Ask The Expert
Removing Stretch Marks
Stretch marks can be unsightly but there is something you can do about them, says our Agony Aunt Debbie Rix. Here she offers up some suggestions for a UKTV Style user whose stretch marks are making her feel self-conscious about her body.
Dear Debbie,
I put on a couple of stone quite quickly a few years ago. Since then I have been on a diet and managed to lose a stone. I am starting to feel a lot better about myself, but I now have quite bad stretch marks across my stomach and bottom. They really look horrible and I'm quite self-conscious about them. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?
Thanks,
Amy
UKTV Style's Agony Aunt replies:
Hi there Amy,
First off - well done for losing weight. Two stone is a lot to lose - but you're already halfway there - which must give you a great feeling of satisfaction. It's bad luck about the stretch marks - but I'm sure there are things that can be done to minimise them.
Stretch marks are associated with rapid weight gain - often they appear during pregnancy for example - but in fact there are plenty of people who acquire them for other reasons. People taking steroids are at risk of getting stretch marks, as are young men engaged in lots of strenuous exercise. Puberty is also a factor - people are more likely to develop them at that time, and young women (16 - 18) who get pregnant are more likely to develop them than their older counterparts. There is no doubt that rapid weight gain and loss are also triggers - and that seems to be what has happened to you.
So what is actually going on to produce these unsightly red or white marks? It seems they are a result of a decreased production of elastin and collagen in the dermis (the second layer) of the skin.This results in the elastic fibres becoming loose and disintegrating. Finally the fibres disappear altogether, causing 'breaks' in the dermis which causes the top layer of skin to collapse in - producing the ridged appearance that we call 'stretch marks'.
I put on a couple of stone quite quickly a few years ago. Since then I have been on a diet and managed to lose a stone. I am starting to feel a lot better about myself, but I now have quite bad stretch marks across my stomach and bottom. They really look horrible and I'm quite self-conscious about them. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?
Thanks,
Amy
UKTV Style's Agony Aunt replies:
Hi there Amy,
First off - well done for losing weight. Two stone is a lot to lose - but you're already halfway there - which must give you a great feeling of satisfaction. It's bad luck about the stretch marks - but I'm sure there are things that can be done to minimise them.
Stretch marks are associated with rapid weight gain - often they appear during pregnancy for example - but in fact there are plenty of people who acquire them for other reasons. People taking steroids are at risk of getting stretch marks, as are young men engaged in lots of strenuous exercise. Puberty is also a factor - people are more likely to develop them at that time, and young women (16 - 18) who get pregnant are more likely to develop them than their older counterparts. There is no doubt that rapid weight gain and loss are also triggers - and that seems to be what has happened to you.
So what is actually going on to produce these unsightly red or white marks? It seems they are a result of a decreased production of elastin and collagen in the dermis (the second layer) of the skin.This results in the elastic fibres becoming loose and disintegrating. Finally the fibres disappear altogether, causing 'breaks' in the dermis which causes the top layer of skin to collapse in - producing the ridged appearance that we call 'stretch marks'.
