People normally develop stretch marks during puberty as their body goes through a rapid spurt of growth. Similarly, this type of harmless skin scarring can also cause unexpected weight gain or weight loss.
Stretch marks are usually considered a female thing since they are often related to pregnancy. However, these marks are not restricted to any gender.
Men are also prone to abrupt changes in the body, and can as easily get stretch marks. This applies especially to bodybuilders who develop these marks in areas in which they form muscle.
Stretch marks may occur anywhere on the body but they are more common in areas of high subcutaneous fat. It is not possible to get rid of stretch marks in a totally natural way.
They're a kind of scarring that never disappears to become invisible completely. There are however, a few treatments that can help minimize the appearance of stretch marks and make them lighter.
What causes stretch marks?
When the skin returns to its normal state (i.e. when it finishes growing), it will appear wrinkled and lined since the same collagen structure underlying does not help it.
Stretch marks are created when there is a period of accelerated development of your body, such as growth spurts, breastfeeding, weight gain, or increasing muscle mass, which unexpectedly spreads the skin and allows the bundles of collagen under your skin to break apart. And when the skin returns to its usual state it may appear wrinkled and drawn, since the same collagen structure does not support it.
Do stretch marks ever really go away?
Considering that the cause of stretch marks is actually tearing deep under the skin, it shouldn't come as much of a shock that there's no tried-and-true solution.
It's practically difficult to get rid of 100 percent of the stretch marks, but there are steps you can take to minimize their appearance, namely by reconstructing the collagen in your skin with some excellent OTC products and a good skincare routine.