The answer may very well emerge from understanding that the skin matrix is in charge of the skin's mechanical properties, like firmness, strength, suppleness, and elasticity. Stretch marks are tears in a skin matrix affected by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the opposite of those just described. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is characterized by thinning, weakness, sagging, stiffness, roughness and decrease in the size of tissues, impaired cellular proliferation, and decreased functions, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a precious resource which is both produced and consumed quite often during our lives. On one side, skin matrix is continuously synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other side, whenever it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix - especially the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then recycled. By digesting or chopping up key matrix proteins, such as collagen and elastin, MMP enzymes play an underappreciated yet critical function in skin physiology.

In healthy and youthful skin, the degradation and biological synthesis of the matrix are in balance: damaged or redundant matrix is degraded while the deficit is replenished by the progressing synthesis. Unfortunately, this intricate balance gets interrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or and as we age, too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be improved by either augmenting supply (boosting synthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically essential, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the epidermis. These skin fibers supply the resiliency of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble elastin and collagen fibers depends on the interdependence between three factors. The first is the existence of active fibroblasts, which emanate the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative amount of several skin matrix components within the dermis also exuded by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are in charge of both the cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their renewal for the synthesis of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

So be careful of products that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT have any effect.

What is necessary is the biosynthesis and appropriate self-assembly of complex skin structures from inside out your body. The first step in elastic fiber formation is the appearance of small cell surface-associated elastin globules (soluble tropoelastin) that increase in size with time (microassembly). The elastin globules are afterwards transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the skin matrix where, through an intricate and organized biological process, they coalesce into larger structures (macroassembly) and become crosslinked funtional fiber-like polymers with reversible deformation and high resilience.

Collagen and Elastin Synthesis Boosters May Fail or Fall Short in People Affected by Atrophic Skin.

The latest stretch mark treatments and prevention products are aimed at restoring skin matrix by stimulating the synthesis of collagen or elastin (e.g. ascorbic acid, copper peptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, oligopeptides and other|synthetic copper peptides, ascorbic acid, oligopeptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, and other). Unfortunately, this mode fails or falls short in most people bearing atrophic skin, apparently due to the peculiar chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an incapacity to answer to matrix synthesis boosters.

Their failure to treat existing stretch marks is most probably due to something essential ingredient absent in those products; an element that would help your body to get rid of scar tissues . In fact, your body needs two things to accomplish this.

One, your body needs to be able to differentiate or identify scar tissue from the adjacent functional tissues in the skin matrix. Second, it must be able to process the proteins that those scars are made off and divide their component amino-acids to then eventually use them to create new skin matrix elements.

This can only be accomplished by the action of two types of ingredients that act together. One is carrier molecules that are able to link communication between cells and allow them to differentiate scars from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast development. The other main ingredient is enzymes that dissolve the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were recognized by the messenger molecules.

Combined methods that introduce some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical lotion that contains not just hydrating enhancers or collagen synthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' injured cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can yield substantial improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.