

He recommends moisturizing the skin twice daily and avoiding hot water and baths, which can dry out the skin. Generally, keeping the skin moisturized-especially if you’re trying to gain muscle mass quickly-can help keep them at bay, says Haus. It’s difficult to say how fast is too fast to put on weight and/or muscle, since everyone’s skin will respond differently. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid gaining any weight or muscle very quickly, which also may be difficult to control. If your stretch marks are linked to a genetic predisposition or condition, or are caused by a growth spurt, there’s not much you can do to stop them from popping up. “And any genetic condition where you have increased cortisone in your system can increase the risk of getting stretch marks.” These are rare conditions like Cushing Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and various adrenal gland disorders. “If you have a family history of them you’re more likely to get them,” she says. Interestingly, there’s a genetic component to stretch marks too, says Jaliman. Debra Jaliman, a New York City dermatologist. Some corticosteroid creams and pills can also cause stretch marks by decreasing skin’s elasticity, says Dr. For women, stretch marks are often associated with puberty and pregnancy, says Haus. They can also occur from growth spurts and weight gain, and remain after weight loss. They can be more noticeable in people with darker tones because of the higher melanin content in their skin.įor men, stretch marks often occur as a result of weightlifting, when muscles bulk up too quickly for the skin to catch up. Stretch marks may look different on various skin tones, he says. “The damage that you see is actually formed in the middle layer of the skin known as the dermis.” While the stretching/tearing of the skin isn’t painful, it does create the scars we know as stretch marks, says Haus. “They are created when your skin is stretched very quickly and the skin cells cannot grow as fast,” he says. Stretch marks are known medically as “striae,” (linear marks), says Ariel Haus, M.D., of Dr. “There are two types, red marks are in the early stages and white marks are older scars.” “They’re caused by excessive stretching of the skin’s collagen,” he says. Are stretch marks scars? Are they another skin condition altogether? The verdict is that the pesky marks are indeed scars, according to Bruce Katz, M.D., director of Manhattan’s Juva Skin and Laser Center and director of the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Clinic at Mt. There’s a lot of confusion about what stretch marks actually are.
KRISTIN ON LAST MAN STANDING WEIGHT GAIN HOW TO
Here, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about stretch marks and how to handle them. The good news is, if you’re dealing with stretch marks, there is plenty you can do to fade them and make them less noticeable. “I did a quick Google search on solutions and there didn’t seem to be any fix so I settled for doing what I could to prevent any more, mainly making sure I was well hydrated before, during, and after lifts.” (Keep reading to learn more about how hydration plays a part with preventing stretch marks.) Hayen hasn’t gotten any more marks, and isn’t bugged by them, but would be open to trying a quick, easy, and effective solution. They bothered me a little when I first got them,” Hayen says. He developed stretch marks on his shoulders from lifting weights. Kevin Hayen, 30, echoed a similar feeling. “I think if I was a bodybuilder, there might be a stigma simply because appearance is everything.” Still, Schley said he’d be willing to try something to get rid of them if he knew it was effective. “Personally, I have looked at them as almost a badge of honor,” he says. While he said there is some self-consciousness when he takes off his shirt for the first time in front of someone, it hasn’t stopped him from exercising, and he’s come to accept the marks. Schley tried some lotions to help fade the marks, but nothing seemed to make a difference. “When they reached their maximum length at 4″, they were pretty red and about half an inch wide.”Īt the time, he hadn’t realized he could get stretch marks from working out. “I distinctly remember when they first started to appear-I had no idea what they were because they were only a quarter of an inch long but they gradually got bigger and bigger and then I realized they were stretch marks from weightlifting,” Schley says. For Timothy Schley, 32, stretch marks have been a part of his life from a young age when he had a big growth spurt, and he developed more on his shoulders and biceps when he started lifting weights frequently after high school. It can be frustrating to work hard to gain muscle or lose weight, only to be plagued by stretch marks.
