Stretch marks are a common side affect of pregnancy. Women spend a great deal of time worrying about these marks. Products are sold that claim the ability to prevent or fade the unsightly stretch marks. Before attempting to treat or prevent stretch marks, its important to understand how they are formed.
Basically, stretch marks work like they sound. They are caused by tears in the tissues of the skin. These small tears occur in the sub dermal layers of the skin. The connective tissues are usually affected by the stretching of the skin during pregnancy.
Stretch marks begin in the middle layer of the skin, also known as the dermis. This layer of the skin also contains blood vessels, sebaceous glands and nerves. As the baby grows, the skin stretches, causing trauma to the dermis.
As a result of pregnancy weight gain, the skin is stretched. As the skin stretches, the elastin and collagen fibers in the skin are stretched as well. The skin continues to stretch throughout the pregnancy as the baby grows.
When the skin is stretched beyond its natural capacity, tiny tears occur. These tiny tears are accompanied by microscopic bleeding of the connective tissues. The production of collagen is also reduced when the skin is stretched beyond its natural capacity.
As the torn skin heals, stretch marks are formed. At first, the stretch marks may be red, pink, purple or brown. Over time, the mark fades a bit and becomes a light silver color. As time passes, the marks will become gradually lighter.
The areas affected by stretch marks are the areas that tend to grow the most during pregnancy. Most women first notice stretch marks on the belly. They can and do occur in other areas including the buttocks, breasts and legs. Basically wherever the skin is stretched the marks can be seen.
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