Where do stretch marks come from, can they actually be prevented - and is it really possible to get rid of them if they already exist? You will find the answers in our article.
Stretch marks or striae are, in fact, a tear in the skin to its entire depth. There are two forms of stretch marks: red (the initial inflammatory phase) and white (atrophic scars - the final phase, when a defect is formed in all layers of the skin due to pathological collagen).
At first, the stretch marks are red because they are filled with blood vessels. While stretch marks are forming, it is not yet scar tissue, but a separation of fibers, thinning of the skin. It becomes looser in this place. Then the vessels empty, collagen production increases, scar forms - and stretch marks turn white and become less noticeable.
Where do they most often form, these stretch marks? In young men, as a rule, it is in the lower back and in the area of the knees. For women - on the hips and calves, for pregnant women - on the belly and chest. Also, before the appearance of stretch marks, you may feel itching. It is from this itching that you can understand where the skin will rupture and stretch marks will form in the future.
The main reason is the imbalance of hormones and its effect on the connective tissue. This imbalance occurs during adolescence and during pregnancy. Plus excessive stretching of the skin (with rapid growth, a sharp increase in body weight).
Stretch marks can also be a side effect of taking steroid hormones - those that are used to quickly gain muscle mass. Stretch marks also accompany some diseases, for example:
Stretch marks appear at the dermis level. The synthesis of collagen and elastin is reduced, and the enzymes that break down collagen are produced normally. As a result, the integrity of the epidermis is preserved, but breaks occur in depth.
The adhesion between collagen fibers decreases, elastin fibers break, capillaries are destroyed. The skin becomes vulnerable, a "dip" forms. The healing of such microtraumas occurs through scarring. Therefore, the stretch marks form like a scar. The scar may become hypotrophic (minus tissue), hypertrophic (plus tissue), or develop into a keloid.
It is very important to keep your skin moisturized to avoid stretch marks. By moisturizing the skin, creams make it more elastic. A rough example: we can bend a fresh slice of bread, but a crouton will crack. Therefore, it is important and necessary to use creams, and not only during pregnancy but also when planning it.
Recently, four genetic markers have been discovered that may indicate a predisposition to stretch marks. In the presence of these markers, the skin produces fewer proteins (in particular, fibronectin), which are responsible for elasticity and regeneration
Heredity and other genetic factors are at play. Knowing that the patient has genetic polymorphisms of the corresponding genes, we will not prescribe procedures with dosed tissue damage (ablation laser and the like). There are genetic tests that indicate possible pathologies of the connective tissue. These are indirect indicators by which you can assume the likelihood of stretch marks.
In any case, it is important to maintain a stable weight and take preventive measures during pregnancy. These are not only creams, but also a soft massage, a contrast shower, and supportive underwear. It is good to use products with centella, with algae, including algal wraps (for pregnant women - without heating). They nourish the skin with trace elements.
With the help of hardware and injection techniques, oral and external means, you can reduce the severity of stretch marks. However, the formed deep stretch marks will not be restored to healthy skin. It is important to accept this fact. Like scars, stretch marks cannot be removed completely. You can correct their thickness, color, improve density. Then they will look like highlighted thin stripes.
Every woman who goes through the procedures should understand: the skin will get better. In some cases, it is much better. But this is not one procedure, and traces will remain anyway.
Creams against stretch marks are not a panacea, but it is difficult to call them a complete profanation. In moisturized skin with a good lipid balance, regeneration processes are better. With the formed white atrophic stripes, creams do not help. However, they can be used as adjunctive therapy in addition to procedures. There are also retinol medications that are used in the treatment of various collagen diseases, including stretch marks. They are effective at the first, "red" stage of formation. But these medications have many limitations, they must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you smear the stretch marks with anything, even sour cream, they will eventually turn white. And we can say that sour cream helped. But not a single cream that could prevent or remove them. But if the skin is dense, elastic (the cream can just contribute to this), the stretch will be narrow, not very noticeable.
Stretch marks have no age, but there are stages of formation. The approach to treatment is different for each stage. By starting the treatment on time, you can reduce the number of stretch marks and their area. Yes, it is better to work with the stretch marks while they are red. If the stretch is ten years old, it is a mature scar completely replaced by connective tissue. This fabric is rough, and it is difficult to influence it.
If you have an acute illness, you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, each individual method has its own contraindications.
In a study published in the journal Science in 2017, scientists argue that it is possible to influence skin regeneration without scarring. The secret ended up in the hair follicles.
The journal Nature writes about this study: “Scientists who have conducted research on scar formation in mice have noticed an oddity: hair grows in the wounds on the back of the mice. Even stranger was the fact that the skin around these hair follicles regenerated to normal, and a layer of fat cells formed underneath - and fat cells usually do not form under the scar tissue. In 2017, a team led by George Kotzarelis, a dermatologist at the Perelman School of Medicine, demonstrated in mice that new hair follicles produce growth factors - bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) that can transform fibroblasts into fat cells. “And the cool thing,” says Kotzarelis, “is that when you have a hair follicle, it normalizes the skin around it.” Human fibroblasts also seem to be able to turn into fat cells under the influence of BMP. But human treatment protocols are still a long way off, the team admits.
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