Stretch marks, formally known as striae are very common among us women and even men. Yet there still is a taboo: when you google stretch marks, you'll find endles lists of tips about how to get rid of them. It's time to break this taboos and explain why you should embrace your striae.
Stretch marks are common
Around 80% of all women have striae at some point in there life. The marks that typically appear on women are on breasts, buttocks, inner thighs, and hips. Males are more likely to notice them on their backs or sides.
What causes striae?
Basically striae is a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color tint. When your body grows faster than the deep layer of the skin, it can't keep up with the growth of the body. This process can also occur when you gain, but also lose weight very quickly. This causes the type of scare we know as striae.
Did you know that your genes play a big role role in whether you will develop striae or not? If striae runs in your family, you are likely to have it to depending on how your growth and weight gain.
Picture from @loveyourline at Instagram
Reasons to embrace your striae
- You are not alone. Around 80% of all women have striae. Everybody's weight and shape could change over time, it's human! All bodies stretch and that's basically all that stretch marks are. So remember that it's nothing to be ashamed about.
- Even though sometimes stretch marks seem to disappear they will always exist. Moisturizing might help a bit, but according to doctors there is no such thing as a stretch mark cure. If you can't get rid of them anyway, why not just accept it?
- Stretch marks can even become a new beauty standard. The Pakistani artist Sarah Shakeel transforms stretch marks into a work of arts. See her beautiful work in the picture below!
By artist Sarah Shakeel