Men Get Stretch Marks Too!

While many only think of stretch marks as a bothersome condition that only women have to deal with, men can get them too! Most often the cause of stretch marks in men is the rapid increase of muscle mass when weight lifting.

Stretch marks, or striae, is a skin condition caused by breaks or tears in the dermis, or middle layer, of the skin. With the rapid change in weight and size, up or down, the collagen, which is the natural substance that makes our skin strong and elastic, may have a hard time keeping up with the increased demands, which weakens the skin and allows for these tears.

When first appearing stretch marks may be dark red or purple, and may feel like depressions in the skin or very smooth to the touch. Often overtime these marks will fade in color to a light white or silvery shade. Stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body and there are a number of things that may increase ones risk of developing stretch marks, including family history, and increased weight gain.

Prevention

For weight lifters the best way to prevent the appearance of stretch marks is to gain muscle mass and size gradually, instead of in rapid succession. Maintaining a healthy weight and gradually building the your body up, allows the your bodies cells and their collagen production to adapt and grow with you.

When hitting the gym, changing your routine can help prevent marks from forming. Lifting lighter weights for more repetitions promotes lean muscle formation instead of “bulk”. Also make sure that your diet is consistent with your fitness goals, to avoid gaining any excess fat that could be increasing your risk of developing stretch marks.

If you find that you are more susceptible to stretch marks there are a number of different creams and other treatments, that can help to prevent new marks and even reduce or reverse the appearance of marks that you already have.

Treatment

New Marks

For newer stretch marks, creams containing retinol or vitamin A can help increase production of collagen and improve the elasticity of the skin. Products containing glycolic acid and vitamin c have also been known to boost collagen and improve the skins appearance.

Laser therapy has also been found to help. Pulse dye lasers heat up the affected area causing blood vessels in the walls of the marks to collapse, which can significantly minimize their color and appearance.

Old Marks

When stretch marks have grown older or changed colors to white or silvery shades different approaches can be taken. Microdermabrasion is a treatment where the skin is blasted by tiny particles which helps slough of uneven, dead surface cells. This reveals newer fresher cells and improves skins tone and texture and also promotes new cell growth.

Laser therapy also helps in the older stages of stretch marks. Excimer lasers, affect the melanin, or pigment producing cells, in the skin, which can help change the color of the mark to more closely resemble your own natural skin tone.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a procedure where tiny particles are blasted onto the skin to help remove and slough of the dead uneven surface. This then reveals newer skin and encourages additional cell growth, thus improving the texture and tone of the skin.