Stretch marks

Description

Stretch marks are a type of skin mark that are pink, red or purple areas of tearing on the upper surface of the skin.

They most commonly appear on the abdomen, chest, upper arms, thighs, and buttocks and eventually fade to white or gray.

This compromise of the skin surface is particularly common in women during the second half of pregnancy.

What are the symptoms?

Not all skin tags look the same.

Their color and shape vary depending on how long ago they appeared, what caused them and where on the skin they are located.

The most common changes are:

• Micro-tears in the skin that cause streaks or lines;
• Multiple pink, red, or purple streaks;
• Deep-colored streaks that fade over time to light pink , white or gray color.

In some cases, stretch marks can affect large areas of skin.

See your doctor if you are concerned about the appearance of your skin or if the skin microtears have covered too large areas of skin.

The medical professional will determine the cause and give you possible treatment options.

What are the causes?

This type of disruption in the surface of the skin is literally caused by overstretching it.

They become larger when, simultaneously with their appearance, the secretion of the adrenal hormone cortisone is increased, which contributes to the weakening of the elastic skin fibers.

The most common reasons for the appearance of stretch marks are:

• Pregnancy – in most women, they appear towards the end of pregnancy, and the most likely reason for this is the physical stretching of the skin due to the increase in the size of the abdomen, which also contributes to this the increased levels of some hormones.

• Weight gain – sometimes they develop with a significant sharp increase in weight, for example, in weightlifters, they most often appear on the skin of the hands. And in adolescents, they can be noticed during the period of accelerated height growth;

• Use of medications – the use of corticosteroids in the form of creams, lotions and tablets or systemic steroid intake is very likely to cause this type of skin scarring.

• Diseases or conditions – Cushing’s syndrome, as well as adrenal gland diseases can cause the appearance of such small tears on the skin surface.

Treatment of stretch marks

These skin growths can become a serious cosmetic problem, however, they are harmless and often fade over time and do not require medical treatment.

If you do seek treatment, you should know that all therapies are only partially effective and will not eliminate this type of skin scarring completely.

To improve the appearance of stretch marks, apply the following:

• Tretinoin cream – some studies show that creams with this active ingredient, the drug tretinoin, lead to an improvement in the appearance of stretch marks. Those who participated in the study saw a reduction in the size of this type of skin scar and retained their original pink or red color. Tretinoin helps restore collagen, making the affected skin area look like the rest of normal skin. But therapy with this cream is not effective for older stretch marks.

• Laser therapy – concentrated laser beams are used, which are aimed at the affected skin and stimulate the growth of collagen, elastin or the production of melanin in the skin.

• Microdermabrasion – in this procedure, the top layer of the skin is gently removed, which causes the growth of a new, more elastic one.