STRETCH MARKS

 

What are they?

The term ‘stretch marks’ defines the rapid growth and accommodation of “overstretched” skin.

Stretch marks are extremely common with almost everyone having them and they are technically classified as a type of scar. 

Their medical term is ‘striae’ and are most common during times of puberty and pregnancy, while they also occur during rapid weight fluctuations and gaining of muscle.

The skin accommodates growth throughout our life, however, the mark left behind relates to the sudden and timely manner in which it was stretched.

Stretch marks are formed in the middle layer of the skin, called the dermis and are formed through damaged collagen.

This rupture of collagen and elastin fibers can leave a permanent mark on the surface of the epidermis, which develops into what we know as a stretch mark.

 

How Does a Stretch Mark Form?

Within the dermis there are tight, densely arranged collagen bundles. 

As the skin begins to stretch these normally tight collagen bundles begin to separate. 

As the skin is stretching so fast, the collagen bundles become disordered and jumbled and fail to re-bundle themselves, which results in the visible appearance of grooves in the skin.

The jumbled collagen bundles appear as a groove or mild depression in the skin is what makes the appearance of a stretch mark. 

This is a type of mild inflammatory response, as the collagen and tissues respond to the rapid growth resulting in the fresh stretch marks appearing ‘inflamed’ as the colour red, purple, reddish-brown or dark brown in the interim. 

As they are inflamed, they may first appear slightly raised and be itchy. 

The red colour does not last, and this is the golden time to work as many nourishing ingredients into the stretch marks as possible, to rebuild the collagen and elastin. 

Although stretch marks are technically a ‘scar’, they do not have to remain permanent.

Why Are Some People More Susceptible?

There have been studies that show the drastic changes in estrogen levels that occur during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can make skin more susceptible to damage.

This ‘damage’ results in decreased collagen and production levels, leading to thinner, less elastic skin that can be prone to stretch marks.

Genetics do play a role. If stretch marks were susceptible to your genetic parents, you are more likely to get them.

 

Prevention is better than treatment. 

 

The Big Question; How Do We Prevent Them?

 

1. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration.

The key to preventing stretch marks is make sure your skin is beyond hydrated, to allow the skin to adjust to accommodating growth.

 

2. Strengthen the Dermis and Epidermis

If you know your skin to going to stretch, such as being pregnant, make sure you strengthen your dermis and epidermis through skin strengthening ingredients, such as 

Vitamin A, Vitamin B (niacinamide), Vitamin C, minerals, amino acids and omegas.

 

3. Strengthen Collagen 

Strengthen collagen as much as possible.

Collagen, keratin and amino acids are the protein building blocks of the dermis and epidermis. Just like eating protein everyday, your skin needs to be fed with the correct nutrients. 

Think of Scar Concentrate as your green smoothie and protein shake, offering as many micro and macro nutrients as possible. 

Vitamin C is your number one building block to increase collagen production. There is a whopping 45% Vitamin C in our Scar Concentrate.

New Stretch Marks

Treatment

New stretch marks are easier to treat in the first 6-12 months. Use this window as the key treatment time.

If they are itchy - DON’T SCRATCH. This can deepen the scar leading to permanent damage, sometimes leading to infection.

Inundate your skin with nourishing ingredients.

Massage the ingredients deeply to encourage physical stimulation of new skin cells.

Use Scar Concentrate’s Vitamin C to increase collagen synthesis. 

 

Ingredients That Help

The key to reducing stretch marks is with a balance of deep moisture, collagen building and exfoliation.

 

Scar Concentrate

Bakuchiol

Known as nature’s retinol, without the side effects of irritation, redness and dryness. Bakuchiol boosts the skin’s production of collagen and works on signs of ageing, such as lines, wrinkles, dark spots and pigmentation. It helps to smooth skin texture while restoring elasticity and helping skin to ‘glow’.

 

Rosehip - Vitamin A

Rosehip oil is pressed from the fruit and seed of the plant and contains a high concentration of essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acid), Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The high Vitamin A and retinoic-acid content, creates the effect of retinol’s benefits on the skin by naturally exfoliating skin cells. The slow releasing ingredient helps to boost collagen formation. High in antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, rosehip smoothes fine lines and wrinkles, brightens hyperpigmentation and evens skin tone. The deeply hydrating oil soothes dry, inflamed skin and creating radiance. Great for scars, rosehip oil helps repair cell damage while encouraging cell turnover. 

 

Plant Stem Cells

Containing the superior active ingredient Swertiamarin, a bioactive molecule found in medicinal plants, extracted from the Indian Gentian’s leaves. The active ingredient boasts a range of remarkable properties beneficial to the skin. Boasted as “self-regenerative stem cell technology”, the core active has the ability to regenerate skin cells by stimulating the skins ‘keratinocyte growth factors’. KGF is a molecule that signals the skin cells to produce more keratin, resulting in a regenerative ability. When the active stem cell ingredient encounters a trauma to the skin, a wound, its ability to heal is unfathomable. KGF stimulates the skins’ epithelialization phase to cover the injured skin with growth factors forming the epithelium. The small molecules signal the fibroblasts to produce more growth factor receptors resulting in a stronger epidermis and increased healing time. This furthermore results in improved wrinkles and vertical lines as the strengthened epidermis fills in the uneven skin.

 

Vitamin C

Unique, expensive and extremely efficacious, oil-soluble Vitamin C easily absorbs into the skin due to its fatty acid constituent. Its oil solubility delivers Vitamin C gently yet effectively into both the epidermis (upper layer) and dermis (deepest layer). It converts into L-Ascorbic Acid within the skin, allowing a recorded 50x stronger efficacy over other versions at the same percentage.

 

Firming Butter 

Red Algae

This patented ingredient features a viscoelastic matrix of bioactive, bioavailable and biomimetic polymers from native New Zealand Red Seaweed. The hydrating and plumping effect of red seaweed on the skin, is attributed to the various mix of versatile biomimetic sulphated gycosaminoglycans (sGAG). These natural biopolymers are known to form a fish-net like matrix that can help hold water molecules, while also acting as a structural scaffold to tighten the skin. The sGAGs from red seaweeds have structural features that resemble the “eight essential sugars” of human cells, allowing specific binding to proteins,

polysaccharides and bioactives within cells to induce and elevate focused activities.

  

Ceramides

Our Patented Ceramide Complex Olive is derived from organic olive oil for particular use for the body. It is based on an environmentally friendly, biotechnology-based production process, improving epidermal moisturization. The powerful combination of Ceramides and Sphingolipids, delivers lasting hydration and plumps the skin for a smooth and healthy appearance, reducing the appearance of photo-damaged skin and pore size.

 

Mango, Shea, Cocoa Butter

The triple antioxidant rich butters contain Vitamins A, B, C, E, Choline, B12, folic acid and high levels of lignin and antioxidants. The anti-inflammatory properties aid in healing eczema, sunburn and redness. Rich in collagen, the butters work as an emollient to soften and deeply hydrate the skin. The essential fatty acids treat wrinkles and crepey skin while its high concentrations of Vitamin A increase cell turnover, treating tissue damage. They help to treat scars and stretch marks by increasing hydration in the damaged cells.

 

Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid

Low molecular hyaluronic acid is naturally found in our skin and joints and unfortunately our levels decline as we age. Touted to hold 1000x its own weight in moisture, this wonder humectant ingredient is found in sugar, drawing and holding water into the skin. Hyaluronic acid instantly plumps and hydrates the skin, improving elasticity. However, the ingredient works best by locking hyaluronic acid into the skin with a heavier oil or cream on top, or within the formula, like Firming Butter. 

 

Rosehip - Vitamin A

Rosehip oil is pressed from the fruit and seed of the plant and contains a high concentration of essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acid), Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The high Vitamin A and retinoic-acid content, creates the effect of retinol’s benefits on the skin by naturally exfoliating skin cells. The slow releasing ingredient helps to boost collagen formation. High in antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, rosehip smoothes fine lines and wrinkles, brightens hyperpigmentation and evens skin tone. The deeply hydrating oil soothes dry, inflamed skin and creating radiance. Great for scars, rosehip oil helps repair cell damage while encouraging cell turnover. 

 

 

Exfoliating Refining Serum

AHAs - Penta Fruit Blend

Consisting of glycolic, lactic, citric, malic and tartaric acid. These AHAs are commonly used to treat skin conditions such as rough skin, surface wrinkles and fine lines. AHAs leave the skin with a smooth and radiant appearance, working to brighten skin, leaving any signs of dullness behind. It helps to normalise the skin by weakening corneocyte adhesion along the stratum corneum to improve exfoliation and enhance cellular proliferation. This blend is capable of improving moisturisation while simultaneously increasing the production of structural components, such as collagen and glycosaminoglycan, as well as reversing cutaneous atrophy. AHA fruit blend is the way to smooth, wrinkle-free skin, truly revealing a rejuvenated complexion. 

 

BHA

An oil-soluble beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that penetrates deeply into the skin epidermis. Salicylic acid works on a deeper layer of the skin, to treat acne, whiteheads and blackheads by de-clogging dead skin cells. Derived from willow bark, salicylic acid is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial soothing irritated skin, acne lesions and red inflamed pustular skin. By dismantling the ‘glue’ that holds cells together, the BHA deeply exfoliates the skin by breaking down skin cells, gently diminishing problematic skin and reducing pore size. Salicylic acid furthermore improves skin aging by increasing collagen levels by improving the quality of elastin fibers.

 

Squalane

An emollient full of antioxidants that help to lock moisture into the skin. A wonder ingredient, olive squalane consists of fatty, lipid molecules that protect moisture levels and acts as a barrier for skin hydration by keeping moisture locked in the skin without leaving an oily residue. Squalane is naturally produced in our own skin glands and its levels decline with age. Olive squalene fights ageing, improving elasticity by deeply and quickly penetrating the skin barrier and carries other active ingredients with it into the epidermis. By enhancing elasticity, texture is softened presenting a smooth barrier. The wonder ingredient can help fade dark spots on the skin and temporarily reduces redness, all while brightening the skin.

 

Niacinamide

A humectant that holds hydration while simultaneously strengthening skin by building keratin, tackling, fine lines, pores, acne, dehydration, hyperpigmentation and redness. Water soluble niacinamide works deeply on skin concerns without irritation. A strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, niacinamide counteracts, uneven skin tone, redness and rosacea while protecting the lipid barrier retaining moisture.

 

Alternative Treatments

There are alternative methods of treating stretch marks which include laser therapy, microneedling and microdermabrasion. We suggest speaking to a professional skin doctor, nurse or therapist about any of these alternative treatments.

These alternative treatments are best supplemented with clean, high-performance skincare. 

 

Embrace Them

Stretch marks are more common than not, it will be hard to find someone without them. 

Embrace them and be thankful to where your skin has gotten you to today. Whether it was carrying a child, tricky teenage years or muscle growth, your skin is with you for life, be kind to it.