Remove Stretch Marks with Care
Rapid weight change during periods such as puberty or pregnancy is the common factor in the development of stretch marks. However, you may be questioning what exactly causes stretch marks and how to fade stretch marks appearance once they form. As a general rule, stretch marks are formed on the body in regions that store large amounts of fat, and they occur in the dermis, the skin layer which determines its shape.
Stretch Marks Defined
Stretch marks are caused by actual tears in a thinned or technically atrophic skin, with fine dermal collagen bundles arranged in straight lines parallel to the surface. These tears are a response from your own body to try to heal the damaged skin. The fact is that stretch marks are really scar tissue developed by the body to heal damage caused by expanding skin that is too thin.
Known by doctors as “striae” (usually “striae distensae” or, in the case of pregnancy , “striae gravidarum”) stretch marks typically show up after a period of rapid weight gain or loss. Stretch marks are most prevalent during pregnancy and the teenage years, when growth spurts and increased levels of steroid hormones cause major changes throughout the body. The reality is that almost 90% of pregnant females develop stretch marks.
Stretch marks are actually skin lesions and are surprisingly the most common type of lesion. Stretch marks, or Striae, are most commonly located on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and flank. You need to know that stretch marks are perfectly normal and are not a medical concern. The dilemma is that they can become an appearance issue and affect a person’s self esteem.
Preventing Stretch Marks – Your First Line of Defense
A secret to preventing stretch marks from developing is to maintain moisture in the skin during times of weight gain or loss. This will aid in the reduction of stretch marks and for those that do appear, fade faster. A process of exfoliation and massaging nutrient-rich natural oils into the skin ,such as wheatgerm, jojoba or vitamin E, will help fade stretch marks from your high risk areas.
The Art of Stretch Mark Removal
The practice of massaging the stretch mark damaged skin is important and increases blood circulation to the affected area, also assisting the healing process. Exfoliation of the area will also help stretch marks removal by shedding dead skin cells and allowing the stretch mark removal cream to penetrate deeper into the damaged skin. A word of caution is warranted though – be careful not to overdo with the exfoliation as it may cause your already damaged skin to become extremely sensitive. A little tenderness will go a long way to remove stretch marks effectively!
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