Striae is the common medical name for stretch marks. The occurrence of stretch marks does not happen in normal circumstances. These occur only when there have been certain biological of physical changes in your body. The belief that stretch marks appear because it is not able to stretch according to the increase in volume, is untrue.

The medical truth is that there is an increase in circulation of a hormone called glucocorticoids, which is secreted by the adrenal glands placed at the top of the kidneys.

There is a rise in the level of secretion of this hormone during some important events of life like pregnancy and adolescence. The stretch marks also appear if you indulge in any activity which involves weight lifting. Obese people too, might find the presence of stretch marks on their bodies.

Where exactly on the skin are the stretch marks? Stretch marks are on the middle layer of the skin called dermis. If dermis supports the growth then there are fewer chances why the stretch marks will appear. However, if the dermis does not support growth, then there might be intense stretch marks. This is exactly the reason why having lots of water during the day helps in prevention of the stretch marks. Water keeps the skin hydrated therefore, though stretch marks do appear these might be minimal.

Other causes about stretch marks, lack of nutrition one of the other causes of stretch marks formation. The skin and hormone secreting glands both require adequate and proper nutrition, if you are unable to provide this nutrition then stretch marks might appear on your body, this might also highlight hormonal imbalance.

What can you do about stretch marks? Everyone likes and wants a perfect body with no special marks, this is the reason people are eager to get rid of the stretch marks as soon as possible. There are several ways about how you can work towards reduction or complete removal of stretch marks.

Opt for surgery: One thing you can do about stretch marks, is opt for surgery, this will help you gain results faster than applying of lotions or creams. There are more than one ways to remove stretch marks in surgery one being the dermabrasion and the chemical peel. There is another form of surgery which has been found to be very effective in more than 80% of cases and that is the laser surgery.

Application of creams and lotions: Studies have suggested that only those creams which contain centella asiatica extract, Vitamin E and collagen elastin hydrolysates have proven succesfull against removal of stretch marks. Other types of creams and packs have not been little or not at all successful. If you are pregnant and would like to stop occurrence of stretch marks then you can start using the cream containing all three chemicals and avoid them.

Avoiding stretch marks through healthy living: Stretch marks can be avoided if you maintain healthy food habits like consumption of citrus juicy fruits, salads, milk, eggs, fish etc. which provide you with all vitamins and iron along with a lot of protein.

Stretch marks are avoidable if you take good care of your diet, this does not mean if they occur you are losing on nutrition but you can work towards removal through several proven medical products.