Stretch Marks – Can Anything Really Be Done About Them?
Most of us have stretch marks – some hidden, some visible, some big, some small, some obvious, some not so obvious. They can be souvenirs from pregnancy, puberty and rapid weight gain or loss. What are they and what causes them? Stretch marks are a form of scarring that occurs in parts of our body where the skin has been exposed to excessive stretching. Areas most often affected are abdomen, breasts, underarm area, thighs, hips and buttocks. All those areas change dramatically during pregnancy and puberty. When a pregnant woman’s skin isn’t able to stretch quickly enough to catch up with the growing baby, abdominal stretch marks are likely to occur. As the breasts enlarge during pregnancy, and especially during...