We all tend to associate stretch marks with pregnancy. In the media, the fascination with celebrities and their post-baby bodies have led us to have higher expectations of how we should look after having a baby.
And yet, stretch marks can affect both men and women, and can develop at different stages of our lives. Teenagers are also notoriously likely to see stretch marks forming on their rapidly growing bodies, as are those who gain or lose weight too rapidly, including some athletes who bulk up too quickly for the skin to cope.
While stretch marks are not usually indicative of any underlying health problems, they can cause significant distress to those who have them. The problem they pose is essentially a cosmetic one, but as they can develop quite extensively on some people, they can have a huge emotional impact.
Stretch marks are usually found on the stomach, breasts and hips, but in severe cases they can stretch down the thighs, or develop on the arms. This can make concealing them extremely difficult, and can prevent some people from doing anything that may cause them to expose their stretch marks.
In cases, such as these, stretch mark removal can offer a new-found confidence that is invaluable to those who feel the need to hide their marks from the outside world at all cost.