Stretch marks can be rated as a relatively common skin condition, since they are affecting millions of people all over the world. Normally, they appear as visible lines of skin surface in purple or bright pink color and afterward turn light, silvery in color. Comprehension of the dynamics of the occurrence of stretch marks brings out several insights that will help improve many ways of prevention strategies and the effects different treatments yield.

 

Causes Of Stretch Marks


Experiencing Changes In Weight At A Very High Rate

Fast growth and sudden changes in body weight are two of the most prominent causative factors for stretch marks. This means elasticity is heightened during times of fast growth, whether it be in adolescence or pregnancy. Hence, such a phase of overt stretching of the skin might result in a rupture of the collagen and elastin fibers of its dermis layer and hence lead to stretch marks.


  • Since teenagers have growth spurts, the body tends to grow up in size very fast.
  • This tends to bring stretch marks to thighs, hips, or breasts.
  • Another common time stretch mark is during pregnancy, normally on the abdomen, breasts, and buttocks area.
  • The cause of forming stretch marks could be some tearing in the dermal layer as a result of stretching of the skin while the baby is growing inside during pregnancy.
  • These marks will be reddish or purple in color, and they seem to fade, turning to silvery shade over some period.

 

Pregnancy And Hormonal Changes

Pregnancy is one of the major causative factors of stretch marks in females. During pregnancy, the skin of the abdomen would experience a lot of stretching due to the growth of the fetus in the uterus. Such rapid stretch may tear the collagen and elastin fibers of the skin and result in stretch marks.


Hormonal changes during pregnancy may also be responsible for the production of stretch marks. Estrogen and relaxing are some of these. Their concentration is high during pregnancy to accommodate the growth of the fetus and prepare the fetus for delivery through the uterus and birth canal. However, in the process, they may make the skin more susceptible than it is to stretch marks.


  • The most common area of occurrence of pregnancy stretch marks is the abdomen, followed closely by the breasts, hips, and thighs.
  • In most instances, pregnant mothers report reddish or purple in color at the beginning, which tends to light into a silvery color with time.
  • Even though these stretch marks are quite normally experienced at times of pregnancy, they appear to bear on their presence and degree of appearance dimensions such as genetic predisposition, age, and skin type.

 

Genetic Predisposition

One can develop stretch marks due to a genetic factor, this being so if your parents or any immediate member have them. The genetic factor controls the amount of collagen and elastin, those two very important proteins that keep the skin supple within the skin. These differences in the amount of collagen and elastin modulate the success of skin response to stretching and determine at times, thus, stretch marks occurring during periods of rapid growth or weight gains.


  • While a genetic predisposition does not provide one with the guarantee of developing stretch marks at any point in one's life, it does, under some circumstances, enhance its opportunity.
  • Knowing your risk of getting stretch marks helps a person be informed enough to make efforts towards maintaining an ideal weight and keeping well-hydrated, applying enough moisturizers onto the skin surface to maintain hydration and allowing the skin to remain supple.

 

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Corticosteroids Use

Yet another cause of stretch marks is an excessively long application of corticosteroid medications. Corticosteroids are among the most common medications prescribed for the treatment of a wide spectrum of inflammatory pathology, from asthma and arthritis to dermatitis and others. While corticosteroids are indeed effective and bring person-destroying diseases under control, some of their adverse side effects undermine skin health and looks.


  • Corticosteroids work by suppressing the immune system and reducing inflammation.
  • It will then be said to weaken skin collagen and elastin fibers; as such, it will tear and stretch easily.
  • It may cause stretch marks more especially in areas where this skin might be thin or on those places where corticosteroid medications are applied topically like on regions such as the arms, thighs, and abdomen.

 

Medical Conditions

There are also a number of medical conditions that can raise the risk of stretch marks. Diseases like Cushing's syndrome and Marfan syndrome, which involve changes in the amount of collagen and elastin produced by a person's body, offer poorer resistance to skin tearing and scarring.


  • Cushing's syndrome is one of the hormonal disorders that develop from chronic excessive levels of cortisol in the body.
  • Excessive amounts of cortisol weaken skin collagen fibers so that they are incapable of elastic deformation; hence, the skin becomes prone to develop stretch marks, notably at lax areas of skin to include those areas at the abdomen, thighs, and arms.

 

Lifestyle Factors

Severe stretch marks are also related to some aspects of lifestyle, for example, smoking, which reduces blood flow to the skin and impairs collagen production. Smoking habit can also have ill effects on elastin skin fibers whose elasticity is lost and thus prone to tears and scarring.


  • Poor nutrition will affect the condition of the skin-that is, its elasticity, referrals to the ability of the skin to stretch and recover after fast weight changes.
  • On the other hand, though, low levels of some of the critical vitamins and minerals play additional impeaching roles in collagen production. For instance, vitamins C and E and zinc impair collagen production, hence making it hard for the skin to heal itself.
  • Poor hydration can cause compromising of the elastic nature of your skin and become more stretch mark prone.
  • Keeping the body well-hydrated is related to the level of moisture inside the skin composition, which guards good general health of the skin.
  • Therefore, it becomes much easier for your skin to stretch and recover from this stretching without a scar or stretch mark taking place.

 

Conclusion

Among the general conditions of the skin are stretch marks that come out as a result of excess growth, pregnancy, genes, corticosteroids, some medical cases, and bad lifestyles. Empowered by these causes, people can take measures for its prevention and treatment. Shortly, a healthy lifestyle and proper skin care strategies will be very helpful in containing the damage stretched marks have on your skin and general health.


Please book an appointment with the Best Dermatologist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.