“As the capillaries expand, they push outward, stimulating surrounding nerve cells, which in turn sends signals back to your brain,†says Ryan. Your brain translates these signals as an itch. Your move: The only thing you can do to lessen the itch is to maintain a workout routine.
Stretch marks aren't harmful, but they can make some people feel distressed about the way they make their skin appear, affecting day-to-day living. In some cases, stretch marks may disappear on their own after weight loss.
Indented streaks or lines on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks or other places on the body. Pink, red, black, blue or purple streaks. Bright streaks that fade to a lighter color. Streaks covering large areas of the body.
Excess skin after rapid massive weight loss might cause some stretching and tearing, but the majority of stretch marks are not actually caused when you lose the weight, but rather when you first put it on. They do however usually become more visible when you shed the pounds again.
The rash appears as small, pink pimple-like spots that appear in the stretch marks. They closely resemble hives. Eventually, the rash may start to come together and form large, red, plaque-like areas. Blisters can sometimes form around the rash.
- Control your weight. One of the most helpful things you can do to prevent stretch marks, whether you're pregnant or not, is to maintain a healthy weight.
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet.
- Include vitamin C in your diet.
- Soak up some vitamin D.
- Eat foods rich in zinc.
- Treat fresh stretch marks when they appear.
If you have small, raised, red and itchy areas on your stretch marks, you may have something called polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP). This used to be known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) and you may still see or hear it called PUPPP, PUPPPS or PUPPS.
The red hue indicates the presence of blood vessels under the skin. These blood vessels may respond well to treatment. Once the marks turn white, however, it suggests that the blood vessels have narrowed. Narrow blood vessels make successful treatment less likely.
Stretch marks often fade over time and become unnoticeable. For women who develop stretch marks in pregnancy, these usually become less noticeable around 6 to 12 months after giving birth. Makeup can be used to conceal stretch marks on more exposed areas of the body while they are more pronounced.
Stomach itchiness is often caused by a minor issue, such as dry skin or an insect bite. But if the itchiness persists or occurs with other symptoms, it might be a sign of a more serious condition. Learn which conditions can make your belly itch and what to do if you can't stop scratching.
Some of the treatments commonly used for stretch marks include:
- Retinoid cream. One example of retinoid cream is tretinoin (Avita, Retin-A, Renova), which is often used on relatively new stretch marks.
- Microdermabrasion.
- Chemical peel.
- Light and laser therapies.
PUPPP stands for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. It's a very itchy rash that affects some women later in pregnancy. At first it may look like small, raised, pimply dots, but it can develop into patches of raised skin lesions called plaques.
First, scratching causes a sensation of pain. Then the body makes more serotonin to control the pain. As well as inhibiting pain, the serotonin activates the GRPR neurons via the 5HT1A receptors. The activated GRPR neurons then make the itching sensation worse.
When you get right down to it, moisture can prevent and treat both stretch marks and dry, itchy skin. Moisture makes stretch marks less visible by promoting the growth and activity of the collagen and elastin that give your skin its elasticity.
What Men Love: Your Stretch Marks. "Stretch marks—especially on the hips… They're very personal and few men get to see them."
Most stretch marks run vertically along your body, though they can sometimes be horizontal, too. Healing skin tends to be itchy. With dermal tearing, your nerves respond by creating the itchy sensations. This is also why your stretch marks might itch after you've lost weight.
When you touch stretch marks with your fingers, you might feel a slight ridge or indentation on your skin. Sometimes, stretch marks feel itchy or sore. These lines commonly appear during or after pregnancy or after a sudden change in your weight. They also tend to occur in adolescents who are rapidly growing.
Try massaging a moisturizing cream or lotion that contains petroleum jelly into your skin using circular motions – the physical act of massaging may be beneficial for stretch marks as it can help promote new tissue growth and break down the bands of collagen that form in the underlying tissue leading to stretch marks.
Like any cut or scar, fresh stretch marks can be itchy or irritated as the skin tries to adapt and repair itself. As stretch marks fade they usually cause no pain or irritation in the long term. But, scarred stretch-marked skin can be more sensitive to sunburn or irritation.
When stretch marks first appear, they tend to be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown, or dark brown, depending on your skin color. Early stretch marks may feel slightly raised and can be itchy. In time, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath your skin.
Stretch marks are fine lines in the skin that happen when quick growth or weight gain stretches the skin (like during puberty). Skin is usually fairly stretchy, but when it's overstretched, the normal production of collagen (the major protein that makes up the tissue in skin) is disrupted.
The itching can be extremely intense at night. PUPPP usually goes away about a week postpartum but can disappear anywhere from a week before delivery to up to 6 weeks postpartum.
The marks occur when a person experiences a significant amount of growth or weight gain in a short period of time, such as during puberty. Getting stretch marks does not necessarily mean a person is overweight. Thin people can get the marks too, especially when experiencing a rapid growth spurt.
What causes stretch marks on your back? Stretch marks on your back, as with any location, occur once the skin has been stretched too far. The strain causes elastic fibers in the dermis to tear and scar. A common culprit of back stretch marks is rapid weight gain.
People get stretch marks when the middle layer of the skin, called the dermis, becomes stretched. They appear on the thighs either when a person gains weight or muscle around the thighs or when they lose weight in this area. Growth spurts and pregnancy can also cause stretch marks on the thighs.
