Stretch Marks - Could Hormones be a Cause?

Stretch marks are sometimes considered an inevitable part of pregnancy, but they can also occur during other times of your life. Adolescents in particular are prone to stretch marks because of the accelerated body growth during that time in their lives. Weightlifters who lift excessive amounts of weight and build large amounts of muscle over very short periods of time also have tendencies for stretch marks to occur in those areas where the muscle mass is greatest. It doesn't matter who they happen to affect, the questions are usually the same when it comes to stretch marks-what caused my stretch marks and how can I get rid of them?

A great deal of research has been done to try and determine the actual cause of stretch marks. One theory being researched now is the effect of glucocorticoids on the formation of stretch marks. It has been speculated that when high levels of glucocorticoids are in your bloodstream, then you may have a greater chance of developing stretch marks.

Glucocorticoids consist of an entire class of steroid hormones produced by the body. The most common of this group of hormones is cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone. Any type of physical or mental stress will trigger the body to produce higher levels of cortisol.

Your body perceives stress as anything that causes its normal functions to change. For example, skipping meals causes your body to enter into a stressed survival mode. During this type of fasting state, cortisol acts to help regulate the levels of glucose in the body. In order to regulate your glucose levels, you often want to eat more which leads to a possible weight gain over time. When your body remains in a stressed state for a long period of time, its ability to burn excess fat is also impaired leading to an even greater tendency to put on weight quickly. It is this quick weight gain that can produce numerous stretch marks on the body.

Your body reacts to stress in many ways, and skipping meals isn't the only thing that might cause your body to enter into a survival mode. There are different times of your life when your body is naturally stressed. One of these times of natural stress is when a woman becomes pregnant. Pregnancy is an altered state for the body triggering elevated levels of cortisol secretion. It has been determined that glucocorticoids, especially cortisol, help promote lung maturity in the developing fetus.

Extremely heavy weightlifting can cause the body to elevate cortisol production because of the extra work needed by the body to repair muscle tissue. Adolescence also causes elevated cortisol levels because of the changes the young body is going through to become an adult. The body reads these changes as stress and in return elevates the amount of glucocorticoids in the body.

But do glucocorticoids cause stretch marks? Because of their effects on many bodily processes, cortisol and other glucocorticoids could possibly impair the production of collagen in the skin leading to a decrease in skin elasticity. Stretch marks could form in the areas where your skin's elasticity breaks down.

All of this information tells us that we need to keep our stress levels under control and keep our skin healthy. Exercise, plenty of water, and proper nutrition can help lower stress and reduce your chances of developing stretch marks.