Striae in teenagers: why stretch marks form on the back in teenagers + prevention and treatment

Stretch marks on the back are a fairly common phenomenon that occurs in both adults and adolescents. This is a cosmetic skin defect that is formed due to microscopic tears in the skin. Usually the problem appears in people who have rapidly gained weight or lost weight suddenly. In adolescents, they appear due to intensive growth, which the dermis cannot keep up with. Externally, stretch marks, which are also called striae, look like streaks that give the skin a loose, unaesthetic appearance.

Reasons for appearance

Stretch marks do not cause physical discomfort or pain, so they do not require specific treatment. But they cause psychological discomfort to many, especially boys and girls in adolescence. They do not want to wear a swimsuit on the beach or in the pool, which can gradually lead to the development of self-doubt. Stretch marks appear as a result of loss of skin elasticity, lack of collagen and elastane production.

But there are other reasons for the appearance of stretch marks:

• Weight change. Unsightly stripes appear on the back and abdomen only during a period of rapid body growth, with which the upper layer of skin simply cannot keep up. They can occur in both men and women. Stretch marks can also be observed after sudden weight loss.
• Dry skin. This problem affects people who drink a small amount of clean, purified water per day. Normally, an adult needs about 2 liters per day. With a deficiency, unaesthetic skin defects may appear.
• Poor nutrition. Usually, if your diet consists of only fast food, fatty and fried foods, and beer, this will invariably lead to stretch marks and excess weight.
• Genetic predisposition. This is not the main factor, but it also should not be excluded. If one of the parents had stretch marks, there is a high probability that the child will also develop them.
• Problems with the thyroid gland. They usually lead to hormonal imbalance, which affects the functioning of all systems and the general condition of the skin.
• Taking hormones. Striae often appear after taking corticosteroids. If they are taken for muscle growth, the dosage should be adjusted.

Wherever stretch marks are located, they represent a scar change in the skin and do not pose a health hazard. If they appear unexpectedly, without any prerequisites, then you should consult a doctor to determine the reason why such changes began in the body.

Clinical picture

At first the stripes are blue-violet in color, then turn white

The appearance of stretch marks on the lower back or in other areas of the back is impossible not to notice. These are strips that differ in color from healthy epidermis. In addition, the areas have a distinctive structure. Color – red, bluish, white. In addition to the back, stretch marks form in other areas - on the skin of the shoulders, chest, abdomen, legs and arms.

After exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the shade of stretch marks does not change, since they lack melanin, a pigment involved in protecting the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight.

Doctors do not recommend sunbathing if there are stretch marks on the body. Otherwise, the risk of malignant tissue degeneration increases.

Stretch marks on the back in teenagers

Stretch marks on the back of adolescents can form during puberty, due to serious restructuring of the entire body. Growth and weight fluctuations lead to micro-tears. But there are also striae that appear as a result of the following:

• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Serious dietary errors or obesity.
• Pathological processes of the skin.
• Endocrine disorders.
• A sharp decrease in immunity.
• Excessive physical activity.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Vertebral displacement.
• Hidden pathologies of internal organs.

If parents notice other symptoms in a child besides stretch marks, then you should immediately consult a doctor. This may be high blood pressure, accompanied by heavy nosebleeds, or increased hair growth. Conventional cosmetic procedures will be ineffective here, since the cause must be sought internally.

Stretch marks can appear not only on the back, but also on the stomach

Professional help

Old stretch marks on the back are almost impossible to remove at home; in this case, a consultation with a cosmetologist is required. Dermatology offers several options for solving the problem. Therapy is carried out using:

• Chemical peeling – acid solutions applied to the dermis activate the process of restoration of damaged cellular structures, accelerate the production of elastin and collagen;
• Ozone therapy - a special composition is introduced into the skin, accelerating metabolic processes, increasing the rate of regeneration;

• Laser treatment - polishing with its rays allows you to get rid of atrophied cells, stimulates the emergence of new structures;
• Mesotherapy – biologically active components are injected into damaged areas of the skin, including the process of renewal of the dermis;
• Microdermabrasion - manipulation refers to mechanical types of grinding, with the help of which altered epidermal cells are removed.

Each technique has a number of contraindications in which the procedure is prohibited for use. Before visiting a beauty salon, you need to consult a dermatologist to choose the most suitable treatment option.

Remedies

Getting rid of stretch marks on the back is quite problematic, regardless of whether they are new or old. Although today there are many ways to combat them. Some are aimed at evening out colors, reducing their depth, and reducing visibility. It is necessary to approach solving the problem comprehensively, using all available methods in order to determine the most effective ones.

Cosmetology procedures

It is almost impossible to remove stretch marks from the back without using hardware techniques. Therefore, when they appear on the skin, first of all they turn to a dermatologist and cosmetologist. They will advise which methods will be the most optimal for restoring the aesthetic appearance of the skin. The following techniques work well to remove stretch marks:

How to get rid of a hump on your back

• Laser skin resurfacing. It destroys the top layer of skin, which makes stretch marks less noticeable. The procedure is quite painful, so it is performed under local anesthesia. The effect is noticeable a month after the procedure.
• Deep peeling. With age, the skin becomes thick and rough; acidic compounds remove all dead cells and start the process of skin regeneration. As in the previous case, the result is noticeable only after some time, when the epidermis begins to recover.
• Microdermbrasion. It removes stretch marks thanks to the mechanical action of aluminum oxide. Polishing allows you to even out the skin, adjust its shade, and make stretch marks almost invisible. Only old stripes that are more than 8-9 months old can be treated in this way. Only 10 procedures are required.
• Chromopiling. A cosmetic procedure that involves exfoliation, which in the process gives the skin a tan. The effect is quite long-lasting, but it must be repeated periodically.
• Mesotherapy. An effective and modern way to eliminate any skin defects. But to get a lasting result, you will need at least 7-10 sessions. The downside is the fairly high cost of one procedure.

All these methods have a number of contraindications, so before making an appointment, you must consult with a specialist.

Home Recipes

At home, you can also deal with the problem of stretched skin no less effectively. It is better to treat it with natural remedies, which with regular use will provide lasting results. Proven recipes of traditional medicine include:

• One tablespoon of sugar is mixed with a couple of drops of lemon juice and almond oil. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, rub the stretch marks with it for 5 minutes, after which you need to take a shower.
• Potato juice renews the upper layer of the epidermis well, thanks to the large amount of vitamins and minerals it contains. One slice of potato should be rubbed into each stretch for 3 minutes. A large root tuber should be removed in one procedure.
• A homeopathic remedy is aloe juice mixed with vitamin A and several capsules of vitamin E. The resulting composition must be rubbed in a circular motion.
• Lemon juice is mixed with cucumber juice in equal proportions. After which the solution is applied to the skin. This must be done carefully so as not to cause redness.
• Alfalfa powder is mixed with chamomile oil. A compress is made from the resulting paste, which cleanses the skin and enriches it with vitamins K and E.

You can also use fresh apricots for rubbing if they are in season. Fresh fruits are divided into two slices and rubbed into the skin for 2 minutes. You can also make a paste from them and apply to the surface, leaving for a while. The above recipes should be used with caution, having previously tested the skin for sensitivity.

Olive oil is an excellent way to combat back stretch marks in teenagers

Striae in a teenager

If your son has stretch marks all over his back, then treatment should begin with the most harmless methods. An excellent remedy is olive oil. It is used as follows:

• The teenager lies on his stomach, on a flat surface.
• The oil is applied to the stretch marks in a circular motion with slight pressure. This must be done within 5 minutes.
• Wrap the area in a clean natural cloth, preferably cotton, to allow it to breathe.
• Take a bottle or heating pad and fill it with not too hot water. Warm up for 30 minutes.

The procedure must be repeated every day for 25-30 days. As soon as lasting results become noticeable, you can stop. In addition to oil, stretch marks in adolescents can also be lubricated with lemon juice if the skin is not hypersensitive to citrus extract.

Correction methods

You can remove stretch marks with a laser at a plastic surgery clinic

If you have been unable to avoid the appearance of stretch marks and want to get rid of them faster, it is recommended that you first pay attention to the nature of stretch marks and determine the possible causes of their appearance. If stretch marks are brightly colored and have formed on the back or abdomen without a clear etiology, it is worth visiting an endocrinologist and checking the state of hormonal levels.

If the cause of stretch marks is associated with rapid weight loss or other physiological factors, you can resort to cosmetic procedures. This can be deep mechanical grinding or chemical treatment of the skin (peeling).

Despite its effectiveness, treatment in a beauty salon has many contraindications and often causes adverse reactions. The external defect will not go away completely, since the tissue tear is located in the deep layers of the epidermis.

Only plastic surgery can quickly and effectively get rid of stretch marks. During the intervention, the area with overstretched skin is completely removed, and the defect is eliminated with an invisible cosmetic suture.

Any operation can cause negative consequences. Therefore, it is recommended to reconsider your attitude to this problem and understand that this is only a feature of the structure of the skin. If there is no psychological discomfort, it is better to leave the stretch marks alone.

At home, using folk remedies, you can lighten colored stretch marks. It is impossible to get rid of white stretch marks using this method.

Contraindications and precautions

Cosmetological and hardware techniques are not a universal means of getting rid of stretch marks, especially when it comes to teenagers 14-15 years old or people with chronic pathologies. Before taking the course, you must consult your doctor to rule out the possibility of an allergic reaction. The main contraindications are usually:

• The presence of neoplasms on the body.
• Oncology of any localization.
• Blood disorders or serious bleeding disorders.
• Severe form of diabetes mellitus.
• Any mental disorders.
• Pregnancy or lactation period.
• Infectious diseases in the acute period.
• Cardiovascular pathologies.

When taking pharmaceutical drugs, you must follow the dosage indicated in the instructions. You should not exceed the recommended amount to enhance the effect, as this can lead to serious poisoning.

Useful tips

Eliminating stretch marks at home

When stretch marks appear, special attention should be paid to the following factors :

• proper nutrition. The child’s body must receive protein so that the skin has time to grow the required number of cells. To do this, you need to adjust your diet, increasing the amount of protein foods and reducing the level of carbohydrates;
• hydration. In order to prevent the appearance of new stretch marks, it is necessary to use moisturizing creams that contain collagen;
• cleansing the skin. In order to prevent the appearance of stretch marks, you need to keep it clean and promote collagen production. Scrubs help with this. With their help, dead cells are exfoliated, resulting in the dermis being restored. But you shouldn’t get carried away with these remedies; it’s enough to use them twice a week;
• improving blood circulation. In order to provide nutrition to the tissues and skin cells, you can do a relaxing massage. In this case, the blood begins to circulate more actively;
• physical exercise. It is a proven fact that the skin of teenagers who play sports is less prone to stretch marks.

Details about treating striae at home.

The article describes the treatment of stretch marks on the legs of teenagers.

Read how flaxseed oil and coffee help against cellulite, below.

Particular attention should be paid to methods of preventing stretch marks, since it is easier to prevent their appearance than to get rid of this cosmetic defect. In order to make sure that stretch marks do not signal health problems, you need to visit a dermatologist and endocrinologist.

Preventive actions

Getting rid of stretch marks on your back is much more difficult than preventing their appearance. To prevent the occurrence of microtraumas, follow these simple rules:

• Review your diet and give preference to eating a diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits. Enrich the menu with products containing proteins, vitamins, and microelements to maintain skin elasticity.
• Ensure that your body receives enough clean drinking water. On average, a person needs up to 2 liters of fluid.
• Provide careful skin care during adolescence, use a moisturizer (preferably for children).
• Regularly use scrubs and other exfoliating agents during water treatments to remove dead skin and intensively renew the epidermis.
• Temper your body by regularly taking contrast showers.
• Control your body weight, do not try extreme diets that promise sudden and rapid weight loss in a few days.

Prevention of stretch marks must be done regularly, this is what the result depends on. Men should also remember that when playing sports they should not go to extremes and engage in excessive uncontrolled physical activity.

Stretch marks on the body of a teenager or adult are most often observed due to weight fluctuations or rapid growth. But sometimes they are only a symptom of serious hormonal imbalances. In this case, you cannot do without consulting a specialist. Also a reason for treatment is a constant change in the shade of stretch marks, acquiring a purple tint. Since this may indicate the onset of diabetes mellitus, diseases of internal organs.

Therapy during pregnancy and lactation

Experts recommend starting to take care of your skin several months before conception. The cosmetics industry offers a large number of specialized products:

• Mom Comfort;
• Avent;
• Mustela;
• Sanosan;
• Vichy.

Be sure to read: Methods of use and indications for using cling film wraps for weight loss

Various procedures are permitted for use only after consultation with a gynecologist leading the pregnancy. These include massage sessions, contrast showers, cold and hot wraps. Despite preventive measures, stretch marks on the back may occur after childbirth. Treatment of stretch marks with home methods is allowed, but before using them you must:

1. Consult your doctor;
2. Do not use products with essential oils;
3. Do not allow creams to accidentally enter the child’s mouth;
4. Leave therapy if unusual reactions of the body occur.

What they look like and what they are like

According to their appearance, stretch marks are divided into red and white stretch marks. Red ones are fresh, newly formed scars. They have not yet had time to deeply penetrate the skin and resemble healing scars.

Gradually scarring, the red stretch marks turn pink and then completely white. Due to their contrast due to the large amount of dead connective tissue, such stretch marks stand out strongly on the skin. They make a teenager already suffering from hormonal and psychological surges worry about his appearance even more.

The main problem with stretch marks is that they are difficult to disguise with cosmetics or tanning; they will still appear strongly on the skin.

Treatment of stretch marks on the skin

If, despite the preventive measures taken, stretch marks still appear, you can use the following means to combat them:

1. Special cream . Cream for teenage stretch marks can be purchased at any specialty store or pharmacy. Such cosmetics are designed for long-term use, so natural ingredients predominate in their composition. Anti-stretch mark cream for pregnant women is no worse; they usually do not contain preservatives or other harmful substances.

2. 
   Vitamins

   . Vitamins can be supplied to a teenager’s body through food or as part of medications. These important organic compounds play an invaluable role in the prevention and treatment of striae. The concentration of vitamins in tissues is low, but when these substances are imbalanced, dangerous changes occur in the body. The skin of a teenager reacts very sharply to a lack of nutrients, so vitamins must be supplied to the body regularly and in sufficient quantities.
   Fat-soluble vitamin A is an antioxidant essential for the growth of new cells. Strengthens the immune system, normalizes the amount of fat deposits, maintains healthy skin and hair. The best sources of ready-made vitamin A are considered to be products such as liver and fish oil, butter, and cream. Provitamin A, or carotene, is found in large quantities in carrots and sweet peppers. The plant form of vitamin A is absorbed along with fats;
3. Vitamin C . The water-soluble vitamin is essential for the growth and repair of tissues and blood vessels. Is a powerful antioxidant. With a lack of this vitamin, collagen synthesis is inhibited. Plant foods are richest in vitamin C: berries, citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts;
4. Fat-soluble vitamin E. Also an important antioxidant. Actively protects the body from the negative influence of an aggressive environment. With its deficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome occurs, which will negatively affect the condition of the muscles. Its high content is found in cereals and cereal germs, vegetable and butter oils, meat, eggs;
5. Vitamin K The need for this vitamin is provided by ordinary natural products. Found in many dairy and plant products. This vitamin normalizes blood clotting and increases tissue elasticity;
6. Fat-soluble vitamin D. It is an indispensable part of a teenager's diet. Regulates the functionality of hormones, maintains normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Present in many types of foods.

Home Remedies

Folk remedies for combating stretch marks are a variety of masks and wraps; they can become an alternative or addition to the main treatment. These procedures are easy to carry out at home. Before starting the procedures, you must ensure that you are not allergic to the components of the formulations.

The most effective means:

1. Damaged skin can benefit from masks made from honey, kelp, oatmeal, aloe vera juice, cosmetic clay, and yeast.
2. Various wraps using chocolate, cocoa, seaweed, honey, clay, essential oils.
3. Massage using cosmetic oils.
4. Peeling. It is carried out to renew the upper layers of the skin. Fine sea salt, natural ground coffee, soda, and large oatmeal flakes work well as exfoliating agents.

Natural cosmetic oils from coconut, shea butter, cocoa, and argan are considered the most suitable for rubbing into the skin. These oils stimulate blood circulation in the body and are effective in treating scars, scars and stretch marks in adolescents.

Homemade cosmetics will smooth the skin, improve its elasticity and firmness. Stretch marks on the body will disappear or become less noticeable, which will allow the teenager to significantly increase his self-esteem.