What Causes Stretch Marks?
By Mel Paterson
Around 70 percent of pregnant women develop stretch marks, and large numbers in other groups, both men and women, will be affected by striae (stretchmark) scarring at some point in their lives. These other groups include teenagers and adolescents experiencing growth spurts, weightlifters, bodybuilders, and anyone experiencing rapid growth, weight gain or weight loss.
What causes stretch marks is the rapid stretching of skin during a period of rapid change in body mass. The usually elastic skin is stretched too quickly for the healing process to keep up, and the tiny fibres are torn rather than stretched. This causes scarring in the middle layer of skin called the dermis, and the outer layer the epidermis is stretched thin and becomes translucent. It’s this combination that causes the distinctive look of striae, which is the red streaks that fade to silver or white and the glossy, shiny surrounding area.
Stretch marks can occur anywhere, but most commonly appear on the hips, buttocks, breasts, and stomach.
There are other factors that can affect what causes stretch marks, including skin type, genetic factors (people whose parents suffer from stretch marks are more likely to develop scarring themselves), diet and lifestyle (people who are under hydrated, or not receiving right nutrition are more likely to be affected).
There are a few other theories on causes of stretch marks, including hormonal causes. This theory dictates that an increase of a hormone known as glucocorticoids is secreted by the adrenal glands during periods of pregnancy, adolescence and obesity, and disrupts the production of collagen.
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