Stretch marks can affect all of us. Many people assume the cause of stretch marks (also known as striae) is pregnancy, and so only pregnant women and mothers are affected. Body builders often suffer from striae, and the majority of these body builders are men. People who gain a great deal of weight are also susceptible to stretch marks. In short, anytime skin is stretched quickly or dramatically, striae are apt to appear.

Not only can striae affect both men and women, but they can affect children, teens, and adults. Skin is a remarkable organ. One of skin's most remarkable abilities is its ability to stretch.

Elastin and collagen are two of the building blocks of skin. Collagen is a binding agent in skin. Elastin provides skin with, you guessed it, its elasticity.

And the skin is phenomenally elastic. The scar tissue that accompanies these small rips in the skin are known as stretch marks.

How Stretch Marks Can Be Prevented or Repaired

A popular home remedy for stretch marks is cocoa butter. Pregnant women, body builders, or growing teenagers can rub in an ointment of elastin, collagen, and other proteins to help prevent tearing, and subsequent scarring. The proteins promote cell regeneration, which improves the scars' appearance. Then they thicken the epidermal layer, creating a smoother top layer of skin. This further improves the look of striae, even striae that are quite old.