Inevitably, no matter how beautiful your skin may be today, you will develop stretch marks. Although painless, stretch marks are both unsightly and a potential source of embarrassment. For the most part, you are stuck with stretch marks unless you opt for expensive laser therapy or perhaps dermabrasion. But why exactly do stretch marks form in the first place?
Your skin is made up of 3 layers. The outer layer is known as the epidermis and its main purpose is to prevent foreign agents from invading your body. The second layer is the dermis and it is comprised of collagen and elastic fibers which combine to give your skin its smooth appearance. The last layer is called the hypodermis and it is mostly made up of fat and various tissues.
Stretch marks, also known as stria atrophica, form in the dermis layer of your skin. In fact, stretch marks are literally tears in the dermis. Now stretch marks should not be confused with scars, although they do appear quite similar when looking at them. Scars are made of fibrotic tissue which is simply not present in stretch marks.
As stated earlier, the dermis produces elastic fibers. These special fibers are what allows...