“Those lines on her thighs are poetry and the stretching of her skin tells a story of a strong beautiful woman.” – R.H. Sin
Ah, stretch marks. They happen to everyone and even supermodels. If you are feeling self-conscious about your stretch marks, remember that nobody is perfect. Just because you have them, it does not make you any less beautiful than the next person. Stretch marks happen to almost everyone and should be used as a reminder of where you have come from, whether that be a pregnancy, a weight loss journey or even puberty. They all have a story to tell! Learn to embrace your imperfections and don’t allow them to define who you are as a person. If stretch marks are something that concerns you, that’s okay too! Read to know more about stretch marks, what causes them and available treatments that you can try.
Firstly, what are stretch marks?
Stretch marks or the medical term for it, striae are stripes or streaks that appear on the skin, which are usually red, pink, grey or white in colour. Stretch marks happen when the skin is stretched beyond its elastic limit. When this occurs, the skin cannot bounce back and, it remains permanently scared. It is practically normal to happen during teenage years as the skin is generally firmer and has a lower elastic limit. The most common areas they appear are the lower abdomen, thighs, breasts and lower back.
Once the stretch marks start to develop, they tend to be red, bright pink or purple in colour. This colouring occurs because of the broken fibres and blood vessels in the skin’s deeper layers. They will generally fade into a grey or white shade as the blood vessels contract.
The most important thing to note is that stretch marks form in the deeper layers of your skin due to the overstretching of the connective tissues, such as collagen and elastin. So essentially, stretch marks mean that your skin is scarring from the inside out, which is a little different to your typical scar that usually occurs as a result of an external wound. Not everyone develops stretch marks and hormone levels seem to play a role too.
What causes stretch marks?
Our skin has three layers, where the deepest layer is known as hypodermis, followed by the dermis which is the middle layer and lastly the epidermis, the outer layer of our skin. Stretch marks are formed in the middle layer – the dermis. Hence, it is difficult to treat them as they are formed from the inside out. As your body grows naturally, the connective fibres in the dermis slowly stretch. However, when there is rapid growth due to pregnancy, weight loss or gain, these fibres can be stretched beyond their elastic limit and may become damaged or even break.
Of course, stretch marks are also very common in pregnant women because their bellies grow quite quickly. Pregnancy causes a lot of hormonal changes and, because of that, it may increase the possibility of stretch marks appearing. If you are pregnant and have noticed the appearance of stretch marks, don’t be paranoid as this is normal. The appearance of stretch marks can also be hereditary and that explains why certain women get them during pregnancy and others don’t.
Rapid weight gain or loss is one of the major causes of stretch marks for both men and women. When your body gains a large amount of weight in a short period of time, then your skin may develop stretch marks. It is indeed that you can shed some pounds, but it does not mean that stretch marks will also disappear.
Stretch marks available treatments
Natural stretch mark removal
Traditional treatments include creams, lotions, oil and other stretch marks removal products. There are a wide variety of products available on the market. However, the effectiveness and satisfactory results may vary for each individual. In general, these products are most effective when applied to fresh stretch marks and might not work so well for those with old and well-developed stretch marks scars. In these cases, more involved medical treatment may be the only effective option.
Laser stretch mark removal
The excimer laser removes thin layers of skin around the stretch marks during this procedure. Instead of burning or cutting the affected skin areas, this procedure uses high-energy ultraviolet laser light to disrupt the molecular bonds in the skin tissue which then causes the tissue to disintegrate – a process known as ablation. The treatment area will heal quickly and a new layer of healthy skin will form. In just a simple procedure, redness can be reduced and stretch marks can be smoothed.
Surgical stretch mark removal
If the laser treatment procedure does not satisfy you, then surgical stretch mark removal is the only effective option and a practical solution for the complete and permanent elimination of stretch marks instead of just camouflaging them.
A surgical procedure is known as abdominoplasty or more commonly referred to as a ‘tummy tuck’ is currently the only effective surgical procedure for stretch mark removal. The procedure tightens abdominal muscles and removes excess skin in the mid to lower abdominal region. All stretch marks below the navel are discarded along with the excess skin.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are most commonly used on the face to treat wrinkles and age spots, but they can be used on other areas of the body for stretch marks removal. A chemical solution is applied to the skin using a sponge, cotton pad, cotton swab or brush. The types and strengths of the chemicals in the solution vary according to the individual patient’s needs.
The chemicals work by peeling off the top layers of damaged, dead skin and activate new skin cell production. Patients might feel a stinging or burning sensation during treatment but, it is normal.
The recovery period depends on the patient’s skin type and the strength of the chemicals used. Multiple treatments may be necessary to achieve greater positive results. Take into account that this chemical peeling process will not remove stretch marks completely. However, they usually fade as a result of treatment, revealing a smoother, healthier and more youthful looking skin.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion improves the appearance of stretch marks through the removal of the skin’s top layers. It is different than chemical peels as this method uses a fine crystal spray to blast the outermost layers of skin while chemical peels use chemicals to discard the top layer of skin away.
Dead skin cells are removed and new healthy skin cells replace the old layer of skin. The new cells produce more collagen and elastin – two essential components of smooth, clear and young looking skin.
It is a painless procedure that takes no more than an hour to complete and involves little recovery time. Keep in mind that, although microdermabrasion can improve the appearance of scars, it is not really that effective to completely remove them.
Blue light therapy
This procedure is more widely used for acne treatment but sometimes used to improve the appearance of stretch marks. Blue light therapy involves the application of photosensitive gel to the skin which is then exposed to bursts of light energy. Expect a positive appearance of your skin where stretch marks are diminished.
Keep in mind that you are not alone in this battle. There are many people who have stretch marks hidden away under their clothes – not letting anyone see it. Stretch marks will slowly fade away but, it requires some time. Don’t feel pressure about it and you are definitely in control of your life by publicly accepting your body from head to toe and not relying on strangers for approval. Like human beings, stretch marks come in all shapes and sizes and shades and depths – they are like artwork on your body!
