as well as your age, each treatment will have varying degrees of success through a range of different ages and skin types when it comes to stretch marks.

What is the best stretch mark cream?

There are many treatment for stretch marks on the market these days and the search for the best stretch mark cream to suit you can be time consuming. Although there are stretch mark creams advertized on this site, I have to be honest and say I really don’t think they work as well as claimed but this is only my own personal opinion. Having just cut my own throat and having said that, this statement may not ring true for some that have got good results from products advertized on this site, but I must be honest as that is what this site is all about and that is, my honest findings.

As stated earlier, age, skin type etc can play an important role in just how effective some of these stretch mark creams can be, some people swear by them including well respected dermatologists. I cannot comment personally on stretch mark creams effectiveness as I used baby oil for stretch marks which did seem to work to a degree. The products listed on this site for removing stretch marks have been hand picked from reviews and the experiences and degrees of success achieved by it’s users are representative of the sites products. I have picked products based on their rave reviews from products used by those that reviewed them, plus the products ingredients and reviews on specific ingredients that make up the products as such.

Retin-A for stretch marks treatment

Retin-A is a cream for stretch marks that some Dermatologists recommend as far as their effectiveness as a treatment goes. Retin-A is the trade name for this stretch mark cream it is also known as Tretinoin cream. These types of creams are claimed to help stimulate fibroblasts to produce more collagen which in theory should reduce stretch marks.

I have left the best one to last as Retin-A has had the most research invested into it and is the only topical treatment that has been approved by the FDA. This product is claimed to be very effective in the treatment of acne scaring and as an anti wrinkle cream also. Unfortunately Tretinoin cream/ Retin-A should be avoided while nursing or pregnant.

Be sure to view the stretch marks video, from the “Embarrassing bodies” series.