Teenage Girls With Stretch Marks – You’re Not Alone

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Stretch marks are extremely common skin blemishes that appear for a variety of reasons. Young girls with stretch marks will find that the marks become more apparent during puberty and the common growth spurts throughout this time.

The body is growing so quickly over a short period of time and the skin is unable to accommodate the growth, causing the thin patches known as stretch marks.

In teenage girls, the most common areas for stretch marks are in the areas where fat storage is the greatest: stomach, breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, and upper arms. These areas see the most rapid growth, leading the skin to have a difficult time in keeping up with the growth. It is also common for the marks to appear on shoulders and back, as growth spurts occur.

Why Do Teenage Girls Get Stretch Marks?

The skin covers the body to provide protection from the elements. It is a complicated series of layers that is meant to stretch and grow as needed. Of the many layers of skin, the dermis is the layer that accommodates most of the stretching. Like the nails and hair, the dermis is made of a special form of collagen.

This collagen is organized in the dermis in stretchy fibers. When rapid growth occurs in teenage girls, the dermis is not prepared to stretch, causing tears in the layer. A body that has lower levels of collagen will be more susceptible to stretch marks, as the dermal layer will be thinner, leading to a greater possibility of tears.

Girls With Stretch Marks – It’s A Lot More Common Than You Think…

The development of stretch marks in teenage girls is common. While stretch marks can be unsightly and embarrassing, the cycle of puberty causes many changes to the body, stretch marks among them. Stretch marks most commonly look like purple lines that form over areas of growth. These purple lines may fade over time, as the skin attempts to repair itself.

Teenage girls with stretch marks on their changing bodies should speak with their parents about treatment options. If stretch marks are severe, parents may consider consulting with a dermatologist for any prescription options for treatment. There are many options for teenage girls attempting to reduce or avoid stretch marks.

Below is a brief video about a teenage girl with stretch marks all over her torso. It’s a difficult case compounded by pregnancy, yet it’s a good example that even some of the worst cases can have successful results.

Treatment Options For Teenage Stretch Marks

First, methods of prevention can help teenage stretch marks before they become too serious. A balanced diet is essential during these times of growth in adolescence. Rapid weight gain or loss will increase the presence of stretch marks. During puberty, the increased amounts of hormones make it especially important to maintain a nutrient rich diet.

By providing the body with essential nutrients and vitamins, it gives the body the building blocks that it needs to keep the skin healthy. Each cell located in the layers of the skin requires certain vitamins to work properly and produce the collagen and elastin used to promote flexibility.

Vitamin A and C are essential for collagen synthesis. With a vitamin deficiency, stretch marks are more likely to develop, as the skin does not have the pieces of the puzzle needed to be optimally healthy. Vitamin A is used primarily in new growth and repair of tissues. Paired with Zinc, it helps to produce additional collagen and elastin. Vitamin C helps in the maintenance of collagen. A vitamin- and mineral-rich diet will help teenage girls to avoid stretch marks and repair those that have already appeared.

While a vitamin rich diet helps to repair the skin from the inside out, using certain moisturizers can help to repair from the outside in. The top layers of the skin are known as the epidermis. These layers are far from the nutrients provided in the dermis, making the epidermis prone to dryness.

Using moisturizers that are high in vitamin E can renew the cells. Vitamin E is a strong anti-oxidant, helping to reverse the damage from free radicals that are found in the cells. The skin should be massaged with the vitamin E rich moisturizer, promoting circulation and regeneration.

Using this method after a shower will be especially beneficial, as a shower washes away the essential oils of the skin that are used to maintain moisture. Other moisturizers that can be helpful include cocoa butter, shea butter, and aloe-based creams. Using a vitamin-rich lotion on a regular basis can reduce the visibility of stretch marks and help to maintain healthy, glowing skin.

It is important to understand that stretch marks in teenage girls are very common. During adolescence, growth and body changes are natural. The skin often cannot keep up with these changes, causing stretch marks.

Fortunately, teenage skin is very resilient and contains large amounts of collagen and elastin, making regeneration easier. While the appearance of stretch marks for teenage girls may be embarrassing, using methods as discussed above can go a long way in reducing visible marks.

Should these methods not give significant results, a dermatologist may be able to suggest other methods of treatment that can take a more aggressive approach.