Stretch marks (also known as striae) concern all of us. Many people assume they're caused by pregnancy, which in essence means that only women going through pregnancy or mothers are affected. This simply isn't true.

Body builders usually suffer from striae, and most of these body builders are men. People that easily experience weight fluctuations are also susceptible to stretch marks. Teens are usually afflicted with striae during "growth spurts". In short, whenever skin is stretched rapidly or dramatically, striae can appear.

Not only can striae affect both men and women, but they can affect children, teens, and adults. They can be observed in people all around the world, no matter their race or ethnicity. What are striae, and why do they occur?

Skin is an extraordinary organ. Not only is the largest organ of our body, but also one of the most complex. Skin shields our internal organs, collaborates in the wastes elimination, and processes external elements, such as solar light, for our benefit. One of skin's most extraordinary characteristics is its ability to stretch.

Stretch Marks - A Sign of Poor Collagen and Elastin Production

Elastin and collagen are two of the building blocks of skin. Collagen and elastin are both proteinic fibers, with elastic properties. Collagen is a binding agent in skin. It's the building block of connective tissue. Elastin provides skin with, you guessed it, its elasticity.

And the skin is phenomenally elastic. However, at certain times, skin is over-stressed, stretched beyond its ability to give. At these times, the skin actually tears. These little lesions can heal, but they leave scar tissue. The scar tissue that results from these small rips in the skin is known as stretch mark.

But stretch marks are not forever anymore. There are biological ingredients that promote the replacement of damaged skin cells and that regenerate new healthy collagen and elastin and skin cells from within your body. These products utilize natural activators, similar to your own regenerative mechanisms, to prevent and eliminate stretch marks, they stimulate and regulate an orderly synthesis of collagen and elastin as a base to reconstruct damaged skin.

Applying products that contain natural ingredients like snail serum and Rose Hip Oil (at least 2 times a day depending on the characteristics of the blemishes) you can "digest" damaged cells, minimizing and even eliminating all signs of stretch marks. These natural ingredients also create an environment that promote the production of normal collagen, improving skin firmness.