Stretch marks in males - how do they effect men?

How do you get rid of them?

Males might be lucky when it comes to avoiding cellulite and pre-menstrual pimples but there is no escape when it comes to being tarnished by the stroke of the stretch mark brush. Stretch marks are not gender specific, men and women are both susceptible, even though they predominantly affect females.

If you are a male and you feel like you’re a solo sufferer, you’re definitely not alone as forty per cent of adolescent boys and men in the US develop stretch marks.

Some believe that stretch marks are hereditary and some skin types are genetically more prone to them than others. Dryer skin can be more susceptible to stretch marks because it can have less elasticity.

The science behind what causes stretch marks to occur is still a little hazy. Some believe it is due to when the skin is stretched excessively over a short space of time. This is why body builders and athletes often find they develop stretch marks after doing repetitive exercises and building body mass very quickly.

The tiny tears that cause the scarring that we refer to as stretch marks actually occur in the middle layer of the skin called the dermis. The dermis is made up of collagen fibers that allow the skin to stretch and shrink back into shape. If the dermis is stretched over a long period of time, its elasticity breaks down, a bit like a piece of elastic that looses its elasticity.

Another theory, states that stretch marks are not caused by the rapid stretching of the skin associated with pregnancy or teenage growth spurts, but as the result of increased hormonal activity. This specific hormone is called glucocorticoids, it is secreted by the adrenal glands and it becomes elevated during adolescence, pregnancy, with weight lifting, obesity and Cushing’s disease.

The glucocorticoids affect the dermis by preventing the fibroblasts from forming collagen and elastin fibers that are required to keep growing skin taut. Dermal tearing then follows as there is a lack of supportive material when the skin is being stretched.

If you’re taking a form of oral steroids, beware as it has also been suggested that some forms of medication can cause stretch marks to develop. It is also possible for stretch marks to form from excessive use of low potency topical steroid creams and ointments, especially if they have been compressed into the skin by plastic wrap.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Male Stretch Marks

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