Stretch marks are unsightly red or white linear depressions in the skin that affect a large number of people. Of benign origin, these lesions are often a source of complexity. Their prevalence is essentially female.
Benign and common phenomena are scars that appear on the skin at different times of life. They result from a sudden, rapid, and/or significant stretching of the skin.
They form in the dermis where fibroblasts are located, cells that synthesize collagen and elastin, responsible for the elasticity and firmness of the skin. Stretch marks are the result of damage to these cells. This results in collagen fibers degrading, stretching, and atrophying, and elastic fibers waiting, thinning, and breaking. This results in a thinning of the thickness of the dermis.
Diagram of the anatomy of stretch marks
Anatomy of stretch marks
Main causes of the appearance of stretch marks
Stretch marks mainly affect women and appear most of the time in the following cases:
Excess weight gain
Pregnancy, mainly in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy
Puberty with a growth spurt
Excessive muscle building in weightlifters and bodybuilders
Taking hormone replacement therapy
The hereditary or ethnic factor
Taking medications such as topical and oral corticosteroids
Cushing's disease or Marfan syndrome
Stretch marks are mainly located on the stomach and thighs but can be visible on the breasts, arms, and back...
Appearance and types of stretch marks
Stretch marks appear as small skin ridges, 1 to 10 mm wide, the length of which can reach several centimeters. They are often multiple. The appearance of a stretch mark is depressed and withered on the surface.
There are several types of stretch marks:
Red, sometimes purplish stretch mark (striae Rubia): this is a recent and inflammatory stretch mark. The majority of therapies are effective on this type of lesion.
White stretch marks (striae alba): these are old stretch marks, pearly white in color.
Their distinction is important because the effectiveness of the treatments is greater in the red form.
The areas of the body most susceptible to stretch marks
Areas most susceptible to stretch marks in women and men
Location of stretch marks in women and men
STRETCH MARKS ON THE BREASTS
The chest is particularly exposed to the appearance of stretch marks, especially during pregnancy or at the time of puberty.
Indeed, during these two periods, the significant hormonal variations modify the glandular tissue that hypertrophies. The skin next to the breasts is thin and fragile, this results in the appearance of small pink streaks, becoming whiter over time.
They can also appear following breast surgery with the break of a breast implant, especially if the latter is positioned under the skin and not under the muscle.
In order to avoid their appearance, several preventive measures can be taken:
Hydration: it is essential to prepare the skin by softening and moisturizing it.
Anti-stretch mark oils such as the use of sweet almonds, avocado, and jojoba.
Once appeared, the therapies that can be used are peels, mesotherapy, lasers, or photobiomodulation by LEDs.
The woman hiding the stretch marks on her breasts
STRETCH MARKS ON THE STOMACH
Stretch marks on the stomach are common and can appear at different times in life. They appear mainly at the time of puberty, during significant weight gain, and, mainly in women during pregnancy:
Weight gain: it is normal and is between 9 and 16 kilos. The rapid increase in weight can lead to a break in the fibers of the dermis.
Hormonal causes: from the 4th month of pregnancy, the production of cortisol increases, causing the production of collagen to drop. This results in a loss of elasticity and suppleness of the skin.
Belly stretch marks are generally arranged concentrically around the umbilicus.
In order to prevent them, it is advisable to apply moisturizer or specific anti-stretch mark cream during pregnancy.
Once the stretch marks have appeared, and after pregnancy, these scars can be treated in different ways: LEDs, laser, TCA peeling, or mesotherapy,...
Red stretch marks on a woman's stomach
STRETCH MARKS ON THE THIGHS
Thigh stretch marks have the characteristic of being vertical, preferentially located on the outer and posterior part of the thigh.
They most often appear at the time of puberty, in the context of hormonal change but can also appear following weight gain, pregnancy or be of genetic origin.
