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Most of us have heard about “stretch marks.” The condition of having stretch marks is most commonly brought up during discussions of pregnant women. However, if you haven’t been following health blogs, or reading women’s magazines on a regular basis, you may still harbor some confusion about what stretch marks look and feel like.

“Is it true that your skin gets scarred if it stretches?” you may wonder. “If so, how come everyone’s skin isn’t always covered with scars? Doesn’t people’s skin naturally stretch when they grow?” You may be wondering whether or not you have stretch marks. Moreover, you may worry whether or not those scars on your breast, stomach or legs (or other parts of your body) are stretch marks or not. What if they are something more dangerous?

Here is what stretch marks look like: when you first get them, stretch marks will look like uneven, reddish or purplish lines on your skin, usually a few inches in length. They may look like insect bites or rashes, except they will not itch at all, and they will be shaped like lines. Over time, stretch marks come to more or less match your skin color–except they will always end up being lighter than the skin that surrounds them. Areas of the skin that have been “stretched” will always have less pigment.

Yes, it’s true that stretch marks are caused by your skin stretching. Why doesn’t it always get stretch marks? Because collagen and elastin fibers found in its dermis layer normally keep it flexible. Stretch marks happen when those elastic fibers get stretch past their limit.

Stretch marks never hurt, and they are, fortunately, not dangerous. However, they can easily unsettle. They feel strange and soft to touch, and the stretched-out skin is oddly free of marks. Many people are put off by the sort of “spongy” feel of the skin in stretch marks. Other people are worried that stretch marks adversely affect their appearance.

Related Stretch Mark Articles:

• An Expectant Mother’s Guide to Straightforward Stretch Mark Prevention
• Natural Tips on How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks
• Learn How to Remove Stretch Marks By Knowing the Causes
• How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks the Natural Way
• Home Remedies to Help You Rid of Stretch Marks
• Apply Stretch Marks Lotion to Minimize the Effects of Unsightly Marks
• Learn About Safe and Effective Stretch Marks Treatment
• How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks The Cheapest Possible Way
• Discover Great Ways to Fade Stretch Marks Economically
• Bio Oil for Scars Treatment and Stretch Marks Removal

Tags | collagen, elastin, scars, Stretch Marks