Causes Of Stretch Marks

Overview –

Stretch marks are nothing but the cause of stretching of the skin due to some of the reasons such as becoming fat. As you become fat the collagen production in your body decreases. This collagen is responsible for the elasticity of the skin. When this fiber production stops the skin is unable to stretch and in response the stretch marks are formed as the result of the excessive stretching.

Although these are not harmful for our body, still they appear to be very ugly. It becomes very embarrassing to remove shirt in public for one who is having stretch marks. But there is no need to take tension. These stretch marks are curable. There are lot of ways to remove stretch marks. You can use the creams available in the market or home remedies to cure the stretch marks. You can also switch to surgical methods such as laser therapy. Although this treatment will be costlier for patient, but the results are precise.

First we will discuss the causes of the stretch marks and later on we will discuss some of the treatments that will help you to overcome the problem.

Causes Of Stretch Marks –

Many activities are responsible for the stretch marks. Let us now discuss  about some of these causes of stretch marks.

1) Pregnancy – Stretch marks can be caused due to pregnancy, in women. Pregnancy leads to the stretching of skin around stomach area, which further leads to the formation of stretch marks. Excessive stretching causes the loss of collagen fiber. In absence of this collagen fiber the skin can’t bear the stretching on its own. So it leads to the formation of stretch marks. Stretch marks due to pregnancy is very common among women.

2) Puberty – Yes. Puberty can be the cause of stretch marks. In puberty the body makes changes and the skin can’t bear these sudden changes. This also stops the production of collagen. Collagen is responsible for the elasticity of the skin. This helps skin to stretch. But its deficiency can result in formation of stretch marks. Weight gain results in the stoppage of collagen production. Hormonal changes taking place in body during puberty is also the main cause of stretch marks. Stretch marks are common at puberty.

3) Hormonal Changes – Hormonal changes taking place in body are also responsible for stretch marks formation. Every time body makes changes in it, are mainly done by the production and regulation of hormone. Hormones like progesterone and estrogen in women cause and affect the structure of skin and results in the formation of stretch marks. Shift in these hormones is due to bodily changes a girl or woman goes through.

4) Stress – Nowadays, stress can result in many changes in body, such as sudden weight gain or weight loss, changes in body hormones, deficiency of essential nutrients etc,. These all result in the formation of stretch marks. Stress makes all the causes of stretch marks possible. Hormone change, weight gain or loss and many more things are responsible for stretch marks formation. So avoid taking stress as soon as possible.

5) Medications – Some of the medications can cause the skin to stretch. This excess stretching results in the loss of collagen and the formation of stretch marks. Sometimes, the regular consumption of the tablets and drugs can also result in the side effects like, formation of stretch marks and the loss of collagen. So, the drugs should be taken with the least side effects and with the best patient reviews.

6) Cortisone – This is the hormone produced by adrenal glands (located above kidneys). The production of this hormone is having certain level. Production above this level can cause various changes in the body function. This hormone is responsible for the interference with the skin and the fibers related to skin. This weakens the elastic fibers in the skin or the collagen fiber in the skin. Weakening of collagen fiber results in the loss of skins elasticity and formation of stretch marks.

Prevention of Stretch Marks –

By maintaining a healthy weight you are more likely to avoid the problem of having stretch marks. You must keep yourself healthy by consuming healthy food and by doing some exercise or yoga. These things also help us to keep our mind healthy and tension free. As we have discussed above, the stress also causes stretch marks. This type of stretch marks doesn’t depend on the weight. These can happen to anybody. So reducing the level of stress and tension can also help us to cope with stretch marks.

You can use some herbal creams to apply on stretch marks. You can also take care of your skin by applying moisturizing cream for maintaining its elasticity or help it to cope with excess stretching. You can also use some medical applications to cure the stretch marks. These include surgery with the help of laser. This will properly cure your problem, but is costly also. Avoid use of corticosteroid medication. This also increases the risk of getting stretch marks.