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

The skin matrix is a precious resource which is both produced and consumed quite often during our lives. On one hand, skin matrix is regularly synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other hand, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into particles by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also named 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 synthesis and degradation of the matrix are in order: damaged or redundant matrix is degraded while the deficit is restored by the progressing synthesis. Unfortunately, this intricate balance gets interrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or and as we age, too much of the matrix is degraded and too little is synthesized. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be bettered by either increasing supply (boosting synthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically important, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the epidermis. These skin fibers supply the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble elastin and collagen fibers depend on the interaction between 3 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 skin also secreted by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are responsible for both cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their renewal for the creation of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

So beware of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT do the trick.

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

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

The latest stretch mark treatment 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 approach fails or falls short in most people bearing atrophic skin, presumably due to the particular chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an incapacity to answer to matrix synthesis boosters.

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

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

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

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

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.