What causes striae gravidarum?

Striae gravidarum (stretch marks) occur in approximately 50% to 90% of pregnant women because of the separation of underlying connective tissue as the uterus enlarges within the abdominal cavity. Dermal collagen is damaged and blood vessels dilate, resulting in the formation of reddish-purple early stretch marks.

Can stretch marks rupture?

A stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly. The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture.

Is striae gravidarum permanent?

Striae gravidarum are common during the first pregnancy [8] and usually present during the third trimester [9]. Striae start as ‘reddish slightly depressed streaks’ [9] (p. 111) and fade gradually [8] to leave pale wrinkled lines [10], which are permanent skin changes [11, 12] .

How do you get rid of striae gravidarum?

Treatment for general striae has greatly improved over the last few years. Topical tretinoin ≥ 0.05% has demonstrated up to 47% improvement of SG and non-ablative fractional lasers have consistently demonstrated 50 to 75% improvement in treated lesions of striae distensae.

Do stretch marks go away with weight loss?

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.

What is striae albicans?

Pregnancy stretch marks, also known as striae gravidarum, are a specific form of scarring of the skin of the abdominal area due to rapid expansion of the uterus as well as sudden weight gain during pregnancy. About 90% of pregnant women are affected.

Can striae be painful?

Stretch marks (striae) are indented streaks that appear on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks or other places on the body. They’re common in pregnant women, especially during the last trimester. Stretch marks aren’t painful or harmful, but some people don’t like the way they make their skin look.