What You Always Wanted To Know About Stretch Marks

Thursday, 30 June 2016 02:07

Keystone Cosmetic Surgery Center

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Stretch marks. Blah. Definitely a summer downer. If you have them, take heart, you are not alone. But you may not know much about them.

Stretch marks appear because of the force of stretching upon your skin. They are a form of scarring that is usually associated with rapid weight gain, such as during pregnancy. They may also occur as a result of rapid growth during puberty or muscle building and weight lifting. Stretch marks can be found anywhere on your body, but they’re most common on your stomach, breasts, upper arms, thighs, and buttocks. Stretch marks aren’t dangerous, and they often disappear over time, but they are unsightly.

The severity of stretch marks is affected by several factors, including your genetic history, the degree of stress on your skin and your cortisone level. Cortisone is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands; it weakens the elastic fibers in your skin.

Stretch marks typically appear as parallel lines on your skin. They are of a different texture and color than your normal skin – ranging from almost a transparent, silvery light grey to bright pink to purple. Stretch marks don’t all look alike, and may vary depending on how long you’ve had them, what caused them, where they are on your body, and the type of skin you have. When you touch stretch marks, you might feel a slight ridge or indentation on your skin. Occasionally, stretch marks feel painful or they may itch. Your likelihood of getting stretch marks may be increased by:

• Being overweight
• Your family history
• Undergoing breast enhancement surgery
• Pregnancy
• Rapid weight gain
• Using a corticosteroid medication
• Having Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome or certain other genetic disorders

There is help for stretch marks…they can be effectively treated with laser treatments and micro-needling. If you would like to know more about treating your stretch marks, call to schedule a consultation appointment, today. Summer is here…it’s the perfect time to beautify your body!