5 Things You Should Know About Stretch Marks from Lifting
“A stretch mark is really an absence—basically a hole in your dermis,” says Michael Swann, MD, a dermatologist.*
Bodybuilding is one of the most common causes of stretch marks because muscles are growing at a faster rate than the surrounding skin – causing the dermis to tear. When the dermis tears, it opens a “hole” to the layer of skin below which houses your blood vessels. That’s why bodybuilding stretch marks first appear red, pink or purple.
Bodybuilding stretch marks typically occur on proximal arms – the front of the shoulder, by the biceps and armpits, but can also be found on chests, backs and upper thighs.
Before you create a bodybuilding plan, you should carefully consider how you might be affected by stretch marks. Listed below are 5 things to keep in mind when preparing to lift.
#1 Bodybuilding Stretch Marks Can Be Prevented
Bodybuilding stretch marks can be prevented with proper skin care and diet. Here are a just a few great ways you can take care of your skin:
- Use self-tanning lotion or spray tan over a tanning bed.
- Drink lots of water.
- Eat foods that promote collagen development like green vegetables, berries, fish and lean meats.
- Add a stretch mark prevention cream or body oil to your daily skincare routine.
With the right ingredients – combining a fusion of herbs, essential oils, and vitamins – to reach beneath your skin and support strength, elasticity and firmness, certain body oils prevent scars and stretch marks while also helping your skin fight aging and maintain its youthful glow.
Learn how body oil targets the layers where common problems – such as stretch marks, scars and wrinkles – exist and prevent future damage: How prevention stretch mark body oil works.
#2 The Younger You Are, The More Likely You Are to Develop Muscle Stretch Marks
Just like bodybuilding, adolescent growth spurts are one of the most common causes of stretch marks. When growth hormones – estrogen and progesterone – are more prevalent and bodies are rapidly growing taller, bigger, wider, stretch marks show up. Therefore, young athletes and bodybuilders are highly prone to developing stretch marks.
Older men, whose hormone levels are not the same and whose growth has slowed, have a harder time increasing muscle mass in the same amount of time as younger men. Therefore, they’re much less likely to develop stretch marks from the same activity.
#3 You’re Less Likely to Develop Stretch Marks from Lifting if You Gain Muscle Mass at a Gradual Rate
If you bulk up too quickly, your skin will not be able to keep up with the rapid muscle growth. Therefore, one of the best ways to avoid stretch marks is to gradually ease into a training program. This allows your skin to adjust to the muscle growth instead of tearing when being asked to stretch in a much smaller time frame.
Similarly, you can minimize your stretch marks by breaking up your workouts. Instead of training all in one area, focus on multiple muscle groups and give each group periodic breaks.
#4 Performance Enhancing Drugs & Supplements Contribute to Stretch Mark Development
Steroids and supplements interfere with the formation of collagen.* Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in your body that helps skin to maintain its elasticity and to repair itself when damaged. A loss of collagen leads to a loss of skin elasticity and a greater tendency to develop stretch marks.
Steroids and supplements can also cause hormone imbalances which make you more likely to develop scarring, or stretch marks.*
If your skin has developed stretch marks from weightlifting and the use of performance enhancing drugs and supplements, there is a way to significantly reduce the appearance of stretch marks and support your skin’s natural regeneration of collagen and elastin. See how simple the process actually is.
You Can Reduce the Appearance of Your Bodybuilding Stretch Marks
If you’re entering body building competitions, or simply want to feel more comfortable in your own skin, you can take measures to reduce the appearance of your stretch marks.
Avoid painful or expensive treatments while still getting significant results by trying ReTone. This common sense approach works with the natural renewal process of your skin.
Read more about the ReTone Method and start reducing the appearance of your bodybuilding stretch marks today.
*Source: https://www.mensfitness.com/styleandgrooming/grooming/how-prevent-stretch-marks-weightlifting-and-bodybuilding