The explanation may very well appear 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 altered by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the opposite of those just mentioned. Yes, skin injured by stretch marks is identified by thinning, weakness, roughness, sagging, stiffness and decrease in the size of tissues, impaired cellular proliferation, and decreased functions, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a valued resource which is produced and consumed quite frequently during our lives. On one hand, skin matrix is regularly synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other hand, whenever it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then reprocessed. 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 biosynthesis. 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 biosynthesis 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 dermis. These skin fibers supply the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble collagen and elastin fibers depends on the interaction between 3 factors. The first is the presence of active fibroblasts, which exude the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative quantity of several skin matrix components within the skin 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 creation of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

So beware of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT have any effect.

What is needed 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 manifestation of small cell surface-associated elastin globules (soluble tropoelastin) that augment 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 changeable deformation and high resilience.

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

The most recent stretch mark treatments and prevention products are focused on replenishing skin matrix by stimulating the biosynthesis 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 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 likely due to something essential ingredient missing in those products; an element that would help your body to get rid of scar tissues and stretch marks. In fact, your body needs two things to perform 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 scars are made off and divide their component amino-acids to then afterward use them to create new skin matrix elements.

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

Combined methods that consist of some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical product that has not just moisturizer enhancers or collagen biosynthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' injured cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can provide significant improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.