Stretch marks are scars that form due to overstretching of the skin. Like the dermis, the epidermis also overstretches, making it thin and translucent. Stretch marks and scars are a result of the continuous stretching of skin that causes collagen to rupture and blood vessels to dilate.

Skin stretches in this manner and causes stretch marks for a number of reasons including pregnancy, weight gain, or growth spurts. They can also be medications such as hormones and steroids. The marks form when skin expands rapidly and creates small tears in the dermis which show as reddish linear marks.

These stretch mark lines can have a shiny, depressed appearance and take on a scar like texture. Fortunately, the appearance of these can fade over time. The color of the mark can lighten and the texture might smooth out.

About 70 percent of adolescent females and almost 40 percent of young males find themselves victim to stretch marks. The most commonly affected areas of the body include the abdominal area, thighs, upper arms, breasts, hips, and lower back.

Stretch Marks Due to Pregnancy

Although pregnancy is a beautiful time, it unfortunately comes with many ugly side effects. Many of these appear on the skin due to changes in the body and altering levels of hormones.

The most commonly known skin affect is stretch marks. During pregnancy, a woman's hormones are hard at work, and they can be known to disrupt the protein equilibrium of the skin causing it to become thinner. This leaves almost 90 percent of pregnant women with stretch marks. These marks could be unattractive, but luckily there are options available in stretch mark removal.

Stretch Mark Removal by Surgery

Surgery is a popular option in stretch mark removal. Abdominoplasties, also known as tummy tucks, remove skin that lies beneath the belly button. This is where the majority of stretch marks occur during pregnancy. Taking away this area of skin eliminates stretch marks entirely.

The surgery can be done on the thighs, upper arms, etcetera, anywhere there is excess skin. Like any other surgery, this one has the risk of causing scars during the procedure. However, those are usually cut low enough to be covered by swimsuits or clothing. And, with proper care you can get rid of these surgical scars within one year of the procedure.

Seek Natural Alternatives

The unfortunate news is that health care rarely covers aesthetic procedures such as this one. The cost depends on where you get the procedure done. A fair estimate would be between 4000 and 7500 dollars. Therefore, the best thing to do is prevent them from appearing if you can, and this can be done with certain natural products.