Do Stretch Marks Mean I’m Gaining Weight?

Stretch marks are recognizable parallel lines that appear on your skin. These lines often happen when any of your body parts like stomach, upper arms, breasts, buttocks, thighs start protruding. These discolored streaks or lines are even more visible if the skin color is pale. Stretch marks are commonly seen in pregnant women. However, these are not harmful to the body, and they disappear slowly with time.

A stretch mark doesn’t mean that you have suddenly put on weight. It also happens when you start losing weight. Stretch marks can happen at any age and not just happen during the postpartum period to new mothers. Let’s discuss this in detail.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Cortisone is a hormone that is produced naturally by the adrenal glands of our body. The increase in cortisone in the human body results in skin stretching, thus causing stretch marks. However, if the level of cortisone hormone increases, then the skin loses its flexibility and elasticity. These marks are often itchy, and therefore, the skin needs to be kept hydrated to keep away the itchiness.

Below are a few circumstances that can cause stretch marks, especially in women :

• Typically, all women develop stretch marks during their pregnancy; as the baby grows in the womb, it stretches the skin. The continuous stretching and dragging cause the formation of long purple marks over the skin.
• Often, teenagers also experience stretch marks on their bodies as they lose or gain weight. This happens during puberty when their body experiences a sudden spurt of growth.
• Constant exposure to lotions, pills, corticosteroid creams makes the skin lose its elasticity, thus causing stretch marks.
• Several other syndromes like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan’s syndrome, and other disorders related to the adrenal gland can cause stretch marks, as the level of cortisone hormone doubles up in the body.
• It may also happen if the person is a fitness enthusiast and does weightlifting exercises.
• Sudden gain of weight due to some medical condition, or living an unhealthy lifestyle.
• It may also happen due to sudden loss of weight. The stretch marks visibly appear as the skin starts losing its elasticity.

Why Do Stretch Marks Happen?

Several factors indicate the severity of the stretch marks. The generic reason is either the person is in her conceiving period, or has suddenly lost or gained weight. But other than this, there are other factors like a high level of stress on the skin, genetic inheritance tendency, and weakening of the elastic fibers of the skin can cause stretch marks.

Do Stretch Marks Mean that I Am Getting Obese?

No, having stretch marks may not always mean that you are getting overweight. As explained above, certain factors determine the sudden appearance of stretch marks. It is even visible if the body tends to lose weight.

However, if you are not facing any of the factors that cause stretch marks, then you should immediately consult a doctor. By analyzing your medical history, they can diagnose the causes of stretch marks and suggest proper tests.

Women who are in their postpartum period and have just delivered their cute bundle of joy get stretch marks. This is a crucial period of every woman’s life where they undergo several physical and emotional changes.

Stretch marks in the post-pregnancy period are nothing to be afraid of, as they are harmless. They take some time to heal, as the mother’s body has to go through muscle tears. With proper suggestions and medications from the doctor, the stretch marks fade away slowly.

Also, the body starts losing fat during the postpartum period and the skin loses its flexibility, thus, leading to the formation of stretch marks. Therefore, having stretch marks definitely doesn’t mean that you are gaining weight.

How Can Stretch Marks Be Treated?

Stretch marks naturally fade away with time, but if you have got no time and patience, then you can go for some minor treatments. This includes:

1. Stretch marks creams- There are a variety of stretch marks creams available in the market, which help treat these visible lines in a short period. These creams restore the amount of collagen, an essential protein that boosts the skin’s elasticity.
2. Laser therapy- Most women undergo pulse dye laser therapy, which spurs the growth of elastin and collagen into the body.
3. Microdermabrasion- In this type of treatment, the skin gets polished with minute crystallized substances to reveal the formation of new skin.

Conclusion

Stretch marks are a part of the normal change in the human body. This is not a disease or condition which should be essentially treated. It is completely your choice, as these lines are not permanent.

However, you can keep a check on your weight by leading a healthy lifestyle, increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in your diet, and doing simple workouts. Same goes to the new mothers who just conceived and are facing stretch mark issues in their postnatal period.