Stretch marks

What are Stretch Marks?

If you’ve ever been pregnant, if you’ve experienced rapid weight gain, or if you’ve lifted weights seriously at some time, you’ve probably seen light reddish-purple lines or bands around your tummy or on your upper arms. You may also have noticed them after a sudden growth spurt during your adolescent years. Those bands are called striae or stretch marks.

Stretch marks are most likely to develop during several periods of our life. Their formation is usually initiated by times of rapid growth or weight gain. They can appear on men and women of all ages, especially if the predisposition toward stretch marks has been inherited. If the rest of your family has them, so will you, more than likely.

Once stretch marks form, they may never fully go away, although some treatments offer different levels of relief. Stretch marks that develop during growth will lessen with age. Those that begin later in life are more likely to remain.

A person who is a yo-yo dieter, meaning they jump up and down in weight frequently, will develop the stretch marks as they gain weight. At this point the stretch marks aren’t very noticeable. However, after losing weight, the marks become more prominent. Repeated cycles of weight loss and gain will make the stretch marks longer and deeper.

The same cycle occurs during pregnancy, when the skin is forced to accommodate the pregnant mother’s sudden new body shape. As the skin stretches, the dermis tears. The dermis is the middle, springy layer of your skin that keeps it flexible and tight.

The best way to help eliminate or lessen stretch marks is to lessen their severity up front, before they form. Eat nutritious meals that include all the required vitamins and minerals. A healthy body has healthy systems, like the integumentary system, which consists of the skin, hair, and nails. Healthy skin is less likely to be ravaged by stretch marks. If it is, it’s more likely to bounce back.