- 01 WHAT ARE STRETCH MARKS ANYWAY?
- 02 HOW DO STRETCH MARKS DEVELOP IN MEN?
- 03 WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF STRETCH MARKS IN MEN?
- 04 HOW CAN YOU COUNTERACT STRETCH MARKS WITH THE RIGHT SKINCARE?
- 05 WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE THERE? FROM HOME REMEDIES TO PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT
- 06 4 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN STILL PREVENT STRETCH MARKS
WHAT ARE STRETCH MARKS ANYWAY?
The scar-like skin striae, known technically as "striae cutis", is skin damage that occurs in the connective tissue in the subcutis[1]. Stretch marks can often be called different things, which is why you may have struggled to find a suitable solution. Rest assured: these annoying stripes are more common in men than you probably think - according to a study in "The Journal of Pediatrics"[2], the first stretch marks appear during puberty in about 40 percent of boys.
THE TWO STAGES OF STRETCH MARKS
You may have noticed that your stretch marks change over time:
- To begin with: if your connective tissue is recently damaged, you will notice bluish to red stretch marks. This is due to the fact that the capillary blood vessels appear through the skin. With the right care, there is a good chance that you will be able to get rid of them completely.
- After some time and once the stretch marks scar, they take on a white-yellowish color. Although they are completely healed, they are difficult to treat.
HOW DO STRETCH MARKS DEVELOP IN MEN?
Stretch marks in men develop in the same way as in women: as soon as the connective tissue is overstretched, the elastic collagen and elastin fibers in the subcutis tear. To better understand this process, imagine your skin is a rubber band. If you stretch this too quickly, small, irreparable cracks will form.
WHY ARE WOMEN MORE PRONE TO STRETCH MARKS THAN MEN?
While hardly anyone in the beauty world of men talks about the annoying stripes, there are countless anti-stretch mark products, treatments, and tips for women. And it's no wonder, because women are particularly prone to stretch marks. This is because stretch marks almost always remain after pregnancy, women are more likely to have hormonal fluctuations, and their connective tissue is generally weaker.
For this, you should first take a look at the structure of the skin in men and women: thanks to the hormone testosterone, men's skin is about 20 percent thicker, more robust, and has a better water-binding capacity, making it appear firmer and tighter overall. Unlike women, the men's elastin and collagen fibers criss-cross instead of running parallel, which makes for a much firmer connective tissue[3].
|
Did you know? Since the connective tissue fibers in men do not run parallel, but are woven into a tight network, they almost never have cellulite! |
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF STRETCH MARKS IN MEN?
While women often must deal with stretch marks in the abdominal area due to pregnancy, in men they mostly appear along the upper arms, on the chest, on the back, on the buttocks as well as on the thighs. But why does your skin overstretch? There are a few very different reasons for this:
- Hormonal imbalance
Acne is far from being the only problem boys face during puberty. Stretch marks during puberty form when your hormones are out of balance. In some boys, cortisol levels rise sharply during puberty, contributing to the development of stretch marks[4]. - Linear growth
Growth spurts, which are not uncommon during puberty, also often leave horizontal stretch marks on the thigh or back. "Shooting up" will cause your skin to stretch excessively. - Muscle building
Is the gym your second home? If you do strength training frequently and build muscle in a short period of time, cracks can appear in the skin. If your muscles grow quickly, your skin has too little time to "grow with it" or expand. - Weight gain
Whether just because or in connection with a bulking phase, if you gain weight quickly, the elastic fibers of your skin can tear. You may have noticed that many professional bodybuilders and strength athletes are also affected by stretch marks. This is because they often lose and regain weight very quickly due to their training phases. - Genetic predisposition
You heard it correctly; weak connective tissue can be hereditary. The strength and firmness of your connective tissue is hereditary from the very beginning. Your connective tissue also loses stability with age.
HOW CAN YOU COUNTERACT STRETCH MARKS WITH THE RIGHT SKINCARE?
Although stretch marks are still seen as a woman's problem in society, you don't have to just accept them. Especially when the stripes are still "fresh", you can reduce their visibility with the right care, targeted massages, peeling treatments, and more[5]:
ACTIVE INGREDIENT SKINCARE PRODUCTS WITH OILS AND CREAMS
You cannot simply "cream away" stretch marks that are already scarred, but you can soften them slightly. You should focus on the right ingredients when choosing your stretch mark cream. Active ingredients, such as vitamin C, retinol, and peptides stimulate the body's own elastin and collagen production, strengthen the connective tissue, and improve your skin structure in general. Vegetable oils, on the other hand, keep your skin soft and supple, and improve its elasticity.
Biotherm's Biovergetures gel cream is suitable as a nourishing body lotion for everyday use, which you apply to your entire body after showering. Thanks to firming active ingredients and plant oils, it softens already existing stretch marks and counteracts the formation of new ones.
REGULAR PEELING TREATMENTS
Everything that stimulates your blood circulation also strengthens your connective tissue. It is very easy to do this with the help of a scrub in the shower. A body scrub not only frees your skin of dead skin cells, but also stimulates the circulation and prepares your skin optimally for the following skincare products. You can enhance the exfoliating effect by massaging the scrub in with a brush or massage glove.
| Beauty Tip: treat yourself and your skin to a little time out with pinching massages that promote circulation. To do this, work on your stretch marks with your index finger and thumb and "pinch" the skin between your fingers slightly upwards. To avoid massaging dry skin, you can use a light body milk, such as our Life Plankton™ Multi-Corrective Body Milk. |
WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE THERE? FROM HOME REMEDIES TO PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT
In addition to proper care, you can also turn to a whole lot of other treatment options. You can counteract stretch marks naturally with things from your pantry, while treatments at the beautician or dermatologist promise quick results.
Suitable home remedies are vegetable oils, such as olive oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil, which are rich in vitamins A and E. Commercial pregnancy oils for stretch marks often contain natural oils. To lighten your stretch marks, you can use lemon juice, which has a mild lightening and complexion-enhancing effect.
STRETCH MARK REMOVAL BY A BEAUTICIAN OR DERMATOLOGIST
In beauty salons, the treatment of stretch marks often involves chemical peels or microneedling. The chemical peels penetrate deep into the skin and stimulate the body's own elastin and collagen production. Microneedling has the same effect, in which the skin areas are treated with a dermaroller. The skin is stimulated with the help of microscopic needles, thus stimulating natural skin regeneration.
Fast, visible results are promised by laser treatments at the dermatologist. It illuminates the stretch marks with thousands of tiny flashes of light that inflict microscopic damage onto the tissue. Subsequently, new tissue can form, and the cracks are significantly reduced, or disappear completely. However, this treatment is relatively expensive and must be performed a few times.
4 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN STILL PREVENT STRETCH MARKS
If you follow a healthy lifestyle and some top tips when working out, you won't give those pesky stripes a chance in the first place:
- Patience pays off
While women during pregnancy have no influence on the development of stretch marks, you can very well prevent stripes caused by muscle building and weight gain. Instead of building muscle as quickly as possible, you should aim to build muscle consistently over a longer period of time. This way your skin will be stretched slowly and in a controlled manner. - Get off the couch
Are you more of a "couch potato"? Regular exercise stimulates your blood circulation and also results in a healthy complexion. However, please consider the first point! - You are what you eat
You can also counteract stretch marks by providing your body with sufficient nutrients and vitamins. Instead of junk food and too many sweets, you should instead reach for foods that are rich in vitamin C, E, zinc, as well as unsaturated fatty acids. - Get the circulation going
Not only does an alternating shower in the morning give you a proper boost, but it also stimulates your blood circulation and tightens your connective tissue. Please be aware: increase the temperature difference and finish the shower with cold water!
Since stretch marks are not a painful change in the skin and are absolutely harmless, there is no need to panic! If your self-confidence still suffers because of the stripes, you can also conceal them with a little tan. To protect your skin from dangerous UV radiation, you should use fake tan. You can learn great tips about self-tanner in our article "Applying Fake Tan".
[1] https://www.truehealth.org/dehnungsstreifen-bei-maennern/
[2] URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347604007310
[3] URL: https://www.haut.de/gender-unterschiede-der-haut-bei-mann-und-frau/
[4] URL: https://www.endokrinologie.net/cushing-syndrom.php
[5] URL: https://dermanostic.com/blog/was-kann-man-gegen-dehnungsstreifen-tun/
