How wonderful it is to know and be more proud of how authentically created some women are and its even more fulfilling to see them embrace their bodies, flawed or not, a woman’s body should be seen as royalty. Unfortunately in as much as that may be, most women suffer from insecurities caused by stretch marks but stretch marks are actually a very normal part of life. In fact, some girls (and boys) develop stretch marks during puberty, as their bodies change and grow. This is because stretch marks form when your skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching (like gaining weight or getting taller) or by gaining weight (and losing) weight very fast. Stretch marks can form on just about anyone’s body and, at the end of the day, are perfectly normal. So here’s more about what stretch marks are and why we get them: 

WHAT ARE STRETCH MARKS?

Stretch marks are fine lines (like streaks or stripes) on your skin that usually occur when you grow or gain weight really quickly. Although your skin is very stretchy, when it over stretches (like in the case of your body changing too quickly), then these scars called stretch marks will form. 

Stretch marks mostly appear in places where larger amounts of fat is stored in the body, the most common places being the abdomen, breasts, upper arms, back thighs, hips and buttocks. It is possible for people of any age, colour or gender to develop stretch marks.

WHY DO SOME OF US GET THEM? 

These are some of the common reasons why women get stretch marks: 

PREGNANCY

When pregnant, a mother’s skin stretches to make room for the growing baby. This constant pulling and stretching of the skin can cause stretch marks.

WEIGHT LOSS 

It’s not always the case that weight loss will cause stretch marks, but it is possible. This is mainly if you lose weight very fast and your skin loses its elasticity. All that loose skin will most likely have stretch marks on the surface. This doesn’t mean losing weight is a bad thing. Just try to lose weight gradually instead of going on extreme diets or extreme exercise regimes that will cause you to lose weight fast. 

WEIGHT GAIN 

As soon as you put on some weight, your body creates more places to store fat, this is when the skin begins to stretch to accommodate all the extra weight. During the process the scars developing can tend to be painful, scratchy or itchy.

MUSCLE GROWTH 

This happens a lot more to body builders who develop muscle too quickly. Similar to weight gain, muscle gain forces the skin to make space for the newly grown muscle – stretching the skin and causing stretch marks.

GENETICS 

This may sound quite unfair, but it is possible for you to get stretch marks due to family genetics. That is why people who are not overweight, pregnant or aren’t affected by any of the above reasons still get stretch marks.

GETTING RID OF STRETCH MARKS

Stretch marks are perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of. But if you are really bothered by the appearance of stretch marks on your skin, there are some things you can do to make them less noticeable, like using body makeup to cover them up. If you’re conscious while out swimming, wear high-waisted bikinis or longer bikini shorts (basically, bathing suits with more coverage).

There are a lot of creams and oils out there that promise to get rid of stretch marks but a lot of them don’t work and most of them are very expensive. Some natural remedies include a combination of coconut oil and sugar, while aloe vera can also assist as a natural healing agent and a skin softener. Some people who actually get rid of stretch marks do so with the help of skin doctors (dermatologists) and plastic surgeons – both of those cost a lot of money. 

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