a woman showing stretch marks on her thighs | Can Weight Loss Reduce Stretch Marks

What are stretch marks and what causes them?

Stretch marks, often known as scars, appear as bands of lines running across your skin as your skin stretches or shrinks rapidly.

Stretch marks are extremely prevalent, with estimates indicating that up to 90% of people have them. They frequently arise during or after pregnancy, as well as after other drastic weight fluctuations. Stretch marks may appear on the skin of quickly growing adolescents, for example.

These marks can appear anywhere, but they're most commonly found on your:

stomach
upper arms
thighs
buttocks

Stretch marks do not pose a health risk. They can be permanent, just like other scars, although they may change and fade with time. Pregnancy stretch marks, for example, vanish within 6 monthsTrusted Source following birth.

Stretch mark symptoms

The appearance of your stretch marks can be influenced by a number of factors, including:

the body part impacted
your natural skin tone
your skin's health and elasticity

These lines are typically a different hue and texture than your skin. They can be purple, crimson, light grey, or pale in colour.

Stretch marks have the following signs and symptoms:

thinned, glossy lines in your skin that may look whitish over time skin discomfort and irritation before stretch marks develop pink, purple, red, bluish, or dark brown streaks — these colour marks can vary, depending on your skin tone thinned, glossy lines in your skin that may seem whitish over time

How to remove stretch marks?

There are many Stretch mark medical procedures and also it is very important to know how to get rid of stretch marks. One can try slimming oil as it is a great fat burner and can reduce belly fat as well.

Stretch marks typically diminish over time. There are treatments that can assist improve their appearance if you don't want to wait. Keep in mind that no therapy can fully eliminate stretch marks.

A dermatologist can provide additional information about professional methods for reducing the appearance of stretch marks, such as:

Tretinoin ointment - This treatment, also known as Retin-A and Renova, works by repairing collagen, a fibrous protein that helps your skin retain its flexibility. This stretch mark removal cream works well on red or pink stretch marks that have appeared recently. This cream may irritate the skin. Tretinoin cream should not be used if you are pregnant.
A cream containing hyaluronic acid - When applied frequently to early stretch marks, this may help. The majority of people are regarded as safe to utilise hyaluronic acid.
Laser therapy with pulsed dye - This treatment promotes collagen and elastin production. This treatment is most effective on stretch marks that are fresh. If your skin tone is darker, some level of skin discolouration can occur.
Photothermolysis in fractions - A laser is used to target small sections of skin. It works in the same way as pulsed dye laser therapy, but with a reduced risk of skin injury.
Microdermabrasion - This entails polishing the skin with small crystals to show fresh skin beneath the stretch marks, which are more elastic. Microdermabrasion may help improve the appearance of older stretch marks in some circumstances.
Therapy with excimer lasers - This encourages the synthesis of melanin, which helps stretch marks blend in with the surrounding skin.
Again, no medical procedure or prescription drug can ensure that stretch marks will disappear. Keep in mind that these procedures have the potential for side effects such as oedema, skin irritation, and redness. Treatments by professionals might be quite costly.

What makes stretch marks appear?

There are two basic reasons for stretch marks:

Cortisone levels rise as you stretch your skin.
Cortisone is a hormone that your adrenal glands manufacture naturally. However, too much of this hormone might cause skin elasticity to deteriorate.

Stretch marks become more likely in the following situations:

Pregnancy stretch marks are common when the skin extends in various ways to accommodate the growing foetus. Stretch marks can result from constant tugging and straining.
Stretch marks may appear in teenagers after a rapid growth spurt.
Stretch marks can be caused by corticosteroid creams, lotions, and pills, which reduce your skin's ability to stretch.

Who is most likely to have stretch marks?

The chances of stretch marks are higher if you::

have Marfan syndrome
a history of having large infants or twins
a greater body weight
considerable weight loss or gain
are taking corticosteroid medicines
weight loss surgery

Stretch marks vary in colour and look depending on the tone of your skin, but they are usually more visible. Stretch marks are identified in several ways. By looking at your skin, a dermatologist or other healthcare practitioner can typically detect if you have stretch marks. They'll usually go over your medical history as well because some health conditions might cause stretch marks. Among them are:

Cushing's disease
The syndrome of Marfan
anorexia nervosa chronic liver disease
Others, such as anetoderma and pseudoxanthoma elasticum, might leave you with skin lesions that look like stretch marks.

If doctors suspect a medical ailment is to blame for your stretch marks, they may order blood, urine, or imaging tests to pinpoint the source.

Take Away

Stretch marks are extremely prevalent, but they can be disguised with self-tanners, makeup, ointments, or surgical therapy. Stretch marks may fade away when the cause of the stretching is no longer a problem, although they usually diminish to a less obvious scar over time.