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Causes and prevention of stretch marks.

The mechanism of stretch marks formation.

Our skin is designed to stretch. But is it able to return after stretching to its original form? Let's deal with this issue.

The skin is a part of the body, an organ endowed with peculiar functions and having a unique structure. It is the structure of the skin that determines its physical characteristics such as firmness and elasticity. The stratum corneum, epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat are four successive layers that provide the skin with its appearance and physical characteristics.

The stratum corneum protects the skin by the principle of a barrier, it is the roughest of all layers, as it is formed by dead cells (horny scales) and is a thin film that covers the surface of the skin. The horny scales are fastened together, and the free space between them is filled with a mixture of lipids. Thus, a water-repellent barrier is obtained that does not allow water and water-soluble substances to pass through. The stratum corneum is often renewed due to the detachment of worn-out scales, and the transition of part of the cells into it from the epidermis. The stratum corneum is quite plastic and allows the skin to stretch up to a certain point.

The epidermis, which is covered with a film of the stratum corneum, is also plastic. Its main function is to replenish the stratum corneum with new cells.

The dermis is separated from the epidermis by a basement membrane. It is the dermis that is endowed with springy properties due to the fibers located in it: collagen and elastin. Collagen fibers are thickened fibers of connective tissue. They are strong and flexible, but not stretchable. Elastin fibers are much thinner than collagen ones, they easily stretch and return to their original position. Collagen fibers give the skin elasticity, strength and rigidity, while elastin fibers are responsible for stretching the skin and its recovery after stretching.

The fatty layer of the skin retains heat and softens the blows of the skin. This is her airbag.

The dermis layer is considered the most elastic; in fact, this layer can stretch indefinitely, but the stratum corneum and the epidermis have a stretch limit, overcoming which the stratum corneum and epidermis are torn, and the dermis continues to stretch. Collagen fibers are stretched horizontally, and a space is formed between them, filled with connective tissue cells. In this way, the resulting breaks the body begins to "mend" with connective tissue. Over time, lingering tears fade, lose elasticity and appear on the skin as whitish stripes of various lengths. And since the connective tissue does not contain pigment then these stripes always remain white and are especially noticeable on tanned skin. Such strips of connective tissue formed on the skin are called striae in medicine , and stretch marks in everyday life. In fact, stretch marks are cicatricial changes in the skin, but not of a deep nature.

Reasons for stretch marks.

The causes of stretch marks are directly related to the processes in the body that provoke excessive stretching of the skin:

Obesity processes that lead to an increase in body size, and then a sharp decrease in weight loss. In this case, stretch marks are located in the abdomen, chest, hips, and forearms.
Disorders of metabolic processes, when water and fats begin to accumulate, forming a depot in different parts of the body, thereby increasing the volume of organs.
Disruption of endocrine processes, in particular excessive production of cortisol, an adrenal hormone. In this case, degradation of the structure of elastin fibers occurs. Topical use of corticosteroids can also lead to the destruction of elastin and the gradual replacement of skin areas with connective tissue.
The growth of the body when the skin does not have time to increase the number of cells required to completely cover the surface of the body. In these cases, stretch marks are located on the back, chest, abdomen, forearms, and thighs.
Pregnancy, when the skin on the abdomen and chest is forced to stretch due to an increase in the volume of the uterus and mammary glands. After childbirth, stretch marks remain on the chest, stomach, hips.

Prevention and treatment of skin stretch marks.

Preventing excessive stretching of the skin is a rather difficult thing, since it is almost impossible to keep oneself in one weight during life due to endocrine processes that take place outside of our desire. But controlling your weight is still necessary so that you do not have to drop it abruptly.

Pregnancy is also inevitable, this is how women's health works. But you can keep the stretch of the skin to a certain level using several techniques:

to pump the abdominal muscles until pregnancy, during pregnancy they will help to keep the increased volume of the abdomen.

use body creams containing elastin and collagen to make the skin more elastic

massage areas of the skin that will be subject to stretching

wear a bandage during pregnancy

people with skin diseases should use external corticosteroid drugs with caution

monitor your hormonal status and adjust it as needed

Removal of stretch marks is a rather problematic matter, since it requires surgery or the use of a laser. In addition, there are contraindications to surgical intervention. Stretch mark removal surgery is aimed at removing an area of skin with a stretch mark located on it. And such areas of the skin can be quite extensive. Laser removal of stretch marks is based on the principle of burns and, thus, triggering the mechanism of tissue regeneration (restoration of epidermal cells). If you are not ready for surgical or laser manipulations, and, perhaps, do not have the possibilities associated with contraindications, then it makes sense to psychologically adjust yourself to the fact that stretch marks are an integral part of the life of the body, like moles or wrinkles.