Our teenage years involve several drastic changes in our lives.
These are in terms of awareness regarding the world around, sexual and emotional maturity and a very visible physical transformation. You would count in height gain, weight gain and changes in facial features, but there is a much unsightly aspect to growing up as well: Stretch marks.
Almost all adolescents, as the years roll by, develop ugly skin cracks on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. If they happen to lose or gain weight fast, these cracks become wider and more unpleasant. Several ointments and laser treatments have come into the market lately, promising to erase those lines in no time, but only those who have been trying hard to lose them know that they are assets for a lifetime.
Dr Nirupama Parwanda, dermatologist at Fortis Escort Hospital, says, “People usually associate the phrase stretch marks with pregnant women. Probably that’s an impression formed by advertisements of ‘stretch mark removal creams’ for expecting women. But it’s basically a condition where your body is growing at a rate faster than your skin can follow. The upper layer does not tear but the elastic fibre below starts disintegrating. It can happen in teenage years, due to obesity or pregnancy. In medical terms, we call it striae distensae.”
While teenagers acquire these ‘tears’ on the sides of the waist, down the thighs and buttocks, pregnant women can see the streaks running all across their belly by the sixth or seventh month of their term. About 90 per cent women are estimated to get stretch marks when expecting. Meanwhile, men involved in body building also develop fine lines on the arms as muscle building outruns the collagen production rate.“Don’t expect them to vanish. They will not,” says Dr Nipun Jain, dermatologist, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, offering little hope. “Stretch marks can only fade and become lighter over time but not disappear totally.”
The best way to prevent them from getting worse is to act on them while they are still forming, he advises. “Pregnant women should start applying rich creams from the first signs of itching and tightness in the belly. Otherwise too, moisturising should be a daily ritual. Also, drink lots of water. It’ll help the skin,” he adds.
Some clinical treatments have come up over the years to aid in reducing the scars. “Silicone creams, Vitamin C serums, allantoin and tretinoin creams are a part of the usual ointments prescribed,” says Dr Nirupama.
“More recently, procedures like derma rollers - whereby the skin is injured with micro needles for new skin formation - Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy and CO2 laser therapy are suggested.”
But, “that will still not wipe out the marks,” she disappoints, “those who have them just have to learn to live with them till they become barely visible.”