Stretch marks on Hips Causes and Treatment

There are many misconceptions regarding stretch marks on hips, and on any other body part. There is a lot that people don’t know about them.

Do you know what they are? It is obvious to hear people talk of red, bad or even purple stretch marks without knowing what they really are.

What causes them?

If you are one of the people who is bothered by this question, then read on as this post will unveil not only the meaning of stretch marks but also the causes, treatment and prevention options.

To many people, the term ‘stretch marks’ or ‘striae’ causes a lot of distress and discomfort, especially among ladies. Have a look at your hips. Do you see any stripes or streaks? These are the marks what we are talking about.

Hips form a very essential aspect of beauty in women. Therefore, no woman can stand having pink, purple, red or dark lines running across their hips.

The long lines, stripes or narrow streaks that you see on your hips are in the dermis, the second layer of your skin. These lines are conspicuous since their color is different from other skin tissues.

These narrow streaks, whether light or dark, indicate that the connective tissues in the dermis have been damaged. Initially, they appear to be purple, blue or pink. However, the streaks turn dark, and some may fade away.

Alongside the hips, you are likely to develop them on other parts such as thighs, knees, breasts, arms and the back. Their causes in these different body parts are somehow related, though different at times.

Who are the main victims of striae on hips? Is it men or women? In fact, research has shown that they can target both male and female. However, their severity is more on women than men.

Striae on hips are more common in women than men. When they appear on men, they are likely to disappear easily or faster. However, when in women are at times very resilient.

Facts you may not know about stretch marks on hips

According to Medicalnewstoday.com, there exists a lot of information that many people don’t know about striae. Did you know that:

• Up to 90 % of women get them on hips occasionally?
• They mainly affect the hips alongside other parts such as abdomen, thighs, arms, and shoulders
• 70 % of young girls develop them on hips during puberty?
• Many pregnant women will get them on hips in their 25^th week of pregnancy?
• They can affect both boys and girls
• Young people likely to get stretch marks on hips than the old ones
• Can they be prevented by using cocoa butter?

What Causes them

To be able to deal with them faster, you should understand the causes them. This way it will be easy to decide on how to prevent them and which best lotion for stretch marks, cream, and other products to use.

There are many causes of these stripes or streaks on your hips and buttock area. Some will associate them with pregnancy, genetics, puberty, weight gain and hormonal changes among other causes. However, you need to note that many women won’t get stretch marks on buttocks and hips during pregnancy.

Striae on hips are mainly because of the following factors:

1. Growth Spurts during puberty
2. Obesity and excessive weight gain
3. Genetics
4. Hormonal imbalance
5. Pregnancy

Growth spurts during puberty

Like earlier noted in this article, these marks are associated with the damage of connective tissues. The damaged tissues look different from the normal ones. What damages the connective tissues in the dermis?

Connective tissues get damaged by overstretching. This mainly happens when the skin tissues are rapidly stretched. This happens, especially during puberty due to growth spurts.

The growth spurt is a stage during puberty when young boys and girls excessively gain weight. A lot of fat is deposited in the hips. As a result, the connective tissues in the hips get severely overstretch, thus forming striae to indicate their damage.

Obesity and excessive weight gain

Between the slim and the obese, who is likely to get these marks? Slim people rarely get stretch marks on hips. What does this mean? They are closely related to weight gain and obesity.

Many sources highlight that weight gain deposits a lot of fat on the hips. This interferes with the formation of collagen. Collagen gives the skin its elastic properties.

When production of collagen is inhibited, the connective tissues in the dermis get damaged. This causes these stripes or marks.

Genetics

There comes a time when their removal is not possible, no matter what you do. In fact, no stretch mark removal cream can work for you if they are genetic.

This simply implies that they flow within the family line. You are likely to see them on your mother’s, grandmother’s or sister’s hips. Therefore, you can only manage to minimize them since their removal is not easy.

Hormonal imbalance

Generally, the presence of these streaks on your hips, alongside other body parts, is blamed on hormones. Hormones play a vital role in regulating essential body processes, especially during puberty and pregnancy.

Realsimple.com states that the body produces certain hormones such as glucocorticoids during puberty and pregnancy. This hormone, alongside others, causes elastic fibers and collagen in the dermis to tear. This results to is these red, purple or dark streaks on your bum area.

Pregnancy

The theory behind having stretch marks on hips during pregnancy is like that of growth spurts during puberty. During pregnancy, there is not only excessive weight gain but also hormonal imbalance.

These two elements interfere with the production of collagen and formation of elastic fibers in the skin. As a result, you can end up with striae.

Treatment and prevention of stretch marks on hips

There are numerous treatment and prevention options you can go for. Some of the common ones include.

The following options can treat or provide a reliable relief if these if they bother to you.

• Try laser therapy. This kind of therapy helps in getting rid of damaged and torn connective tissues. Getting rid of these tissues allows the skin to regenerate and grow afresh.
• What about chemical peeling? Just like laser therapy, chemical peeling peels off the affected skin. This makes the existing stretch marks to fade away and the skin looks normal again.
• Microdermabrasion can also work. This has been the safest procedure. It makes use of a minimally abrasive instrument to remove affected skin layers. This allows the skin to grow afresh without the torn connective tissues.
• Use topical ointments. There are numerous stretch mark creams and oils. Depending on your skin type, any topical ointment rich in vitamin E can help in reducing their if not completely remove them.
• Check your diet. You can prevent stretch marks on hips by enhancing your skin’s elasticity. This can be achieved through eating a lot of greens and fruits. Even in the case of sudden stretching, the connective tissues will withstand it.
• Keep hydrated. This can be achieved through regular intake of fluids such as water. When you are hydrated, the skin’s stretching capacity is enhanced. This, consequently, prevents connective tissues from tearing during sudden stretching.
• Apply moisturizers on your skin. Dermatologists argue that dry and flaky skin is likely to get striae more easily than the moisturized one. Therefore, regularly apply moisturizers on your hips as this will enhance the skin’s elasticity.
• Avoid some drugs and stimulants. Did you know that caffeine interferes with your skin’s elasticity? This is also the case with excessive consumption of alcohol. Therefore, reduce the intake of such substances as they will increase the risk of having more streaks.

References

1. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Skin and Connective Tissue
2. Realsimple.com The Truth About Stretch marks