Stretch Marks On Back: Overview
In today’s world where everything boils down to an individual’s social media presence, putting the best foot forward has become the main focus of a person’s life. But, as flawless as we want to appear to the society, there are some not so aesthetically pleasing but natural looking skin issues we end up facing despite our numerous attempts at preventing them.
One such issues is stretch marks. Those long, narrow streaks, stripes or lines that are predominantly visible on areas of your body, like the stomach, thighs, hips, breasts, upper arms and lower back are known as stretch marks. They are extremely common and develop when your skin is stretched beyond its natural limit, hence the name stretch marks.
They can be caused by pregnancy, puberty or rapid weight gain in a short period of time. The marks initially develop as wrinkly, raised streaks that can be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown or dark brown, depending on the skin colour. The streaks eventually fade and flatten and tend to change to a silvery colour over time.
In this blog, we talk about the causes, symptoms and treatments you can undergo to diminish stretch marks over time.
Who Gets Stretch Marks On Back?
An estimated 50% to 90% of women have stretch marks, but men can get them, too. It is also commonly seen on breasts, thighs, hips, or buttocks in teen girls and lower back or hips in boys.
Stretch marks developing on the back are more common than you think. They develop during puberty from growth spurts and are more prevalent in men than in women. But irrespective of the gender, both men and women experience them if they have put on weight in a short span of time.
Stretch marks take on a silvery appearance as they age. They’re most likely to be where your body stores fat
What Causes Stretch Marks On Your Back?
Doctors haven’t pinpointed one cause for stretch marks. Instead, they have determined that stretch marks are a combination of several factors that cause changes to occur in the skin. These factors are:
- Hormones
- Physical stretching of the skin
- Changes to skin cells
- Surgery
But the main cause of stretch marks, as mentioned above, is weight gain. But apart from that, another cause is an increase in the muscle mass in a short period of time. Between 50% to 90% of women who are pregnant experience stretch marks during or after birth.
The skin consists of three key layers, epidermis- the top layer, dermis- the middle layer and subcutaneous fat- the bottom layer. Stretch marks form in the dermis, or middle layer, when the connective tissue is stretched beyond the limits of its elasticity. This is normally due to rapid expansion or contraction of the skin.
How Are Stretch Marks On Back Treated?
Nowadays, there are various treatments available to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. In some rare cases, they fade on their own.
If you are worried about the marks affecting your vibrant and bubbly personality, stop worrying. Read further to find out the various treatments you can undergo to get rid of your stretch marks.
Here are a few treatment options you can opt for to bid goodbye to those nasty marks.
- Chemical peels
- Ultra-Pulse Laser treatment
- Eenerjet JVR laser treatment
- Derma rolling
- Home-made remedies
How You Can Prevent Stretch Marks On Back?
Sometimes the appearance of stretch marks is inevitable, but there are a few healthy choices you can add to your daily routine to prevent stretch marks. They are:
- Maintain a healthy weight throughout your life.
- Avoid crash dieting at any cost.
- Eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Consuming a suitable amount of vitamin A and C can help support the skin.
- Ensure you have a slow and gradual weight gain during pregnancy.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day.
How To Remove Stretch Marks on Back?
Apart from the treatments mentioned above, here are a few other ways you can remove the appearance of stretch marks on your back.
- Boost antioxidants through regular exercise
Exercise promotes anti-oxidants giving us a good blood flow, which is really important for stimulating new collagen. Any repair is much better when there is some sort of physical exercise involved.
- Always apply sunscreen
It is very important to wear a high SPF sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection before moving out of the house. A SPF with the right ingredients can reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
- Use a tretinoin/retinol treatment
Tretinoin is commonly used to treat stretch marks and scars such as those caused by acne. Retinol, which comes from vitamin A, may help make stretch marks less visible. Schedule an appointment with our doctor and enquire if you can start a tretinoin/retinol treatment for your scars.
- Vitamin E and Aloe Vera Skin Creams
Applying a cream with vitamin E or aloe vera as the primary ingredient can help reduce stretch marks since these creams promote skin cell regeneration and collage fibre production.
To sum up, stretch marks do not pose a threat to an individual’s health but can greatly affect someone’s personality and confidence level. They might not harm an individual physically but hamper their mental well-being. Though with various treatments available today and healthy lifestyle choices, stretch marks can be a thing of the past if proper attention is given to this condition at the right time.
With an expert skin clinic like Dr Paul’s Skin Laser Centre, you can stop stressing over the stretch marks on your back and with our guidance get an effective personalised treatment to cast your worries away.
