What Causes Stretch Marks?

Nobody likes having stretch marks, and it wasn’t that long ago that you could do nothing about them. Fortunately, many companies have tried to help people that develop stretch marks, usually pregnant women. But what causes stretch marks? Is it the stretching of the skin, or is it something a little more complex?

Many doctors theorize that stretch marks are not formed by the actual stretching of skin but rather by hormones. However, the hormone changes that cause stretch marks typically coincide with rapid weight gain or loss. When women become pregnant or pubescent teens grow a foot over the summer, hormones rage, and the skin is stretched. Some doctors even claim they can provide evidence to support this theory by reproducing stretch marks in a lab when they recreate the hormone changes.

The more well-known cause of stretch marks is rapid weight gain or loss. Our skin is made to stretch, but it takes some time to stretch skin into place. For example, women can gain up to 60 or 70 pounds during pregnancy within months. Since our skin is not prepared to extend that quickly for that kind of weight gain, these women end up with stretch marks because the skin was forced to pull anyways.

While there is no health threat in having stretch marks, most people do what they can to erase them. They can be visible marks on the skin during bathing suit season and can be challenging to remove. However, there are things you can do to try and prevent them altogether, as well as lessen their effect. If you’ve already got stretch marks, we’ve got a product for you.