How to Deal With Stretch Marks
Reducing the Visibility and Impact of Overstretched Skin
Nov 18, 2008
Stretch marks occur in the dermis, when the skin is stretched considerably over a short period of time. This rapid stretching causes the dermis to break in places and allow the deeper layers of the skin to show through, forming stretch marks.
Areas Most Likely to be Affected By Stretch Marks
Anyone can get stretch marks and they are very common, although they tend to occur more often in women than in men. The areas of the body that are most commonly affected by stretch marks are the abdomen (stomach), the buttocks, and the thighs.
Stretch marks can appear on the skin wherever it is stretched, as a result of sudden growth, such as during pregnancy, weight gain, or growth spurts during puberty.
When Stretch Marks Indicate an Underlying Issue
In some cases, stretch marks can also be a symptom of an underlying health condition, such as Cushing's syndrome. Cushing's syndrome is a condition that is caused by an excess (over-production) of steroid hormones. The condition has several associated symptoms, such as weight gain and high blood pressure (hypertension), which are result of the body producing too much of a particular hormone.
Treating Stretch Marks to Reduce Visibility
There is no specific medical treatment for stretch marks and in most cases there is no need to see a GP about them. Most stretch marks fade over time and are not that noticeable.
There is no medical evidence to show that topical skin treatments such as creams, gels or lotions will work to improve or remove stretch marks. Using these types of cream daily can help to keep skin smooth and supple, but it is very unlikely that they will have an effect on stretch marks.
Creams containing collagen claim to be able to cure stretch marks but collagen rubbed into the surface of the skin cannot penetrate down into the deeper layers where stretch marks occur.
A better, cheaper option may be products containing vitamin E or Caribbean cocoa butter, which is sometimes effective in improving the appearance of scars.
Tretinoin cream (Retin-A)
Tretinoin is derived from vitamin A, and creams and gels that contain tretinoin are often used to treat acne and skin that is severely damaged by the sun.
A cream containing tretinoin, called Retin-A, is sometimes also used to treat stretch marks. It only works on stretch marks that are newly formed (less than six weeks old and still red or pink in colour). Tretinoin cream is not effective on older stretch marks.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy cannot remove stretch marks altogether, but it may help them to fade, and appear less obvious. There are several different types of laser therapy that may be used to treat stretch marks, such as pulsed dye laser treatment. This type of laser therapy works on early stretch marks (that are still red) by sealing the blood vessels within the skin and speeding up the fading process.
Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery for stretch marks is a very extreme and expensive option and is rarely recommended.
Source:
The UK National Health Service online resource
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