Body Building and Stretch Marks From Bodybuilding - Prevention & Treatment

To some people, stretch marks are battle scars and symbolize muscle growth. These people think you should walk around your gym, wearing your stretch marks with pride. Well, we don't think that and if you did, you probably wouldn't be reading this article.

Rather than tell you about what stretch marks are and how they form, we are going to see how to prevent and treat them.

First, there are several factors that contribute to how many stretch marks you get, and where they will form. These include rapid weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, heredity, and skin type.

The Factors That Contribute To Stretch Marks

Rapid Weight Gain
If you are a serious bodybuilder, then there is no way to avoid stretch marks (unless genetically, you are pre-determined not to get them). When you bulk and put on muscle/fat, the skin obviously has to stretch. However, you can regulate how many stretch marks you get during the bulking session. By not gaining as much weight, your skin won't have to stretch as much. You might be asking why you wouldn't want to add as much weight possible during bulking.

Well, the answer is to do it smartly. Instead of eating whatever you want in the off-season, consume lean sources of protein, complex carbohydrates, and avoid saturated fat. This way, you will be gaining all the muscle, while limiting the fat that you put on.

Nutritional Deficiencies
If your bodybuilding, chances are you already are getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats. With that being said, that leaves vitamins. Even if you don't have stretch marks, everyone should be taking a multi vitamin every morning. I could write an article all about different vitamin properties, but instead, I will write about the ones that directly affect the skin.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is very important for the growth of skin, and maintaining healthy bones, nails, and hair. It helps to repair injured skin, and improve dry, scaly skin. It is absorbed through the skin, and helps the skin remain soft and plump. When Vitamin A is topically applied, it stimulates the skin mitotically, and metabolically, therefore maintaining the skin in a youthful condition. Experiments have showed that Vitamin A applied topically keeps the epidermis saturated with the vitamin.

Vitamin A also stimulates the renewal process of the epidermal cells which causes thickening of the epidermis. At the same time, collagen content in the skin was increased and improvement in skin elasticity could be seen (very important!)

Vitamin C
One of the most important roles of vitamin C is to help heal wounds and scar tissue. It is required for the synthesis of collagen, and acts as a cementing substance between skin cells. The most important role of collagen is to provide barrier for infections and diseases, and to promote healing of wounds. (Vitamin C looses its potency very quickly which can make it worthless unless used immediately. It also oxidizes very quickly when exposed to air and light. Look for vitamin C in an airtight brown glass bottle or metal tube which can block out sunlight.)

Vitamin E
Another very important vitamin when trying to prevent stretch marks. Vitamin E is needed for the maintenance of normal body metabolism and in the protection and healing of body tissues and skin. For skin care, vitamin e is most beneficial as an anti-oxidant in preserving the health of skin tissue and membranes. It is also used to help the recovery process of post surgical scars. There are two ways to take Vitamin E. These include orally and topically. Based on personal experience, I have never gotten any good results applying the Vitamin E topically onto the stretch marks. Instead, I like to take the pills.

Zinc
Quite possibly, the most essential supplement to take in the prevention of stretch marks. The most important property of zinc is the production of collagen.

Collagen holds the bodies skin tissues together. It is the most abundant structural protein and makes up 80% of all connective tissue. In fact, 75% of the dermis consists of collagen and it makes up 90% of its volume. When a person has enough collagen, it is near impossible to get stretch marks. Collagen is not available in food, so it's very essential to supplement with zinc.

Heredity
There isn't much to say about heredity. Some people will never get stretch marks no matter how bad their diet is or how many vitamins their bodies lack because of their genetics.

Skin Type
Skin type is mostly hereditary but it can be improved. Stretch marks are most likely to occur where skin is dry and chapped. When it's in this condition, the skin looses its elasticity. To improve this, make sure to take enough vitamins and apply a moisturizer or vitamin E to the skin once or twice a day.

Skin Remodeling is the Key to Scar Reduction
The removal or reduction of scars, lesions, and stretch marks from the skin depends on a process called "skin remodeling". The skin is designed to heal wounds quickly to prevent blood loss and infection. Scars are manufactured from a rapidly formed "collagen glue" that the body deposits into an injured area for protection and strength. In ideal skin healing, wounded skin is rapidly closed, then the healed area is slowly reconstructed to remove the residual collagen scars and blend the skin area into nearby skin. Scar collagen is removed and replaced with a mixture of skin cells and invisible collagen fibers.

This skin remodeling may continue in a skin area for ten years. In children the remodeling rate is high and scars are usually rapidly removed from injured skin areas. But as we reach adulthood, this rate diminishes and small scars may remain for years. One way to accelerate remodeling is to induce a small amount of controlled skin damage with a needle, laser, or other means, and then let the body repair processes rebuild the skin area. A second method is to use skin healing accelerators to increase the body's natural healing processes to obtain an even better final results.

Although striae vary from person to person and skin type to skin type, they usually start out as angry-looking, discolored ripples. They are often purplish-red in color. Overtime, they will soften to a silvery white. Since scar tissue has less pigment than normal skin, the contrast between your stretch marks and your skin will be particularly noticeable when you tan. You may never want to go the beach in a bikini again.

The best stretch mark creams are not the ones that are rich in elastin and collagen, but those that trigger the generation of collagen, elasting and the water holding capacity of healthy skin. Collagen is the building block of skin, and elastin is the protein which gives skin its elasticity. By increasing the levels of these proteins in your skin from within, not by trying to add them from the outside, you can speed up cell rejuvenation and thicken the epidermal layer. Stretch marks will look better, and they will feel better to the touch.

BIOSKINCARE CREAM is made with a complex compound of powerful biologically active protein enzymes, copper peptides, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.

The compound acts as a biological activator of both the elimination of dead and damaged skin cells and the renewal of healthy cells.

With repeated use, twice a day, BIOSKINCARE "digests" damaged cells, gently dissolves skin lesions, reduces scars and removes flaws. It also destroys pathogens and creates an environment that triggers the regeneration of normal collagen and a healthy skin. Nourishes the skin and protects it from oxidative damage due to free radicals. Improves elasticity, increases density, moisture retention capacity and skin's firmness and leaves it baby soft and soothed.

Last Modified: November 20, 2008

Prevent stretch marks & get rid of facial scars and all types of skin blemishes, while moisturizing, protecting, repairing and renewing your skin with BIOSKINCARE

Nourishes the skin deep inside, dissolves scar tissues and releases the aminoacids and other components in them for the reproduction of fibroblasts which give rise to new connective tissues and glycosaminoglycans -the molecules that deeply moisturize, firm skin and give it strenght and capacity to withstand over-stretching. It also replenishes the lipid barrier of the skin and triggers the regeneration of damaged cells while preventing and removing acne scars, keratosis, psoriasis scales and all types of skin blemishes.

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A home microdermabrasion cream with high quality micro-crystals, the same professionals use to breakdown hard, rough and old scar tissues, and allow for a deeper penetration of our exclusive all natural skin moisturizing and regeneration complex contained in the microdermabrasion cream. For ice-pick acne scars and for old and rough scars, stretch marks and actinic keratosis scales. Not for keloids.

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Body Cream for Scars and Stretch Marks - not for use on the face - 4 oz.

Recommended for the treatment of stretch marks, scars, and back and chest acne. It is not recommended for facial application because it contains a higher content of our biological active ingredient, Helix Aspersa Muller Glycoconjugates than do BIOSKINCARE. This difference results in a thicker cream that leaves behind a thin protective film on the applied area. This thicker consistency is beneficial for occluding the area and keeping in moisture for a longer period of time, making the cream more effective in dissolving scars. However, its one disadvantage is that it is incompatible with make-up and may leave a thin milky looking film on your face that will quickly flake-off creating an unappealing effect.

Body Cream for Scars & Stretch Marks

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How To Eliminate Stretch Marks