Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are a form of scarring on the skin that looks less bright than regular skin. It is also known as Striae or striae distensae. Over time, these can go away, but they won’t completely disappear. Striae are caused by periods of rapid growth in the body. Sometimes, when you get fat, your skin stretches and gets marks. And sometimes the marks are on your stomach, your breasts, your thighs and hips, and also your lower back and butt.

Striae during pregnancy are called striae gravidarum. Striae may also be influenced by the hormonal changes people have during puberty, pregnancy, or hormone replacement therapy. There is no evidence that creams can prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. There is no clear way to fix the disease after it has started. Many doctors have tried many things, but they haven’t found anything that works all the time.

In medicine, the singular form stretch mark actually means both striae distensae and linea albicante, but there are differences between the two. Striae distensae is that which is seen in the skin, while linea albicante is that which occurs on mucous membranes. Stretch marks are caused by tearing of the dermis, which allows the deeper layers of the skin to show through. The skin’s elasticity is lost which means it cannot snap back to its normal position. The swelling or protrusion results causes the overlying skin to tear, making marks on the surface.