Stretch Mark Treatment Lotion and Effectiveness

The answer may very well emerge from understanding that the skin matrix is in charge of 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 mentioned. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is characterized by thinning, weakness, sagging, stiffness, roughness and decrease in the size of tissues, diminished cellular proliferation, and loss of functions, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a precious 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, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by gelattinase and collagenase 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 or youthful skin, the degradation and biological synthesis of the matrix are in order: damaged or disfunctional matrix is degraded while the deficit is restored by the continuous biosynthesis. Unfortunately, this difficult balance gets interrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or as we age, too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be bettered by either augmenting supply (boosting biosynthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically crucial, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the dermis. These skin fibers provide the flexibility 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 presence of active fibroblasts, which exude the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative amount of several skin matrix components within the dermis also secreted by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are in charge of both cell degradation progressions 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 beware of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT do the trick.

What is necessary is the biosynthesis and proper 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 enlarge 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 integrate 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 newest 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 method fails or falls short in most people affected by 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 affect existing stretch marks is most probably due to something essential ingredient absent in those products; an element that can help your skin 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 differentiate or identify scar tissue from the neighboring functional and healthy 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 components.

This can only be accomplished by the action of two types of ingredients that act together. One is carrier molecules able to bridge communication between cells and allow them to differentiate scars 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 lotion that contains not just moisturizing 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.

Please peruse our website to read more about how stretch marks may be treated and prevented with an effective stretch mark product that is safe for stretch mark treatment and prevention during pregnancy.