Long or short wide or narrow dark or quite light, strands of wrinkled skin, parallel to each other are stretch marks. They arise on the body of both men and women, although they appear more often in women. They look unsightly and unfortunately it's difficult to get rid of them. Today, about where stretch marks come from and how we can fight them.

Why are they formed?

The cause of stretch marks is collagen fiber rupture, most often it occurs as a result of hormonal changes and rapid skin stretching. This is why pregnant women are most at risk of developing stretch marks. Disturbed hormonal balance, unfortunately, causes that fibroblasts that have been active so far no longer work in this way. Collagen and elastin production are reduced and the resulting fibers are weaker. The problem is also intensely stretching skin, especially on the breasts, stomach, thighs and buttocks. However, this is not the end of stretch marks for girls of adolescence, adolescents in the intensive growth phase, women during menopause, obese people who lead the so-called unhygienic lifestyle, i.e. alcohol abusers, smoking cigarettes, exposed to chronic stress, low sleep, or using an unhealthy high-processed diet.

Sport is ...

of course, health and well-being, but sometimes also the risk of stretch marks. This happens when we exercise intensively and our muscles grow quickly. Stretch marks may also appear in people who lose too much weight, remember if body weight changes quickly, we are always exposed to the appearance of unsightly bands on our body. This is why when we exercise intensively regardless of whether our intention is to build muscle mass or lose unnecessary fat, we must remember about proper skin care and a properly composed diet.

And those genes again

Unfortunately, the predisposition to the formation of stretch marks can also be obtained in the genes, so if our loved ones struggled with this problem, we are certainly at risk. It is therefore likely that stretch marks, even if we haven't noticed them yet, may appear on our body. So keep them well cared for, eat well, and react as soon as possible when changes occur.

Watch out for cortisol

Unfortunately, cortisol also has its infamous role in the process of the formation of stretch marks. Unfortunately, it has a very adverse effect on the cells responsible for the production of collagen and elastin (fibroblasts). Therefore, when there is too much of it in the body, our skin loses its firmness, elasticity and is definitely more susceptible to the formation of stretch marks. Therefore, the risk group also includes people exposed to stress, performing physical exercises that are not adapted to the individual capabilities of their body, eating irregularly and suffering from diseases resulting in excessive secretion of cortisol, e.g. Cushing's syndrome and disease.

Prevention is better than ...

to treat it, so it is very important to care for your skin before stretch marks appear. We should take care of it thorough cleansing and exfoliation of dead skin with the help of peels that stimulate circulation, oxygenate and prepare for the adoption of nutrients from cosmetics used later. 

Coffee peeling has a very good effect, which perfectly firms and improves the condition of our skin. It is good to do this peeling 2-3 times a week. Constant moisturizing of bodies is a very important element of prevention, remember to choose cosmetics for this purpose, which will have nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of our body, e.g. vitamins A, E, C, and B vitamins, as well as silicon, and zinc are ingredients that, among other things, care for the proper hydration of the skin, eliminate the effects of free radicals and show beneficial effects on fibroblasts. 

It is also very important to provide vitamins and minerals from the inside through a well-composed diet, as well as avoiding stimulants and controlling your body weight. 

However, we must remember that, unfortunately, even the best cosmetics and a healthy lifestyle are not able to protect us 100% from stretch marks.

Time is important

Stretch marks vary depending on the phase they are in. Initially in the so-called the inflammatory phase is red, pink or purple, we may also feel a slight itch at the place of their formation. It is at this stage that they are easiest to get rid of, when after a few months they enter the so-called the atrophic phase begins to shrink and change color. They become much brighter sometimes even pearly-white and clearly palpable under the fingers. Then fighting them is much more difficult.

Everything in the hands of a specialist

When stretch marks appear, specialist help is needed to remove them. In REVIVE CLINIC™, thanks to specially developed proprietary programs, we can adjust the type of treatments performed and their frequency to the condition of your skin, so that after the therapy the effects we get are the best. However, you must remember that the treatment of stretch marks may take some time, so be patient. It is also worth knowing that the key to success is the experience of the person who will take care of your body, compliance with its recommendations and regularity.

How to fight them?

What treatments will be offered to you depends on your individual expectations, predispositions, therapeutic options and health condition. In REVIVE CLINIC™, to fight stretch marks, we use, among others, a SkinPen Microneedling, which by creating microdamages on the treated skin, creates a delicate inflammatory process and stimulates regenerative processes. This is a very effective method thanks to which stretch marks smooth out and become much less visible. If the SkinPen Microneedling is used when they are still in the inflammatory phase, we can remove them completely, then when they are already in the atrophic phase, we can reduce their visibility by up to several dozen percent. 

To strengthen the effects of SkinPen Microneedling therapy, we additionally use BBL phototherapy during which the heat absorbed by the treated areas stimulates the production of new collagen, restoring the skin's natural color, elasticity and clearly smoothing it. We can also get good results thanks to PRP ( Platelet Rich Plasma). During such a procedure, growth factors from platelets strongly stimulating collagen production are given directly to the places where stretch marks appeared, supporting the reconstruction of skin tissues. It will accelerate the transformation of stretch marks/scars into healthy skin tissue. 

Beloved, if you want to get rid of stretch marks, remember that time is very important, the sooner you start working, the greater the chance that it will be possible to remove them completely. However, remember to decide on the treatment to choose places where qualified specialists will take care of you comprehensively, adapting the therapy to your individual needs and possible results.