Human skin is an organ in itself, considering the many functions it performs. It protects from internal infection, warns of possible physical damage by means of sensory pain signals and cools the entire body via sweat glands. And, of course, it is the main canvas of physical beauty.
Despite being extremely flexible, there is a certain limit to its elasticity. When that limit, for whatever reason, is reached or exceeded, stretch marks unfortunately result. They are normally associated with the often drastic weight changes and physical growth of puberty, but various other factors can cause unsightly stretch marks on the skin.
As with most other cosmetically related problems, women are most traumatized by this perfectly natural phenomenon. Unfortunately, the structural changes associated with womanhood also make them the most susceptible. Normally, growing girls will find stretch marks developing on their breasts, thighs, hips, and buttocks. Older women will almost certainly develop typical stretch marks during and after pregnancy.
But the problem is by no means limited to females alone. For instance, obese people of both sexes will sport stretch marks at certain locations of the body, and the problem is certainly not solved by abrupt weight loss, either. If anything, stretch marks can become even more visible with it.
The problem is, of course, far worse for people whose skin retains or highlights stretch marks more than is usual. The skin pigment melanin is the operative factor in such cases, but garden-variety stretch marks are caused when the supply of a protein called collagen is disrupted. This causes minute but eventually visible fissures in the connective tissue. In some cases, the problem resolves itself naturally. Others require external (artificial) intervention.
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Stretch Marks and Pregnancy
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Pregnancy brings some unavoidable problems with it – backache, fatigue, queasiness, and, almost invariably, stretch marks. As the term of childbearing progresses (usually during the 6th or 7th month) something like 80% of all women can expect to find red striations to appear on the...
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Prevent Stretch Marks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There are certain circumstances under which stretch marks are almost guaranteed. To be forewarned and not forearmed is therefore foolhardy – especially considering the near impossibility of getting rid of them later on. Without doubt, pregnancy in women and intentional weight loss in both sexes...
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Laser Surgery For Stretch Marks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Stretch marks are caused due to excessive stretching of the skin as a result of rapid weight gain. The skin, being elastic, stretches in order to accommodate this new body volume. At some point, though, the skin will reach the limit of its ability to...
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Cause of Stretch Marks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The actual causes of stretch marks are still largely unknown. Fundamentally, the depletion of collagen causes skin integrity to reduce and the end result can be stretch marks. The rupturing of minute blood vessels is also involved in causing the earliest pink discolorations of such...
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Home Remedies For Stretch Marks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The generally held medical standpoint is that there is no clear-cut treatment for stretch marks. We are not talking of major cosmetic surgery or otherwise radical intervention here, of course – those are definitely possible approaches, but highly expensive ones that are by no means...
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Stretch Marks Cream
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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No clear-cut conclusions have been reached on whether creams, lotions and the other assorted potions for stretch marks really help. Some scorn them, others swear by them. It is quite possible that those who actually benefit would have eventually healed anyway. The damage that causes...
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Laser Stretch Marks Removal
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There is a lot of controversy about the efficacy of laser removal of stretch marks. The main bone of contention is that lasers are only useful in breaking down or vaporizing tissue, not in actually repairing it. In fact, even surgical intervention is apparently only...
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Stretch Marks Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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As already mentioned, most available treatments for stretch marks are essentially of the preventive and controlling kind. The treatments that deal with repairing already existing damage are quite radical and, for the greatest part, not of established medical validity. Pulsed laser dye therapy, currently in...
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Eczema Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Eczema treatment is typically dictated by the severity of the condition and the detection of an underlying trigger. In mild to moderate cases, attention to skin care may help alleviate much of the itching and dryness. Bathing in lukewarm water instead of hot water and...
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Skin Care Tips
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Women across the world scan magazines and television channels for wonder tips for rejuvenating their skin. Men, too, are becoming increasingly conscious of their looks, and cosmetic giants are catering to their specific skin care needs. Both men and women need to follow a proper...