Everyone can have stretch marks. Men and women, slender and bigger, most people are susceptible to stretch marks occurrence. This skin problem commonly occurs because you are gaining much weight which cause your skin to stretch, sometimes beyond its ability to stretch. Therefore, you are likely to notice those pinkish or silvery white lines with slightly different texture from the rest of your skin after you are gaining some weight. However, weight gain itself does not necessarily develop stretch marks. Rapid weight gain does. Thus, if you are getting bigger is a considerably short period of time, you’d better be prepared to see some stretch marks on your buttocks, hips, abdomen, legs, thighs, back, or arms.

Who usually develop stretch marks?

As said, everyone might be susceptible to stretch marks. It is not easy, however to determine this, because stretch marks may be caused by more than one inducing factors. Despite this, there are some groups of people who commonly experience these silvery white streaks most of the time. Stretch marks are common if you are:

1. On your adolescence period or puberty
2. Pregnant and gain much weight during the second and last trimesters
3. On corticosteroids medications
4. Body building
5. From a family with stretch marks history

Except with medications and hereditary, the occurrence of stretch marks is closely related to weight fluctuation. Adolescence or puberty is a period when your body is filled with growth spurts which cause your skin to excessively expand to support the growing organs and balance itself to your recent height. Similarly, a pregnant woman also commonly experience weight gain which can be excessive during the two last trimesters. Most of these women experience stretch marks formation on their belly, as it expands to support baby’s growth. Body building or weight lifting is also related to stretch marks formation. You are definitely getting bigger by gaining some weight in body building. This causes your skin to expand excessively to support your growing muscles and thus, might lead to stretch marks on your arms or back.

How to avoid stretch marks when gaining weight?

Although stretch marks is more common when you are gaining weight, you do not have to avoid doing things or experience the moments where your weight accumulates. There are some ways to avoid stretch marks or minimize its appearance even when you are gaining some weight.

1. Keep exercising.

Although not merely the cause, fat accumulation can trigger stretch marks formation. Therefore, if you have a healthy pregnancy without any risks, you can keep light exercising. It is important to keep your skin firm to make sure your existing stretch marks are unnoticeable. Exercising is also important during adolescence in order to avoid the formation of stretch marks caused by growth spurts.

2. Keep your skin hydrated

Keeping your skin moist and hydrated is also important thing to do during your weight gaining moment. Hydration will keep your skin healthy and promote sufficient collagen production, which is important in maintaining skin elasticity. Elastic skin will inhibit the formation of stretch marks during weight gain.

3. Proper diets and maintain weight gain period

Stretch marks mostly occurs along with a rapid weight gain. Therefore, it is important to maintain your weight gain process. If you are body building, for instance, it is almost impossible to avoid stretch marks, because body building or weight lifting requires your skin to stretch in order to cover the growing muscles. However, maintain your weight gain period is important if you wish to minimize the stretch marks effect on your skin. Keeping your diets healthy and gaining weight more slowly might help. Slower weight gain will not require your skin to stretch too excessively, so that stretch marks can be avoided.

4. Additional vitamins

Healthy skin can inhibit stretch marks. Therefore, keeping your skin nourished with sufficient vitamins is important. Vitamin E supplement can be taken to promote collagen production and boost antioxidant for healing damaged skin cells. Sufficient vitamins will keep the skin moist and will prevent stretch marks occurrence when you are gaining some weight which requires expanding skin.