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Stretch marks are red to white, long, sometimes depressed scars that can stay in your skin for a long time. Stretch marks appear in the dermis, the elastic second layer of skin that allows it to keep its form. However, when constantly stretched, the skin can break down leaving behind marks. Dermal collagen is damaged and blood vessel dilation results in the appearance of reddish or purple-colored stretch marks.

When your skin is excessively stretched during pregnancy, weight changes or growth spurts, stretch marks or striae can appear. They can also be caused by some medications, including hormones and steroids. Stretch marks appear when quickly expanding skin is stretched to its limit and small tears appear in the supporting layers of skin.

Over time the redness of the original scar can fade and the bands of the stretch mark can become lighter in color than the nearby skin. The bands can become take on a shiny, depressed appearanceor develop an aberrant scar like texture.

Men and women can get stretch marks on several areas of their bodies, including the abdominal area, flank, breasts, thighs, upper arms, hips or lower back. They affect 70% of teenage females and nearly 40% of young males.

Stretch Marks and Pregnancy

Though the nine months of pregnancy are a beautiful time in a woman's life, there are a number of unwanted changes that occur in the skin during this time. Some of these are due to hormonal influences and others are due to the physical changes in the body linked with pregnancy.

Stretch marks are one of the most well known and talked about dermal changes that can occur during pregnancy. They are thought to be a consequence of the thinning of the skin during this time period due to female hormones which disrupt the protein balance in the skin. Almost 90% of pregnant women will experience stretch marks, usually forming during the third trimester.

There is an inherited predisposition to forming stretch marks during pregnancy. Many women consider the look of stretch marks to be distressing. Fortunately, the removal stretch marks is possible.

How to get rid of stretch marks

There are several over-the-counter treatments aimed to prevent stretch marks, like Strivectin. Sadly no topical remedies have been scientifically demonstrated to enhance the look of stretch marks. RetinA, glycolic acid, alphahydroxy acids have been prescribed with very little success. Dermabrasion or chemical peels have also been tried. The results of these therapies range from fair to minimal.

Surgical alternatives to deal with these types of lesions, involve removing large areas of stretched skin. In a tummy tuck intervention, for instance, skin below the belly button is removed. This is often an area in which stretch marks are prominent. It also acts by toning the skin in surrounding regions. These surgical techniques are efficient, but are more invasive than other options and thus involve longer recovery time.