Have you noticed some odd bands of reddish or shiny white skin on your hips, thighs, upper arms, or belly? If so, you’re looking at stretch marks. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at five stretch mark myths and answer a few questions that you might have: who gets stretch marks, what causes stretch marks, and what gets rid of stretch marks.
Stretch Mark Myths You Might Have Heard, That Are 100% False
Myth #1: Only Women Can Get Stretch Marks
This is, perhaps, the most common stretch mark myth out there, and it’s totally false! (And kinda ridiculous??) The fact of the matter is, all genders are capable of developing stretch marks– this includes you too, guys! Women simply tend to be the center of stretch mark discussions, mainly because of pregnancy. However, men can get them, too!
Myth #2: Only Overweight & Pregnant People Get Stretch Marks
Several of these misconceptions are about who gets stretch marks, so let’s establish this: no one is necessarily immune to developing stretch marks. In fact, even bodybuilders and lanky teenagers can have stretch marks!
So, what causes stretch marks, then? As you might guess, stretch marks are caused by rapid growth underneath the skin’s surface that causes the skin to physically stretch. This stretching breaks down the skin’s structural components (elastin and collagen), causing bands of scar tissue to fill their place.
Myth #3: Stretch Marks Only Happen In The Stomach Area
As you might imagine, there are other parts of the body that can get larger – rapidly – especially if you are someone who hasn’t finished growing yet. Or, if you are a bodybuilder, your upper arms and thighs may be more prone to developing stretch marks.
Myth #4: There’s Nothing You Can Do To Prevent Stretch Marks
While some people are genetically predisposed to developing stretch marks, most people can actually prevent them from occurring with a bit of preemptive care. Stretching is more noticeable and dramatic when the skin isn’t moisturized and healthy, to begin with. This is why, for example, we recommend that pregnant women start using our Stretch Mark Cream at the start of their second trimester, before their bellies start to stretch dramatically.
By keeping your skin healthy and moisturized, you’re far less likely to experience damaging stretching.
Myth #5: You Can’t Reduce Or Heal Stretch Marks
We’ll concede a little bit to this myth: healing stretch marks is hard work. Furthermore, just like any other type of scar, stretch marks will never truly go away. So, bearing this in mind, what gets rid of stretch marks? When a product talks about getting rid of stretch marks, what they’re aiming for is smoothing the skin’s surface and reducing redness so that the marks fade into the rest of your skin. There’s nothing that will remove the scar tissue from your skin.
This all being said, there are some amazing scar creams that can drastically reduce the appearance of your stretch marks, including our paraben-free and fragrance-free Stretch Mark Cream. We developed our Stretch Mark Cream with expectant mothers in mind, making the formula safe enough for babies. However, others (as we mentioned above) can also benefit from our unique blend of polypeptides, ceramides, cocoa butter, aloe vera, and more.