Stretch marks are most common in growing teenagers and pregnant women. Basically when the skin stretches it begins to rip and forms a scar. The skin consists of three main layers: Epidermis (the outer layer), Dermis (the middle layer) and Subcutaneous or Hypodermic (the deepest layer).
Stretch marks form in the dermis of the skin when the connective tissue is stretched. As skin stretches, the collagen is damaged and production slows down. This results in fine scars under the the skin. At first the marks look pink or red, but over time a thin, silvery line appears on the skin’s surface.
Stretch marks tend to be at their most visible while you are pregnant; within about 6 to 12 months of having your baby, the pigmentation in your stretch marks usually fades to a much less noticeable, faintly silvery colour. Their ever-so-slightly bumpy texture, though, will remain the same.
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