Pregnant women and stretch marks P-I

Pregnant women and stretch marks

Why do stretch marks form and how to avoid or reduce them?

Stretch marks are a terrible scare for expectant mothers, so they often turn to both gynecologists and dermatologists with the question  what to do to avoid their appearance?

Worldwide, stretch marks occur in 20% to 88% of pregnant women. Stretch marks are not just a problem for women, they can also be seen in young adolescents, as well as in men  both by gaining weight rapidly and by rapidly gaining muscle mass. Let's find out what stretch marks are, why and for whom they are formed, we will discuss possible preventive measures to avoid stretch marks, as well as ways to reduce them more successfully.

What are stretch marks?

Stretch marks - a cosmetic defect, not a medical complication

Although stretch marks are a purely cosmetic defect, they often cause psychological and emotional distress, but as a consequence, avoidance of beach or public pool visits, which in turn often means a reduced quality of life.

Stretch marks occur due to excessive stretching of the skin - rupture of the middle layer of the skin or dermis. When the dermal layer breaks, the very well-blooded part of the subcutaneous layer becomes visible at the site of the rupture, so the early stretch marks  are pink, reddish or even purple in the beginning, they are raised above the skin surface. Over time, these ruptures fill with new connective tissue, so stretch marks become white and atrophic and their appearance resembles scars. These we call late stretch marks.

The size of the stretch marks is determined by how rapid the skin stretch, but the age of the patient and the degree of elasticity of the skin are important. The most common areas where stretch marks form are the hips, chest, thighs, upper arms, front of the abdomen and buttocks.

Before the formation of stretch marks, the skin in these areas becomes thinner, pinker. Patients often complain of tenderness and itching, but not everyone feels these warning signs.

Stretch marks in pregnant women

During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes major changes. Changes in hormone levels make a woman's skin softer and thinner, but not more elastic. The outline of the body changes. As the fetus grows, a woman's abdomen increases. The pelvic ligaments become more flexible and the pelvis expands. Breasts increase. All these changes in body volume create stretches of the skin that can later turn into stretch marks. Stretch marks are more common in late pregnancy - 29-40. week. The dynamics of weight gain play an important role - the faster a pregnant woman gains weight, the higher the risk of stretch marks. The weight of the fetus also determines the formation of stretch marks - the higher the weight of the fetus, the larger the size of the abdomen. The formation of stretch marks is largely determined by genetics - if both grandmother and mother have stretch marks, there is a very high chance that the new mother will also have stretch marks.

Stretch marks for athletes

Stretch marks can often be seen in male athletes as well. True, nowadays, when excessive muscle mass growth is common not only in men but also in women, stretch marks in athletes occur in both sexes. They most often occur in athletes who do bodybuilding. In a short period of time, these athletes rapidly increase muscle mass, so for bodybuilders, stretch marks most often form in the shoulder area, on the upper arms, thighs, as well as on the buttocks.

Stretch marks at puberty

At the age of puberty, the body of young people changes rapidly - changes are observed in the skeleton, muscles and hormone levels. Often these processes create an imbalance and change the fluid exchange in the body - it reduces the skin's moisture and elasticity. The young person's skin does not adapt to these processes so quickly - dermal tears form. Uncommonly, stretch marks occur before puberty changes in the hormonal system. In such cases, it would be necessary to perform hormonal tests and consult an endocrinologist.

Stretch marks during weight change

Various diets are very popular, which allow you to lose excess weight in a short time. Unfortunately, these diets are often followed by the so-called jo-jo effect - this weight is quickly regained. As the body has not received all the necessary nutrients and vitamins during the diet, but the body has used its reserves for the metabolism of other organs, the skin does not have sufficient resources, it is not sufficiently moisturized and elastic. So, quickly regaining the lost weight, the dermis ruptures. The greatest risk of developing stretch marks is when the body mass index is between 27 and 51.

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