Stretch Marks From Weight Lifting?

By All American Fitness

Normally when you think of stretch marks, the first images that come to mind are of those left from pregnancies or obesity. But weight lifting is also a prominent cause of stretch marks.

WHAT CAUSES STRETCH MARKS?

Stretch marks can emerge from a range of causes, ranging from puberty to stress, or even plain heredity. 

In the context of weight lifting, however, building muscle too rapidly can cause tearing in one of the layers of your skin. For men, this happens most often in front of the shoulders, on the chest, back, and upper thighs. Those “scars” you see are actually the top layer of skin overlaying a tear or hole in the lower layers. Over time, these lines will usually fade to your natural skin tone, making them less noticeable. 

A good illustration for this phenomenon is a sock. Socks have elastic in them, and our skin has elastic properties. But sometimes you can “overstretch.” If you stretch a sock too far, the elastic breaks, and the sock cannot hold up as well when you wear it. The same happens with your skin. Stretch it too far too fast, and it tears. 

HOW CAN STRETCH MARKS BE PREVENTED?

Leading a healthy lifestyle is the first preventative measure for many health complaints, including stretch marks. 

A balanced diet is important in general, but drinking plenty of water and taking a daily multivitamin can keeps your skin hydrated and more elastic, which helps prevent stretch marks. Especially important vitamins and minerals for your skin include vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and silicon. Taking a collagen supplement may also be a good preventative measure if you’re anticipating rapid muscle growth.

Exercise is another one. But wait — aren’t we talking about how exercise can cause stretch marks? It so turns out that varying your gym routine not only helps your gains, but helps you look good in them, too. Before and after weight lifting, it may help to do some light exercises like jogging, jumping jacks, or even stretches to improve your circulation. The skin needs blood flow to receive the oxygen that helps it self-regulate and stay healthy. 

Finally, don’t pick up a smoking habit. That choice alone will do wonders for your skin. It is clinically proven that smoking causes the skin to lose its elasticity, which only makes it easier to form stretch marks, among other issues.

HOW CAN STRETCH MARKS BE TREATED?

Sorry, but stretch marks are incurable. 

Many people have suggested the remedy of applying topical creams and oils (cocoa butter and vitamin E being among the most popular) to stretch marks in order to reduce their appearance, but there is little evidence that these actually work. When they do show results, it is usually months after the stretch marks formed, by which point they would have faded naturally anyway. 

Silicone gel patches are a noninvasive medical treatment for different types of scars, and can be used for stretch marks as well. Silicone induces collagen production, as well as moisturizes the skin to give it a healthier appearance. 

There are some minor surgical procedures and skin removals that have shown results. The idea is that if you remove the afflicted area, it will encourage your body to make collagen to fill out that space, which gives your skin a smoother appearance. Carbon dioxide laser surgery is said to have the potential to permanently remove some stretch marks.