{"id":2026,"date":"2017-06-08T06:31:09","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T06:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kayaskinclinic.com\/oman\/?p=2026\/"},"modified":"2023-02-22T09:17:02","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T09:17:02","slug":"8-ways-shrink-stretch-marks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kayaskinclinic.com\/oman\/en\/know-skin-hair\/8-ways-shrink-stretch-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways to Shrink Those Stretch Marks"},"content":{"rendered":"
They are long, thin and mostly parallel to one another. They start off as red or purple and gradually fade to a silvery white. Doctors often refer to them as stria, striae or, during pregnancy, striae gravidarum. And the rest of us just call them \u2018stretch marks\u2019.<\/p>\n
Stretch marks<\/a><\/strong> are common and rarely a sign of a medical condition, although they do cause distress of a cosmetic nature. Generally induced by excessive stretching of the skin, they affect both genders, although in different ways.<\/p>\n Among women, they usually appear in areas of the body that store fat – such as the abdomen, breasts, upper arms, buttocks and thighs.<\/p>\n They also appear on the backs of teenage boys and shoulders of body builders.<\/p>\n They get etched as skin gets stretched.<\/strong><\/p>\n Often associated with pregnancy<\/strong>, stretch marks are generally formed during periods of rapid weight gain or weight loss – typically during puberty or when on corticosteroid medication. And chances are that if one of the parents have stretch marks, the child is predisposed to developing them as well.<\/p>\n Sometimes, however, an underlying health condition or syndrome such as Cushing\u2019s Syndrome or Marfan Syndrome can also set off the development of stretch marks.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at what goes on beneath the surface. Normally, skin is elastic enough to bear the stretching that occurs in the normal course of growth. The middle layer of skin – the dermis – contains strong, fibres, namely collagen and elastin, that assist the skin to stretch with growth.<\/p>\n But during periods of rapid change in body size, when the stretching is too sudden, the skin finds it tougher to adjust, and gets stretched too thin. Something has to give way; and indeed the elastic fibres in the middle layer of skin – the dermis-weaken and tear, making the blood vessels apparent. Initially, the freshly irritated blood vessels make the thinned-out and glossy streak of skin above look red or purple. But eventually, the blood vessels contract and the pale coloured fat cells show through – giving the stretch marks their characteristic silvery-white colour.<\/p>\n Keeping clear of stretch marks<\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he best way to avert stretch marks is to avoid any sudden weight gain or weight loss. Although this may be hard to manage during pregnancy, the doctor may be able to guide you on the quantum of weight gain that is best for both mother well as the baby.<\/p>\n Exercising regularly and eating right through pregnancy, puberty and periods of intense bodybuilding help to avoid sudden spurts in weight gain or weight loss, and hence the rupturing of the collagen and elastin tissues.<\/p>\n Since no amount of lotions, ointments and creams can influence the development of stretch marks, a dermatologist\u2019<\/a>s<\/strong> expertise is vital.<\/p>\n Erasing them<\/strong><\/p>\n According to dermatologists<\/a><\/strong>, topical applications such as creams, gels and lotions are of limited use. However they could help keep the skin moisturised when the stretch marks are fresh, red or purple. They can be especially helpful with the itchiness in that phase.<\/p>\n Stretch marks can also be treated with tretinoin cream which works by restoring collagen – the fibrous protein that makes the skin elastic. But these measures need to be supplemented by focused treatments<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n For a more successful and aggressive approach to the problem of stretch marks, dermatologists employ one or more of these therapies from their toolkit. Each of these has its specific benefits.<\/p>\n In essence, all of these treatments attempt to reverse damage, restore structure and revive production of the collagen and elastin – the underlying support structure. Once the rejuvenation process is underway, the skin can regain its healthy, firm, supple texture and the stretch marks<\/a><\/strong> can be dwarfed into insignificance.<\/p>\n Written by: Dr. Amani Said<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They are long, thin and mostly parallel to one another. They start off as red or purple and gradually fade to a silvery white. Doctors often refer to them as stria, striae or, during pregnancy, striae gravidarum. And the rest of us just call them \u2018stretch marks\u2019. Stretch marks are common and rarely a sign…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[411,1],"tags":[229,116,412],"yoast_head":"\n\n