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

When your skin is excessively stretched during pregnancy, weight gain or growth spurts, stretch marks or striae can appear. They can also be caused by some medications, mainly hormones and steroids. Stretch marks occur when rapidly 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 disappear and the lines of the stretch mark can become lighter in color than the surrounding skin. The lines can become depressed and shiny in appearanceor develop an aberrant scar like texture.

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

Stretch Marks and Pregnancy

Though the nine months of pregnancy are a beautiful time in a woman's life, there are a host of unwanted changes that happen 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 happen during pregnancy. They are believed to be a consequence of the thinning of the skin during this time period due to female hormones which disrupt the protein equilibrium in the skin. Almost 90% of pregnant women will suffer stretch marks, usually developing during the third trimester.

There is a genetic predisposition to developing stretch marks during pregnancy. Many women consider the appearance 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 therapies aimed to prevent stretch marks, such as Strivectin. Unfortunately no topical remedies have been medically proven to improve the appearance 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 vary from regular to minimal.

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