You have probably seen flat redlines appear on your body and eventually growing into slightly depressed white streaks. These marks tend to occur near the armpits, on the thighs, abdomen, chest, and groin. For some people, these lines are bigger, visible and occupy a large part of the body. As a result, these marks deny some women the freedom to put on bikinis, short skirts and even affects their self-esteem. These strange lines are known as stretch marks. 

Although stretch marks were initially seen as a sign of beauty, today, some women view them as a permanent mark of ugliness.

"Many women with stretch marks, especially the young ones, seek medical help daily. Besides looking unattractive, they can be secondary to a serious systemic disease, especially for those people who are obese.

Therefore, the required measures to prevent or treat them should be applied immediately,” says Elisa Agaba, head of the dermatology department at University Teaching Hospital (CHUK).

Cause of stretch marks

Stretch marks, medically known as striae, appear as linear

streaks on the skin that has been overstretched, and they run perpendicular to maximum lines of tension in the skin. According to Agaba, stretch marks normally occur due to the stretching of the skin. When they are forming, "they appear red but at a later stage, the colour starts fading away and the lesions become atrophic with the skin becoming wrinkled.”

Agaba says during puberty, many young people especially girls tend to grow marks on their back. He further explains: "If one gains or loses weight abruptly, it leaves some marks called stretch marks. Additionally, women are at a high risk of developing the marks during pregnancy and after birth due to the stretched skin.”

He says using drugs like corticoids as ointment or tablets for a long time, diseases of the adrenal medulla, systemic diseases and physiological conditions such as mechanical stress can lead to the formation of stretch marks. Weight lifters can also get them over their arms as well, because of the added or reduced weight.

Dealing with stretch marks

"The earlier the better,” says Dr.Pacifique Ntezirizaza of CLNG Clinic in Kicukiro, Kigali. He says if one starts treating them early enough, they can fade away slowly while a delay means they could become permanent marks.

However, Ntezirizaza advises pregnant women to start applying olive oil or other creams/lotion around the abdomen to prevent stretch marks from forming. He, however, warns against applying oils and other medication without finding out the root cause of stretch marks.

"First try to find out the cause. If they are out of systemic disorders, then one can go ahead and start treating them to prevent them from multiplying - but only using prescription of the right physicians. This way, one can be ble to prevent and also cure them earlier. On the other hand, if they are associated with a physiological condition, the solution would be to use tretinoin cream as well as L.ascorbic acid,” he says.

However,Ntezirizaza advices that ointments containing vitamin A or E,or tablets containing vitamin A or E are ideal for the treatment of stretch marks, but they may not be effective always.

"Stretch marks do not easily respond to treatment. This means one has to do it again and again for a long time before realising a difference,” he says, adding that derm abrasion and intervention like laser therapy are also used in the treatment.

Nteziraza also says people should embrace a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a normal body weight.