Stretch marks are developed when the skin stretched beyond its capabilities. Your skin has some elasticity but it can only be stretched so far just as a balloon can only take in so much air before it pops, your skin can only stretch so far before it receives tiny tears in the middle of skin causing stretch marks. When your skin loses its elasticity is loses collagen and elastin, this is what develops stretch marks with a loss of tone and producing fine and wrinkles.

Your skin has three layers. The first one or outer layer that can be seen by the world is the epidermis. This layer locks in moisture and blocks toxins from entering your body. The dermis is the second or middle layer of skin. This is the layer where collagen and elastin fibers are that give your skin the firm and young appearance and where stretchmarks develop. The inner most layer is the hypodermis and is made up of connective tissue and fat.

Any person no matter their age, physical health, or skin color can develop these blemishes. Fifty to ninety percent of all pregnant women develop stretchmarks, weight lifters and body builders develop them as well, children develop stretchmarks during growth spurts. If this is true, then why do some people have more of these than others? Well, to answer this question simple, many contributing factors make one person more susceptible to stretchmarks than another.

Heredity has a lot to do with stretch marks. If others in your family have had them then chances are you will also develop stretch marks, such as if your mother developed these blemishes while pregnant, you have more chances of developing them when you become pregnant.

Dry skin is another link to stretch marks. Skin needs hydration and moisture in order to stretch. If you have oily skin and drink enough water then you may not experience the same degree of stretchmarks as a friend with dry skin.

Losing or gaining weight at a rapid rate is of course the major factor contributing to blemishes and this includes the weight gain during pregnancy.

There are preventive measures that can be taken to try to minimize the development of blemishes and scars and even treatments after stretchmarks begin to appear. Not all preventive measures or treatments work for every individual, however, there are many available from home remedies to surgery.