Stretch marks (also known as striae) affect all of us. Many people assume they're origin is pregnancy related, which in essence means that only women going through pregnancy or mothers need to worry about them. This simply isn't true.

Body builders often suffer from striae, and the majority of these body builders are men. People who gain or lose a great deal of weight are also susceptible to stretch marks. Teens are often afflicted with striae during "growth spurts". In short, anytime skin is stretched rapidly or dramatically, striae are apt to appear.

Not only can striae affect both men and women, but they can affect children, teens, and adults. They affect people of every race and ethnicity, as well. What are striae, and why do they appear?

Skin is a remarkable organ. Not only is the largest organ of our body, but also one of the most complex. Skin shields our internal organs, helps us eliminate wastes, and processes external elements, such as solar light, for our benefit. One of skin's most remarkable characteristics is its ability to stretch.

Collagen and Elastin - Needed for Healthy Skin

Elastin and collagen are two of the building blocks of skin. Collagen and elastin are both proteins, in the form of elastic fibers. Collagen is a binding element in skin. It's the building block of connective tissue. Elastin supports skin with, you guessed it, its elasticity.

And the skin is extraordinarily elastic. However, sometimes skin is over-stressed, stretched beyond its ability to resist. At these times, the skin actually tears. These little lesions can heal, but they leave scar tissue. The scar tissue that accompanies these small rips in the skin is known as stretch mark.

But stretch marks are not forever anymore. There are natural ingredients that promote the replacement of damaged skin cells and that regenerate new healthy collagen and elastin and skin cells from within your body. These products utilize natural activators, similar to your own regenerative processes, to prevent and eliminate stretch marks, they trigger and regulate an orderly synthesis of collagen and elastin as a base to reconstruct damaged skin.

Applying products that contain natural ingredients like snail serum and Rose Hip Oil (at least 2 times a day depending on the characteristics of the blemishes) you can "digest" damaged cells, reducing and even eliminating all signs of stretch marks. These natural ingredients also create an environment that promote the regeneration of normal collagen, increasing skin firmness.