Stretch marks are not a pretty sight and even though they are harmless physically, the psychological scars should not be underestimated. All people, irrespective of race, gender and age can be affected and there are literally thousands of creams, lotions and oils as well as surgical procedures that claim to eliminate these ugly marks. The truth is, once a person has developed stretch marks, all they can do is to make them less visible but it is almost impossible to get rid of them completely. Imagine blowing up a blue balloon. When the ballon is new, the color appears dark and its really hard to fill it with air as the rubber is tight and elastic. As you blow up the balloon you find that the color appears lighter as the size of the balloon increases and that the rubber also becomes thinner the more the balloon is inflated. If you allow the balloon to deflate at this stage you see that it returns to it's original shape but it has been stretched and lost part of its elasticity. However, if you continue to stretch the balloon it will burst. The same occurs to the fibres of your skin. So what exactly are stretch marks? Stretch marks (striae) occur when the skin is suddenly stretched and the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) ruptures in places so that the deeper layers show through. Once the dermis, which is made up of collagen fibres, is ruptured, the surrounding fibres are weakened and tear. The tear will continue up or down the skin in the direction of the fibres, just like tearing a piece of fabric. At first the lines will look red or purple because the blood vessels become visible where the skin has torn. With time however, these darker stripes will fade and appear more silvery-white in color when the stretch marks have shrunk. Collagen are proteins that are mostly made up of amino acids. They are the main component of connected tissue and account for approximately 25 to 35 % of the entire body protein content. Collagen is found in the skin and the body's connective tissue as well as in nails and hair. Collagen can be compared to the 'glue' that keeps everything together. It helps the skin to stay firm, supple and plays an important role in the constant renewal of skin cells. If the body has insufficient collagen (for example as a person gets older, through hormonal changes like puberty and pregnancy, wrong diet, smoking, etc.) the collagen production slows down and the skin will lose firmness and elasticity. When do stretch marks occur? The most frequent reasons are: Pregnancy - About 80% of pregnant women will get stretch marks in the latter stages of their pregnancy as the skin needs to be stretched tremendously to accommodate the growing child. One reason for this is that the pregnancy produces hormonal changes in the body that soften the ligaments to make the body more flexible for the birth, but these hormones also soften the fibres in the skin and therefore makes it more susceptible to stretch marks. Whether or not a woman gets stretch marks during her pregnancy also depends on how quickly weight is gained and whether 'it runs in the family'. Rapid Weight Gain - When the body gains weight rapidly the skin also has to stretch to accommodate the extra fat or muscle tissue. As with the balloon explained above, the skin loses elasticity and tears if the weight was put on too quickly. Puberty - As with rapid weight gain, skin fibres will be stretched too fast and can tear if the body grows too fast. The hormonal changes that occur during puberty also have an impact on the body's collagen production. Genetics - The skin is made up of collagen (a structural protein of the connective tissue) that keeps the fibres in the skin subtle and elastic. Some people have a lower collagen production than others, which means that the skin is loser and not as elastic as other people's skin. Underlying Health Conditions - Some rare health conditions like Marfan or Cushing's syndrome can also lead to the development of stretch marks. People with Cushing's syndrome produce excess amounts of cortisol that decreases the amount of collagen in the skin whilst those suffering from Marfan syndrome suffer from a faulty gene that affects the skin and connective tissue, which weakens the tissues and makes the skin less elastic. Corticosteroids - Also a rare phenomenon are stretch marks due to prolonged or inappropriate use of corticosteroid medicines like creams or lotions to treat various conditions of the skin like eczema. The medication has a similar effect to those suffering from Cushing's syndrome, whereby the cortisone reduces the amount of collagen in the skin, which in turn can make it more susceptible to stretch marks. How can I avoid stretch marks? There is no guaranteed formula that prevents a person from getting stretch marks, however, there are a few things that can be done to prevent or reduce these ugly marks: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.... the skin needs to maintain its elasticity. Instead of using water based creams, use natural organic Aloe Vera Gel, which contains natural collagen as well as vital nutrients in addition to its healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe Vera also has the advantage of quickly and deeply penetrating all layers of the skin (Aloe Vera is proven to penetrate up to 7 times deeper into the skin than other substances) so that the nutrients are absorbed at the deepest level of the skin where the damage has occurred. Massage enhances blood circulation and helps the tissue to heal faster. Massaging the affected parts enhances the blood circulation in the connective tissues, which in turn promotes healing and by using creams or gel that contain natural collagen, the cells are able to regenerate faster and the skin regains some elasticity and firmness. Using Aloe Vera Gel for massage instead of oils ensures that the nutrients can penetrate deeply into the skin tissue to promote healing and add extra collagen to strengthen the skin tissues. Healthy diet. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables that contain Vitamin E and C, as well as nuts and oily fish (or fish oil supplements) and lean protein like lean meat, eggs, tofu or chicken. Zinc and silica are also important to maintain a healthy collagen production. You can also take supplements although a natural diet will beat supplements any time. Water Make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out any toxins, especially after massage. Our body consists of about 90% water and its vital to drink water every day. A plant that is not watered will shrivel up and die.... The same happens to your body, it will become dehydrated. Exercise promotes blood circulation and the formation of new cellular tissues. It also helps to reduce fat, which in turn is beneficial to improve circulation and healing. Surgery. There are various options to surgically reduce stretch marks, such as laser treatment, surgical removal (like tummy tucks), microdermabrasion or Endermologie. If you are considering beauty treatments or surgery, do your homework and get several opinions from medical professionals and consider the impact on your health, side effects of the treatment and cost!