Stretch Marks, or Stria Distensae in the medical community, a natural skin condition affecting both men and women. Thankfully, stretch marks rarely cause serious health issues; however, those of us with stretch marks know very well the stress, psychological harm and discomfort stretch marks pose. While we offer a viable solution to reduce the visibility of stretch marks with our ScarMD Oil, there are best practices that you can put in place as a preventative measure. Knowing potential risk factors will help you with these preventative measures.
While the exact cause of how or why stretch marks develop is still being researched, the factors that cause these stretch marks are still not fully understood. Theories exist, ranging from rapid stretching of the dermis (i.e. rapid weight gain during pregnancy or body building), growth spurts during puberty in adolescents, to an increase in certain hormones. While Some risk factors are uncontrollable like genetics or skin type, there are also risk facts that we are able to have some control over.
Uncontrollable risk factors
- Your risk is higher if you have fair or sensitive skin. Conversely, deeper skin tones are often less likely to develop stretch marks, as darker skin tends to be more elastic compared to paler skin types. While certain types of skin are more predisposed to stretch marks than others, it doesn’t mean that stretch marks are completely unavoidable, as there are also controllable risk factors at play (more on this soon)
- if your mother was prone to stretch marks, you are more likely to get them. Over half the women who report stretch marks also had a mother who had stretch marks, according to the American Pregnancy Association.
- Your risk is higher if you had prior stretch marks during puberty. If the growth spurts of adolescence showed you stretch marks, then it’s only natural that you will see a recurring pattern of presence throughout your adult life.
Controllable risk factors
- The overall health of the dermis significantly impacts your risk of stretch marks. Fortunately this is something that we have a little bit of control over. Switching to a gentle cleanser, or using a hydrating toner, using humectant serums are just a few of many lines of defense that we could put in place as a preventative measure. While these methods may not be a total failsafe, they are an excellent first line of defense against developing stretch marks.
- Your overall risk for stretch marks is reduced if you avoid excessive weight gain over a short period of time. While sudden weight increases are expected during a pregnancy or a growth spurt (adolescence), bodybuilding is another risk factor to be cognizant of. Any form of weight gain that happens quickly over a short period of time will make you prone to stretch marks. Stretch marks during pregnancy may be unavoidable, but if you’re trying to get some serious gains at the gym, you can pace yourself to reduce the amount of stretch marks that develop.
- This is one of those “easier said than done” kind of risk factors! Especially if you’re a soda or juice drinker. But hydration is one of the best lines of defense that’s easy to work into your routine. 64oz of water a day should be your hydration goal, and if you space it out, it’s not out of reach! A 16 oz glass of water before bed, and after waking up gets you halfway through that goal, and if you find yourself thirsty throughout the day, you’ll drink the rest in no time!
While we all have risk factors for stretch marks, there are ways we can reduce their presence. And despite our best efforts, they still might make an appearance, and that’s nobody’s fault. This is the main reason we developed ScarMD oil for stretch marks, because while stretch marks don’t pose any health threats, feeling like you look your best is important to one’s mental health, and we want you to be happy and healthy no matter where you are in life!
About AIM Medical
AIM Medical is a skincare products research, engineering and manufacturing company based in the world's medtech hub - Boston, Massachusetts. Dedicated to developing novel, safe, yet highly effective portfolio of products that target common dermatologic conditions, AIM Medical advances the high value opportunities for products that focus on wound care and atopic dermatitis. At AIM Medical we are proud of our heritage of creating health and beauty through technology innovation. We have aligned AIM Medical to be a worldwide healthcare brand advancing the cutting edge technologies to work in real.