Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body where the skin has been stretched. They occur when the lower layer of the skin containing collagen...... more
Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body where the skin has been stretched. They occur when the lower layer of the skin containing collagen and elastin, which give our skin its elasticity, becomes damaged by a rapid weight loss or weight gain, such as in pregnancy. The purple appearance of the
stretch mark on the skin is caused by the small blood vessels beneath the surface, which become more visible with stretching. The full truth is
stretch marks are visible linear scars. These form in areas of dermal damage produced when skin is too thin (affected by atrophy) and elastin fibers are damaged and not capable of withstanding over-stretching and reach tensile capacity. They weaken and ultimately fail resulting in tears in the dermal skin layer. They show up on a thinned skin surface as visibly curled stripes and are actually bands of elastin broken beneath the skin. Essentially,
stretch marks are scars that have formed from the inside out, rather than scarring from external wounds.
Stretch marks occur frequently during pregnancy, growth spurts, bodybuilding while on steroids, or when other hormonal imbalances may be at work. It may surprise you to know that in the United States it is estimated that 90% of pregnant women, 70% of adolescent females, and 40% of adolescent males have
stretch marks. There does not seem to be an ethnic tendency toward
stretch marks, as people of all skin colors can be affected. People who have fair to light skin typically have pink-tinged
stretch marks, while the same
marks on darker skin tones tend to take on a deeper pigmentation than the skin surrounding them. Discoloration from
stretch marks does fade over time, but regrettably, their striated appearance rarely returns to its original smooth appearance.?
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