Stretch Marks

You've probably heard of stretch marks and know that some women get them when they are pregnant. Kids can get stretch marks too and they can have a major impact on a person's body image and self-esteem.

• What do stretch marks look like?
• Stretch marks can appear on both boys and girls going through puberty, but why?
• Who gets stretch marks?
• Can you get rid of stretch marks, or cover them up?

What do stretch marks look like?

Stretch marks look like lines on your skin. Sometimes they start off looking purple or red, and they have a different texture than the normal skin. Over time, they usually lighten and may come close to disappearing.
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Stretch marks can appear on both boys and girls going through puberty, but why?

When a person is growing quickly, the tissue beneath the skin gets pulled. When the skin is stretched further than its normal range of elasticity, the connective tissue changes causing stretch marks. This happens because the body is growing faster than the skin can produce collagen.

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Who gets stretch marks?

• Bodybuilders.
  
• Overweight people.
  
• Pregnant women.
  
• People who use creams containing steroids (artificial chemicals that can improve strength and muscle mass) on skin.

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Can you get rid of stretch marks, or cover them up?

If stretch marks make you uncomfortable, try covering them up. Some people use self-tanning lotions and sprays as a cover-up. Tanning beds or sun tanning are a bad idea, because tanning can make the stretch marks even darker or the stretch marks will not tan.

If you have stretch marks, wear a sunscreen with a high SPF (sun protection factor) all over your body so the stretch marks do not become worse.

Cover up the stretch marks. You can try a cover-up powder or cream if you won't be in the water much. Wear a swimsuit that provides more coverage, if you will be in the water a lot.

There are lots of products that say they get rid of stretch marks, but these can be very expensive and they don't work very well. If nothing else works, you might want to go to a dermatologist, who can recommend a laser treatment. However, these treatments can be very expensive. You might decide it's not worth the cost, especially since stretch marks often fade over time.

If your stretch marks are making you self-conscious, just remember that lots of people have them. They are a sign that your body is growing -- and that is something to be proud of.
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