Adolescence is a rather difficult period for many girls and boys. Unmotivated mood swings and rapid changes in appearance make life much more difficult. In addition to them, stretch marks become one of the most common serious problems among teenagers. They are stripes of red-violet color that form on the skin due to its stretching and the formation of tears in the surface layer. Knowing the reasons for the appearance of defects in adolescents, one can understand how to effectively treat this pathological condition in girls and boys.
Causes of stretch marks in teenagers
Stretch marks (also called stretch marks) appear when the skin does not keep up with the growth of the rest of the body and does not have enough collagen and other substances to fight the damage that appears. The result is elongated scars that can last a lifetime.
There are many reasons for the appearance of stretch marks in teenagers - here are just the most common ones:
- Lack of muscle mass. It often happens in weak children with underweight, so the best prevention here is a healthy diet and exercise.
- Reduced immunity. May be the result of a serious illness.
- Hormonal imbalance . One of the most common reasons, because it is during adolescence that serious hormonal changes occur.
- Heredity . There is a genetic predisposition to the appearance of striae. If the parents had them, then it is important to especially carefully monitor the child’s health and physical fitness.
- Sudden weight gain or loss . Children's skin is much more elastic than adults, and even extreme changes in weight can often pass without a trace. However, with a combination of several factors (for example, losing weight against a background of reduced immunity), stretch marks may appear.
It is not always possible to immediately understand for sure why exactly stretch marks appeared in a teenager. We recommend that you first consult a doctor in any case to find out the cause of their appearance, since stretch marks can also be a sign of serious diseases!
Find out which method of correcting scars and stretch marks is optimal for you!
doctor Svetlana Viktorovna Ogorodnikova.
doctor
Symptoms
Striae in children are localized in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, back, closer to the lower back. Typically, stretch marks should be expected during periods of active growth - this is the age of 7-9 years and the period of puberty, when in addition to growth, weight gain also occurs. They look like traumatic ruptures in the area of deep layers of skin, which should perform a supporting function for the entire skin. In this case, elastin and collagen fibers, which give the skin strength and at the same time elasticity, are damaged. Stretch marks initially appear as longitudinal or transverse stripes from 05 cm to 10-12 cm or more, they are expressed to varying degrees, have a color from purplish-bluish bright red in the stage of emergence to white or flesh-colored in the stage of healing and regression. When you palpate the area of the defect, you feel the skin sinking under your fingers; it is uneven, less dense and not so elastic. Stretch marks do not have any other manifestations - they do not hurt, do not become inflamed, do not itch or flake.
Diagnosis of striae in a child
It is necessary to consult a pediatrician and dermatologist, and, if necessary, an endocrinologist, neurologist and other specialists. It is necessary to carry out all tests, determine the hormonal profile, and take both the peripheral glands and the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. If the tumor nature of the pathology is suspected, a CT or MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, and additional examinations are necessary.
Can stretch marks be dangerous?
Stretch marks in adolescents do not pose a danger in themselves, but they can signal the presence of serious problems in the body, including:
- infectious diseases;
- diseases of internal organs;
- injuries (for example, stretch marks may appear when the vertebrae are displaced);
- diabetes;
- Marfan syndrome;
- Itsenko-Cushing's disease.
In fact, the mechanism is simple - the disease affects immunity, hormonal balance, weight, etc. That is, factors that can cause the appearance of stretch marks. Of course, in this case, you will first need to address the main problem and only then think about aesthetic issues.
Precautionary measures
Before using cosmetics or signing up for salon treatments, you must consult a doctor, read the instructions and test the product on the skin in advance. As for hardware methods, it is better not to use them until the age of 18, since there are a number of contraindications:
- neoplasms;
- pulmonary tuberculosis;
- infection in an acute stage;
- problems with blood clotting;
- heart pathologies;
- diabetes;
- psychical deviations.
If stretch marks on the back are accompanied by increased pressure and excessive hairiness, you should consult a doctor to rule out disorders or pathologies in the young body.
Prevention of stretch marks: is it possible to protect your child from this deficiency?
Yes, you can very well try to prevent the appearance of stretch marks through prevention. Of course, this will be quite problematic if you have a genetic predisposition or a concomitant disease, but you will still significantly reduce your chances if you follow the following tips:
- Monitor your teenager's healthy diet - the diet should be balanced, sufficient, but moderate. Try to avoid excess fat and salt.
- If there are no contraindications, be sure to ensure that the teenager engages in physical activity. If lessons at school do not inspire enthusiasm, you can send your teenager to a sports section in a field of your choice.
- Don't disturb your sleep schedule. During hormonal changes, the body is already in a state of stress, help it with a regime.
- A teenager should receive sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.
- Don't forget about fresh air, especially if you live in a metropolis.
Many of the tips may seem quite general, but we ask you to take them as seriously as possible - it is from these foundations that your child’s health is built, brick by brick.
Salon procedures to get rid of stretch marks on the back
Stretch marks that formed more than a year ago on the back are almost impossible to remove. But you can make them less noticeable, but you will need the help of specialists. Salon procedures include:
- Microdermbrasion. It is a chemical peeling using aluminum oxide. The dermis is polished, the color is evened out, and stretch marks on the back become less noticeable. To obtain the desired effect, 10 procedures are necessary.
- Laser resurfacing removes the surface layer of skin, causing stretch marks to become smaller. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The result will become noticeable after a month.
- Deep peeling, in which acids are used to burn the upper layer of the dermis. Unnecessary coverings disappear, stretch marks become invisible.
Each procedure has contraindications, especially for children. You can’t thoughtlessly take a teenager to the salon. You should first consult a doctor.
How to remove stretch marks from a teenager? The main ways to combat stretch marks
There are a lot of ways to remove stretch marks from the skin, but to effectively combat the deficiency, it is important to take into account many factors - from possible contraindications to the age of the stretch marks.
Salon treatments
Among the procedures offered in beauty salons, the following are common and allowed for teenagers today:
- Wrap. Suitable for very fresh and small stretch marks. One of the most pleasant procedures - it does not cause discomfort and can give pleasure from aromas. To combat stretch marks on the skin of teenagers, wrappings with kelp, honey, chocolate, cocoa and grapes are used.
- Peeling using fruit acids. Most effective for fresh stretch marks. As for the old ones, the effect is achieved by a large number of procedures or a combination of different procedures.
- Mechanical peeling. It is considered one of the most effective types of peeling and can help in the fight against old stretch marks.
Pros : Salon procedures are performed by specialists, eliminating the risks of improper use of products. In addition, they not only fight stretch marks, but also have a generally beneficial effect on the skin.
Cons : The most effective procedures may be contraindicated for your child due to increased trauma or due to an allergy to the components. In addition, such services are not cheap, and you may need several sessions.
ethnoscience
Traditional medicine provides answers to almost any questions related to health and beauty. To remove stretch marks on the body in teenagers, it is recommended:
- Homemade wrap. Laminaria leaves, mumiyo, cocoa, essential oils and much more are used. You can easily find recipes online.
- Rubbing with natural oils. Anise and sandalwood oils are used, as well as cinnamon, patchouli, rosemary, fennel, bergamot, lavender, lemon, ginger, grapefruit and orange oils.
- Peeling with exfoliating agents. The most famous and affordable peeling is a product based on ground coffee. Recipes are quite easy to find; all the ingredients for any peeling will be very affordable.
Pros: First of all, cost-effectiveness. Most products can be easily found in the nearest store, and you perform the procedures yourself, without the involvement of specialists.
Cons: Some of the recipes are very dubious; their effectiveness has not actually been proven. And procedures such as peeling should only be undertaken if you are confident in your skills - otherwise, you are more likely to harm the teenager than help.
Massage
Experts say that the following types of massage are effective for getting rid of stretch marks on the skin of teenagers:
- plucked with oils;
- honey massage;
- hardware massage;
- vacuum cupping massage.
Pros : Just like salon procedures, massage can have a beneficial effect on the skin and even the figure of a teenager.
Cons : You should not try massage yourself unless you are a professional. But a massage from a specialist can be quite expensive, especially since one procedure is never enough.
Gels and creams
Gels, creams and ointments for stretch marks can be very effective if you choose the right product. The fact is that there are several main types of funds:
- Means for prevention. Such gels and ointments are not at all intended to combat stretch marks; they are aimed only at increasing the skin’s resistance to damage through nutrients.
- Remedies to combat fresh stretch marks. They help get rid of stretch marks that are not yet a year old. Such scars still have a reddish tint.
- Means for combating chronic stretch marks. They are aimed at correcting even old scars that are several years old. Such stretch marks look like light stripes on the skin.
Pros : You get rid of stretch marks at home, no need to go anywhere. Significantly more economical than salon procedures. Moreover, unlike traditional medicine, these are tested, reliable remedies, many of which are sold in pharmacies.
Cons : The effect does not occur very quickly, the use of physiotherapy devices may be required.
We have outlined the pros and cons of each approach, so evaluate the condition of the skin, budget options, and the wishes of the teenager and draw conclusions. The least traumatic, safe, but at the same time effective means are gels, creams and ointments. We invite you to pay attention to products from.
Traditional treatment
In modern practice, even taking into account all the advances in dermatological pharmacology and light-based cosmetology, achieving complete restoration of skin with stretch marks remains an unattainable goal.
In some cases, preventing rapid weight gain or loss can help prevent stretch marks from appearing on the skin, especially in groups at high risk for stretch marks (teenagers and pregnant women). By the way, we must not forget that teenage stretch marks can spontaneously become almost invisible over time.
Pharmacological agents for the treatment of striae. Stretch marks can be treated with the greatest effect using pharmacological agents or physiotherapeutic procedures in the early stages. Once stretch marks mature and turn white, their treatment becomes more difficult and there are only a few methods for treating them.
An ideal drug for the treatment of stretch marks should improve skin texture and color, reconstruct collagen and promote elastin synthesis in the dermis.
Topical tretinoin has shown significant improvement in the appearance of stretch mark skin, especially in the early stages of maturation. The common practice of prescribing topical retinoids to remodel and improve the appearance of hypertrophic scars, restore skin texture and elasticity, restore healthy color and reduce signs of photoaging, is also applicable to the treatment of stretch marks.
The duration of use of such drugs (Avita, Retin-A, Atralin, Renova) should be at least six months. But, attention: this treatment is absolutely contraindicated for use in pregnant and lactating women due to the potential risk of a teratogenic effect.
Intensive moisturizing of damaged skin, the use of vitamin C, retinol, fruit acids and other pharmacological agents for protection and strengthening during the treatment of the early stage of striae distensae rubra can give an excellent clinical effect and delay the maturation of striae.
Peels, mesotherapy and lasers are important in the treatment of stretch marks. You can improve the appearance of skin areas with striae through a course of medium chemical peels.
Mesotherapy treatment with combinations of draining, remodeling and restorative drugs, carried out in courses over 6-12 months, also contributes to visible aesthetic improvement. Therapeutic methods for treating striae include procedures using pulsed dye lasers with a wavelength of 585-596 nm.
Dye lasers have been successfully used to treat enlarged blood vessels, hemangiomas and rosacea, selectively targeting hemoglobin-containing formations, including immature red striae. Even one procedure gives a pronounced aesthetic effect, and after a course of procedures you can get a measurable reduction in the depth of stretch marks and improved elasticity due to the stimulating thermal effect on collagen and elastin fibers.
Usually 6-8 procedures are required with an interval of 1-1.5 months. The procedures are prescribed with caution to patients with phototype IV-V; dye lasers are not indicated for people with phototype VI. A study conducted in Korea evaluates the effectiveness of using a 585 nm pulsed dye laser in combination with a radiofrequency procedure (Thermage®) for striae distensae. Thirty-seven patients with abdominal stretch marks were treated with Thermage and pulsed dye laser in the first session at the start of the study. Two more sessions of pulsed laser therapy were carried out after 4 and 8 weeks.
Thermage was used at a flux density of 53-97 J/cm2, the parameters of pulsed laser therapy were flux density 3 J/cm2, spot size 10 mm. Skin biopsies were taken from nine patients. Subjectively, 89.2% of patients showed a “good” and “very good” overall improvement, and 59.4% showed a “very good” change in elasticity.
All nine samples showed an increase in collagen fibers; an increase in elastin fibers was found in six samples. The authors report that Thermage and pulsed dye laser, in combination, are an effective treatment for striae distensae.
Fractional photothermolysis in the treatment of stretch marks. The primacy in the therapeutic apparatus treatment of mature striae (striae alba) belongs to fractional photothermolysis using a laser with a wavelength of 1550 nm. This method is universal, indicated for almost all categories of patients of both sexes, any age and phototype, and does not require medical rehabilitation after the procedure.
Having the collagen and elastin of the dermis as the point of application of the greatest impact, the laser, through strictly dosed damage, causes subsequent replacement and restoration of the structure of the damaged area of the skin.
Typically, stretch marks are treated with 20% -23% coverage and energy 30-35 mJ/cm2 4-6 times with a break of 1 -1.5 months. There are virtually no risks of infection or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. More aggressive laser treatments performed by fractional ablative CO2 lasers provide good aesthetic and clinical results after 1-2 treatments, but require more extensive anesthesia and medical care during the recovery period than the previous method.
The AcuPulse® CO2 laser therapy device is equipped with a combined program for treating skin with stretch marks. The combination of deep and superficial treatment in modes of different aggressiveness allows you to simultaneously influence both the elastic structures of the dermis and the folds and pigment of the epidermis.
The skin after such treatment will need high-quality protection from UV radiation for several months. All of the above methods for treating stretch marks are presented in order from less aggressive and accessible to more complex, active and expensive.
If we talk about a radical (but also the most expensive) way to solve the complex problem of stretch marks and excess skin, in the abdominal area, for example, then the optimal choice for it may be the choice of plastic surgery of the anterior abdominal wall, namely the removal of the skin-fat fold. After the recovery period, the resulting aesthetic effect of a correctly performed operation significantly exceeds the effects of therapeutic methods.
Source: 1nep.ru
What they look like and what they are like
According to their appearance, stretch marks are divided into red and white stretch marks.
Red ones are fresh, newly formed scars. They have not yet gone deep into the skin and resemble healing scars.
Gradually scarring, the red stretch marks turn pink and then completely white. Due to their contrast due to the large amount of dead connective tissue, such stretch marks stand out strongly on the skin. They make a teenager already suffering from hormonal and psychological surges worry about his appearance even more.
The main problem with stretch marks is that they are difficult to disguise with cosmetics or tanning; they will still appear strongly on the skin.
External manifestations
An annoying defect appears in the form of stripes in those places where the skin has stretched. Classic localization of stretch marks:
- hips;
- stomach;
- breast;
- buttocks.
The initial color of the lines is reddish, sometimes bluish, then becomes brighter due to growth in width. Over time, they may lighten or become completely white. From barely noticeable stripes they transform into wide scars (width up to 7 mm, length up to 10 cm). The relief is varied: flush with the skin, convex or retracted. Hairs disappear at the site of stretch marks, and the secretion of sweat and sebum stops.
Visually, stretch marks look like wavy crimson lines, sometimes they can take the form of a capillary mesh, and the color range changes from red to purple. Striae can develop in a very short time, literally in a couple of days. For a correct diagnosis, it is enough to perform an external examination.
And the girl has matured
Stretch marks will not slow down to appear even if a teenager gains weight too quickly. This is not uncommon among girls: it seems like just yesterday she had a big face - skin and bones, and then suddenly in a matter of months it became rounder and acquired feminine shapes. The skin could not withstand such pressure - it cracked, and ugly stretch marks spread across it. By the way, stretch marks appear especially often on the chest - after all, in this area, volume can increase quite significantly in a short period of time, even if other parts of the body have hardly changed.
Removing existing stretch marks is time-consuming, troublesome and expensive. Therefore, it is better to simply not give them a chance to arise. And to do this, you need to adhere to certain rules that help reduce the risk of stretch marks. This is especially true for those teenagers who grow too quickly, as well as those whose parents also got stretch marks at a young age. Hereditary predisposition, although not a 100% threat, is still a significant risk factor, because weak connective tissue can be inherited.
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