Essential facts about stretch marks

Posted on 18 Jul, 2012

If you have stretch marks and you are considering treatment to get rid of them, you may find it useful to know a little more about them. Here are a few important facts about stretch marks:

• Stretch marks are generally pink, purple or red in appearance
• They are also known as stria or striae
• Stretch marks are often found on the stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks, breasts and upper arms
• Pregnant women most commonly develop stretch marks, but they can also occur during puberty, after putting on or losing weight suddenly or during hormonal changes
• Bodybuilders often suffer from stretch marks, as their bodies undergo rapid and extreme changes
• Stretch marks occur when the skin stretches and loses elasticity, causing the connective tissue to break
• Stretch marks aren’t damaging to your health
• Over a number of years, stretch marks will fade to white marks on the skin, but they won’t completely disappear
• Creams and lotions aren’t usually very effective at treating stretch marks, because they form in the middle layer of the skin, too deep for lotions to penetrate
• Laser treatment is known to be effective at removing stretch marks and rejuvenating the skin’s appearance