Stretch marks are not just a cosmetic condition. They also constitute a medically recognized condition, called striae – and there is quite a number of ‘dermatology researchers’- highly specialized doctors who have actually devoted their lives to the study of the stretch-marks.

At their core, stretch marks are caused by things that cause the skin to stretch very rapidly, cause it to overshoot its elasticity limits (since the skin, like all structures has finite elasticity). The growth that is associated with pregnancy (or even ordinary growth at adolescence for some people) are examples of such conditions that can push the skin beyond its elasticity limits, causing stretch marks.

Stretch marks tend to be most clearly manifest on the skins of very light skinned people, though darker people are not absolutely immune to them either. The stretch marks tend to manifest as lines of different or accentuated hue from the rest of the skin; though their brightness tends to fade with time. For the most part, the commonest sites of stretch marks in the body are the places where the body stores most of its fat, examples of these being the around the belly, on the thighs and the hips, to name but a few of the commonest stretch mark locations.

While stretch marks might not pose any form of major medical risk to the person who happens to be afflicted of them, they do tend to be psychologically distressing; never mind the fact that most of the locations they affect are typically not exposed to others ‘for viewing.’ There is also the ‘shock factor’ with regard to stretch marks, where a person suffering from them the very first time might start to get worried as to ‘what might have befallen them’ thinking it is a very alarming condition.

As an explanation as to explain why some people appear to be more prone to stretch marks than others, even for the same level of stress on the skin, a hormonal link has been observed in the formation of the stretch-marks: in the name of glucocortoid hormones that are said to be behind the whole stretch mark formation process.

By nature of their commonest locations previously mentioned, which also tend to be the most hidden parts of the body, it is difficult to gauge the overall prevalence of stretch marks by observation. What is known though, is that among pregnant women, stretch-marks are the rule rather than the exception: with at least 8 out of every 10 women who fall pregnant complaining, or at least reporting, such stretch marks.

While some cases of stretch-marks might be difficult to prevent (like the ones caused by pregnancy, for instance); all cases of stretch marks can be checked. One of the most effective aids in checking the incidence or severity of stretch-marks is skin moisturizing, since it tends to increase the elastic limits of the skin, hence raising the threshold at which the skin can be pushed to form the stretch marks. In addition to making use of the various skin moisturizers available, increasing one’s intake of water is another step one can take towards checking the incidence and severity of stretch-marks.

Stretch marks that are already present on the skin can be treated, though success in getting rid of them completely is not always guaranteed. Treatment options in this regard range from the use of medication (typically in the form of creams) to the use of laser therapy and even surgery in the worst cases.