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How to remove stretch marks - reviews of the best treatments

If you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle trying to remove unsightly stretch marks, you’re not alone. In the US approximately 90% of pregnant women, 70% of adolescent females, and 40% of adolescent males have stretch marks. Stretch marks don’t discriminate they can develop on males, females, those who are obese and those who are slim. If you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle trying to remove unsightly stretch marks, you’re not alone. In the US approximately 90% of pregnant women, 70% of adolescent females, and 40% of adolescent males have stretch marks. Stretch marks don’t discriminate they can develop on males, females, those who are obese and those who are slim.

The most commonly affected areas are the buttocks, abdomen, hips, thighs, breasts and arms. Stretch marks start out as red or purple marks and sometimes they’re raised from the rest of the surrounding skin. Over time they do fade and turn a silver white or flesh color.

The science behind what actually causes striae distensae (stretch marks) to develop is still a bit hazy with a lot of the research being contradictory. It has been suggested that the term stretch mark is a bit of a misnomer and that stretch marks are not caused by the stretching of the skin but by an increase of a hormone called glucocorticoids. During adolescence, pregnancy, with obesity, weight lifting and Cushing’s disease there is an increased level of this hormone circulating through the blood stream.

The glucocorticoids affect the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) by preventing the formation of collagen and elastin fibers that are needed to keep skin firm. Once this happens there is a lack of supportive material as the skin is stretched and small tears can appear in the dermis. During this process the epidermis is also affected as it becomes thinner and flatter which makes the defects in the dermis more visible. The actual stretching of the skin may determine where the marks will emerge and also what direction they will run in.

Because stretch marks form in the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) this makes it very hard to remove them. While many treatments and creams claim to get rid of stretch marks very few of them actually work. However, there are plenty of products that will help to prevent and improve the appearance of your stretch marks.

To find out more about removing stretch marks you can look down the side menu on the left hand side of the page. This section is designed to be your ultimate stretch mark solution centre where you can find information on what causes stretch marks, how to prevent them, stretch mark surgery, laser surgery, home remedies for stretch marks and stretch mark creams.

Other interesting articles can be found at wrinkles.htm, cellulite.htm, dietpills.htm, exercisequipment.htm and creditcard.htm.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Stretch Marks

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