Stretch marks on the skin – an aesthetic problem most commonly seen between the ages of 35 and 40, but stretch marks can appear in younger people as a result of pregnancy or sudden weight loss or gain.
Stretch marks first appear on the inner surface of the arms, thighs and in the abdomen. Their appearance greatly affects a person's self-esteem and quality of life. Therefore, the correction of stretch marks occupies an important place in aesthetic medicine.
On estet-portal.com read about the causes of stretch marks and effective methods of their treatment.
- Association of stretch marks with age-related skin changes
- Causes of stretch marks on the skin
- Effective methods to eliminate stretch marks on the skin
Association of stretch marks with age-related skin changes
The degenerative changes that occur in aging skin are becoming more and more understood at both the molecular and cellular levels.
Age-related morphological changes in the skin are the result of a decrease in the biosynthesis of collagen and elastin.
In aging skin, the number of epidermal cell layers remains stable, but the skin gradually thinner. Skin thickness decreases by an average of 6.4% per decade. It is these changes that cause stretch marks.
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Striae distensae or stretch marks most often occur on the skin abdomen and chest in pregnant women, on the shoulders in construction workers, on the back in adolescents with a sharp growth spurt, as well as in persons with overweight on the hips, stomach and arms.
Causes of stretch marks on the skin
The factors leading to the development of stretch marks are not fully known, but there are three main theories regarding their formation:
- Mechanical stretching of the skin;
- Hormonal changes;
- Genetic predisposition.
The theory of mechanical stretching is related to the fact that almost all stretch marks are located perpendicular to the lines of skin tension. Skin stretching can lead to excessive degranulation of mast cells with subsequent damage to collagen and elastin.
Stretch marks are also common in conditions associated with hormonal changes.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol affect fibroblast activity and increase protein catabolism, which leads to changes in elastin and collagen fibers.
Read also: Stretch marks on the skin: practical experience in treating a defect at its various stages
There is speculation that relaxin and estrogen combined with higher cortisol levels during pregnancy may cause mucopolysaccharide buildup that increases water uptake by connective tissue, which makes it more brittle when subjected to mechanical stress.
Genetic factors can certainly play a role in causing stretch marks. For example, some genes can cause loss of skin elasticity and stretch marks.
Effective methods for removing stretch marks on the skin
Striae distensae most often react to pharmacological agents at the beginning of their appearance on the skin (striae rubra). Once they turn white (striae alba), there are only a few treatments that work.
Topical tretinoin has been shown to improve the clinical manifestation of early stretch marks. However, the drug should not be used in pregnant and lactating women due to the theoretical risk of a teratogenic effect.
Other topicals such as creams, lotions, cocoa butter have been not effective in studies.
Skin peeling with glycolic or trichloroacetic acid, by increasing collagen synthesis, allows to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, making them thinner and paler.
Read also: How to beat stretch marks on the skin: cosmetic possibilities of the redermalization procedure
Non-ablative lasers are also used to treat stretch marks. Laser therapy is considered the most effective treatment for striae rubra as it targets the vascular component of these stretch marks.
The non-ablative fractional laser at 1540 nm has been shown to improve striae alba by increasing collagen synthesis.
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