treatyourscars Stretch marks or streaks on skin arise when the skin is overstretched due to rapid growth or weight gain. Some streaks disappear over time, while others remain on the body as permanent discoloration. The bands of parallel lines vary in color and texture from normal skin, with lines ranging from purple to bright pink to light gray.
Stretch marks on the arm Open stretch marks on the arm Close stretch marks on the arm Men and women tend to develop stretch marks, mainly on the upper arm, abdomen, buttocks and legs. Stretch marks (striae) are indentations or streaks on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks and other parts of the body. Stretch marks (also known as striae or striae distensae) form during the last trimester of the abdomen and appear on breasts, thighs, hips and lower buttocks, although they are also known as striae gravidarum.
Streaks are stretch marks that start as reddish-purple lesions which appear all over the body and are the most likely to occur in places where large amounts of fat are stored, with the most common sites being the abdomen, navel, breasts, upper arms, armpits, inner and outer hips, and buttocks. Stretch marks, also known as streaks, occur when the body is made up of a large number of steroids, a condition known as Cushing’s syndrome. They can be caused by steroids, medications taken regularly, or by heavy steroid use on the skin.
Some stretch marks can be caused by rapid stretching or growth on the skin, such as sudden weight gain during puberty or pregnancy. Your children may also get stretch marks as they go through their growth spurts.
We tend to think that stretch marks, also known as striae distensae (SD), affect women more than men, but this is not true. When stretch marks form, they appear on the abdomen as the baby grows and stretches the skin, but they are not limited to the abdomen: pregnant women can form stretch marks on their thighs and breasts. Since the skin is flexible when it reaches the point where it can no longer be stretched without causing cracks or scars, we can see stretch marks.
This abrupt change is caused by the collagen and elastin that support our skin texture. This type of scar occurs when the skin ceases normal to form after a period of intense growth (pregnancy, weight gain, weight loss, puberty, etc.
Remember that the severity of stretch marks can vary according to skin type, genetic factors, skin elasticity and cortisol levels. Puberty, rapid muscle growth and weight gain can cause stretch marks both in boys and girls, especially in adolescence (3, 4 ). Other factors that make teenagers seem susceptible to stretch marks include genetic risk, family history of stretch marks, pregnancy, being overweight or obese and cortisol medication.
Some dermatologists recommend surgery in the office to reduce the incidence of stretch marks. Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a certified dermatologist based in New York City, says stretch marks are more common in some children than others.
In general, these procedures aimed to reduce the colour, texture and overall appearance of the stretch marks in order to re-consolidate them with the surrounding skin. The following treatments can be performed to improve the appearance of stretch marks. When stretch creams are applied to the skin, they can help rebuild the skin’s collagen fibres, making the skin look more like normal skin.
In pregnant women, stretch marks appear during the third trimester of pregnancy when the fetus grows in the womb. Weight gain is a factor, he says, but a lot is down to genetics: If your parents have stretch marks, you probably have them too.
