Red stretch marks on the chest

Many women face the problem of stretch marks (striae) on their breasts. Despite the fact that this area of ​​the female body is often hidden under clothing, awareness of the presence of a defect causes internal discomfort among the fair sex. Today, there are many methods for getting rid of stretch marks; these can be pharmacy, folk, home remedies or salon procedures. By observing regular cosmetic procedures, it is possible to get rid of this skin defect on the chest forever.

What are stretch marks

Striae are formed as a result of the replacement of normal structures of the epidermis and fiber with connective tissues. Their appearance is preceded by microtraumas caused by excessive stretching of the upper layer of skin. Often, defects are localized in the hips (on the inner and outer surfaces), buttocks, abdomen, chest, shoulders (on the inner surface).

Stretch marks are strips of skin up to 5 mm wide and up to 10 cm long. Immediately after the appearance of stretch marks, they have a bright red, sometimes blue-violet tint. Over time, they become white, even shiny (pearly). Blue and red stretch marks are permeated with blood vessels, in this state they can be significantly influenced and their size reduced. White stretch marks are practically not corrected, and over time they become like scars. The surface of the stretch marks may sink or protrude above the rest of the skin. Damaged areas do not cause pain.

Causes of stretch marks on the chest

Often stretch marks form with sudden significant fluctuations in weight. This may be due to hormonal imbalances or due to rapid changes in body weight. The main reasons for the formation of stretch marks can be represented by three points:

1. Excessive stretching of the epidermis.
2. Loss of skin elasticity.
3. Flabbiness of the muscle frame (to resist excessive tissue stretching, the muscles must be toned).

In addition to obese people, stretch marks on the chest can form in the following groups of people:

1. Teenagers. During puberty, when teenage girls begin to rapidly grow breasts, stretch marks may form. This process is due to the fact that the muscles do not have time to increase to support the breasts, as a result of which the epidermal tissues are torn.
2. Pregnant and lactating women. Many representatives of the fair sex gain excess weight during pregnancy, which directly affects breast enlargement, because it consists of adipose tissue. In addition, the mammary gland is prepared for lactation; an abundant supply of nutrients “fills” the breasts. Striae after childbirth are formed as a result of milk flow. During the feeding process, the breasts empty almost at lightning speed. This fluctuation in volume provokes skin stripes. After a period of breastfeeding (BF), stretch marks may also appear, since the epidermis does not have time to recover from the breasts, which have sharply decreased in volume.
3. Losing weight. As a result of a sudden loss of extra pounds, both young girls and older women are at risk of developing crimson-colored stretch marks.
4. Athletes. The breasts can significantly decrease in volume due to a sharp decrease in the muscle frame. Such a jump may occur due to the cessation of intense sports training.
5. Genetically predisposed. Stretch marks can appear in girls due to the fact that from birth they have very thin skin that is prone to injury. Scientists have proven that northern women are more susceptible to this type of defect than southern women.

Prevention methods

It is possible to prevent the appearance of stretch marks on the chest using the following preventive measures:

1. Care. The décolleté area needs special moisturizing and nourishing care. Products should contain components such as collagen, elastin, and natural plant oils. Nourishing creams and oils should be applied regularly. There are also special cosmetics for the prevention of stretch marks.
2. Water balance. To maintain balance, you need to drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day. Dehydrated skin is more easily injured.
3. Proper nutrition. The diet should be dominated by fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
4. Balanced diet. When losing weight, you need to ensure that the weight decreases gradually. It is considered comfortable for the body to lose weight from 200 g to 1 kg per week, depending on the initial weight.
5. Cold and hot shower. This procedure is an effective prevention of stretch marks. The shower should start with warm water and end with cool or cold water.
6. Massage. Mainly using the Garcia method, it is not difficult to master, but regular procedures are the key to healthy breast skin.
7. Linen. The bra must fit your breast size exactly. The underwear should tightly surround the glands, without pressing or rubbing. A bra during breastfeeding should be made only from natural fabrics.
8. Sport. Health-improving gymnastics, moderate physical activity at home or in the gym, strengthen tissues. Choose a sport that you like, it could be Pilates, stretching, swimming or simple morning exercises. It is important to exercise regularly.
9. Wraps. In this case, mud and algae wraps work well.

Methods for treating stretch marks on the chest

Unfortunately, treating stretch marks is long and painstaking work. Success depends entirely on the regularity of events. Newly formed stretch marks can be removed at home using pharmaceutical or cosmetic products, using traditional methods. The latter include the preparation of homemade creams, masks, scrubs, and body wraps. It is almost impossible to remove old stretch marks using the measures listed above. Salon procedures have been developed for this purpose. Maximum results can be achieved using a whole range of measures.

Cosmetical tools

There are products on the cosmetics market aimed at getting rid of and preventing stretch marks. They can be purchased in many mass markets of decorative cosmetics. It is better to choose products for stretch marks on the chest with a natural composition. The list of components should include vitamins A, E, amino acids, hyaluronic acid, natural oils and extracts. It is important to give preference only to proven brands, otherwise it is better to purchase pharmaceutical products.

Salon treatments

The range of salon procedures is very wide, which allows you to choose a technique that will most effectively solve the problem of skin defects, depending on the size, depth and age of stretch marks. The procedures are highly expensive, and the principle is true: the older the stretch marks, the more expensive their treatment will be, but this does not mean that the salon cannot select effective methods at an affordable price. Popular procedures for getting rid of stretch marks:

1. Wrap. This procedure nourishes tissue directly through the skin. The wrap can be done at home, but the salon procedure differs in the preparation for applying the product and its composition, which includes a balanced vitamin and mineral complex. The duration of a salon wrap is from 30 minutes to an hour. For a noticeable effect, 10-15 procedures are necessary.
2. Ultrasonic exposure. A painless and effective way to get rid of stripes is regular ultrasound. The procedure improves blood flow in tissues and accelerates the process of skin regeneration. Ultrasound treatment is effective for young stretch marks.
3. Chemical peeling. The procedure is very effective, but expensive and painful. Using a special chemical composition, the upper layers of the epidermis are burned, skin regeneration processes are launched, resulting in the formation of new smooth skin without stretch marks. This procedure requires long-term rehabilitation.
4. Laser peeling. An equally painful procedure, similar to chemical peeling. The burn is carried out by the action of a laser. The opinions of specialists in this field are divided into two opposing categories. Some believe that laser peeling is the most effective procedure against stretch marks, others are categorically against treating the skin in this way. If the stretch mark is younger than 5 years, then 3-5 procedures will be needed to get rid of it; if the strip is older, about 10 visits to the beauty salon will be needed.
5. Microdermabrasion. A more gentle but painful procedure. The skin is exposed to a stream of air containing small solid particles. Thanks to this influence, surface scrubbing and micro-polishing of the epidermis occurs. The procedure is effective for fresh strips.
6. Mesotherapy. It is an injection procedure during which a composition rich in vitamins and minerals is injected under the skin. The quick desired result can be obtained in combination with other methods, this could be plasma lifting or microcurrents.
7. Collagen injections. The procedure compensates for the lack of collagen protein; its small amount is the root cause of the formation of stretch marks.
8. Microcurrent therapy. The skin is exposed to current pulses. At the cellular level, the procedure improves blood circulation, increases metabolic processes, and tissue tone. For a visible effect, it is necessary to conduct 8-10 sessions at monthly intervals.
9. Ozone therapy. The influence is carried out through an ozone-oxygen mixture. The procedure stimulates blood flow and lipid metabolism. To achieve the desired result, ozone therapy should be performed once a week. This technique is often recommended to be combined with breast massage and the use of gels and creams at home.
10. Surgical intervention. If none of the salon procedures helped achieve the desired result, experts often recommend surgical intervention. During surgery, the affected areas are removed. Such an event is not always justified. Often the operation provokes the appearance of new stripes. Very deep stretch marks are a contraindication to this procedure. In this case, no specialist will undertake the removal of stretch marks on the chest.

Pharmacy products

One of the most effective remedies against stretch marks on the chest is Contractubex gel. It is positioned as a drug for getting rid of scars. The main active ingredient of the gel is liquid onion extract. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic effects. In combination with excipients, Contractubex gel has regenerating properties. It counteracts the formation of fibroblasts - connective tissue cells, which prevents the appearance of scars, including stretch marks. The gel is highly effective and affordable.

A product called Clearvin has proven itself well as a cream for stretch marks on the chest. This budget pharmacy product has a completely natural herbal composition, including neem (margosa), known for its antiseptic properties, lodhra - fights scars and stretch marks, amla (emblica) - contains a large amount of vitamin C, which is necessary for collagen synthesis. The cream fights not only with stretch marks, it generally improves skin tone, evens out and improves its color, eliminates acne and acne marks.

With breast growth, which is caused by hormonal changes associated with pregnancy or lactation, the skin stretches only in the area of ​​the upper integument - the epidermis. The reticular layer of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue are not capable of rapid stretching. This is how striae are formed - stripes along the milk ducts. In the early phase of the disease, blood vessels are visible through the thinned layer. This is the stage of red stretch marks, manifested by burgundy-purple stripes on the chest.

As the disease progresses, the stripes become pale because the cracks in the reticular layer of the skin are filled with connective tissue cells. They form a dense layer, and the vessels are no longer visible. The primary cosmetic defect disappears, but scars form. In place of red stretch marks on the chest, white striae form, which do not tan because they do not have pigment cells - melanocytes.

What do stretch marks look like?

Striae are stripes on the skin up to 5 mm wide and up to 10 cm long. They appear in places of microtrauma of the skin and immediately after their appearance have a bright red or blue-violet hue. At an early stage, stretch marks are riddled with blood vessels and are easier to remove.

Over time, stretch marks become lighter and shinier. This occurs as a result of the replacement of normal skin tissue with connective fibers. Stretch marks can sink in comparison with the surrounding skin or rise above its surface. They do not cause pain or discomfort. They are a cosmetic defect.

Causes of stretch marks

Most often, women experience stretch marks after pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as girls during puberty. In addition, the appearance of stretch marks is due to a number of factors:

1. hereditary predisposition;
2. injury to the skin of the chest;
3. stretching of the skin due to naturally large mammary glands due to incorrect selection of a bra;
4. flabbiness of the muscle frame;
5. abuse of strict diets and sudden weight loss (sudden weight gain can also contribute to the appearance of stretch marks);
6. physical training with increased stress on the pectoral muscles;
7. hormonal disorders.

Approaches to treating stretch marks on the chest

It is possible to remove stretch marks and make them less noticeable, but this is a painstaking task that requires some time and patience. As soon as stretch marks are discovered, you need to take action immediately, without waiting for them to lighten.

Modern cosmetology offers the following ways to combat stretch marks on the chest:

1. external preparations (creams, ointments);
2. special cosmetic care (wraps, masks, serums);
3. hardware procedures (microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing);
4. deep peelings;
5. injection procedures (mesotherapy);
6. surgical removal of skin along with stretch marks (as part of mammoplasty).

External products used to combat stretch marks activate intracellular metabolic processes, moisturize the skin, and increase its elasticity. Such creams or gels enhance collagen synthesis and speed up the process of restoration of damaged skin.

To eliminate stretch marks, cosmetology offers a variety of masks, serums and therapeutic wraps. Such products contain extracts of medicinal plants, essential oils and other components that improve metabolism and accelerate skin regeneration processes. Typically, such procedures are carried out in courses (6–12 sessions) and are combined with other methods of treating stretch marks.

Hardware methods of stretch mark therapy are aimed at accelerating skin regeneration, activating the process of cell division and the production of new collagen. During laser resurfacing, microburns are created on the surface of the skin. In response to this, new collagen and elastin begin to be produced in the dermis. Sanding is done up to 5 times; after the procedure, redness and soreness are likely.

Microdermabrasion is a rather painful resurfacing procedure, during which the top layer of the epidermis is removed using a special device with an attachment. This method helps smooth out shallow stretch marks and requires 4–6 procedures.

Chemical peels against stretch marks are the removal of the top layer of skin due to exposure to aggressive acids. After this, restoration and regeneration processes are launched in the skin, which helps smooth out stretch marks. You need to be careful with this method, as such a procedure can leave behind hyperpigmentation.

Mesotherapy is the injection of special preparations into the middle layers of the skin that stimulate skin renewal. Such products contain hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids, etc.

Separate operations to remove stretch marks on the chest are not performed. Skin with stretch marks can be removed during mammoplasty, for example, reduction.

Prevention of stretch marks on the chest

1. Nourishing and moisturizing care for the skin of the chest and décolleté.
2. Moisturize the skin from the inside (drink at least 2 liters of water per day), since dehydrated skin is more easily injured.
3. When working on losing weight, plan your training regimen and adjust your diet so that the pounds don’t fall off too quickly.
4. Do not deny yourself massage treatments (Garcia, or Spanish, massage is especially useful for beautiful and healthy breast skin).
5. Choose the right underwear (the bra should not squeeze or rub the skin of the mammary glands), especially during pregnancy and lactation.

How to get rid of red stretch marks on chest

To prevent the appearance of micro-tears in the skin, it is necessary to improve its elasticity and stimulate fibroblast cells to synthesize collagen and elastic fibers. To this end, the following activities are carried out:

1. expanding the diet by eating vegetable oils, nuts, fish and seafood;
2. wearing special underwear during pregnancy - a bra size larger by one, and sometimes two units helps prevent the appearance of red stretch marks on the chest;
3. light breast massage (without touching the nipples) with a hard cloth.

Preventive measures continue even when red stretch marks appear on the chest, but as therapeutic procedures. Outside of pregnancy and lactation, a contrast shower is used, followed by a warming massage. When massaging the breasts, local pharmacological agents are used. Clearvin cream has proven itself well, the components of which are absorbed into the skin and have a stimulating effect on fibroblasts.

Every woman in her life is faced with the concept of stretch marks on her chest. The moment of meeting them, of course, is not the most pleasant, but on the contrary, it can cause a storm of negative emotions. This is not their only habitat. They appear on the thighs, inner shoulder, buttocks.

The word striae from Latin means stripes. As soon as a person rose higher in rank and began to earn more, the stretch marks immediately became larger. You may ask how you can connect money and stretch marks on your body? A person earns more - his food becomes more varied. In addition, it is often excessive in calories. Accordingly, the body gains excess weight.

Reasons for appearance

A possible reason for the appearance of unpleasant stripes on the skin is sudden weight loss, and then rapid weight gain. Another reason is pregnancy and childbirth. The wealthier the family, the more children they have. The more a woman gives birth and breastfeeds, the more stretch marks she has.

In addition to the fact that a woman’s body already undergoes a huge number of changes during pregnancy, it all happens very quickly. In addition to the fact that the baby inside begins to gain weight, amniotic fluid adds weight, and the woman herself begins to eat more. In addition to gaining a decent 20-30 kg during the entire pregnancy, milk in the breasts is added after childbirth. The muscles of the mammary gland do not have time to react so quickly to dramatic changes and the skin on the chest stretches.

Afterwards, the woman wants to urgently lose weight, because she is returning from maternity leave to work and then urgently needs to fit into her old wardrobe. A woman goes on a diet, limits her food intake and achieves her goal. In a few months, minus ten kilograms and, to put it mildly, her body is in shock again. These changes are typical causes of stretch marks on the chest.

Tendency to develop stretch marks

First you need to understand that stretch marks on the chest do not appear in all people and not in the same quantity. Some women can gain weight and lose weight several times a year, while others need to lose weight sharply once and that’s it—deep, long stretch marks appear on the face almost all over the body.

The genetic characteristics of the body are to blame. For example, residents of the Caucasus and India, carriers of the Mongoloid and African genotypes, suffer from stretch marks much more than the fair-skinned races of people on the planet. In this case, the gender of a person does not play a role at all.

Of course, we more often hear about the appearance of stretch marks from women and everyone asks one question: how to remove them. This is not due to the characteristics of the body, but rather to aesthetic perception. A woman in summer wants to wear a dress with a large neckline, while a man at this time can easily get by with a completely covered T-shirt. When putting on lace underwear, a girl sees not her entire seductive appearance, but how visible the stretch marks are on her chest and hips.

Cosmetologists observe the most complex types of stretch marks on the chest in men. A man strives to make his life as comfortable as possible. This includes buying a car. Here he is, a handsome alpha male, goes to the gym, starts a small business. The work brings good profits, and from a small business he is already the owner of a large corporation. He buys an expensive car and devotes all his time to work. Accordingly, no one goes to the gym anymore. He has dinner at night, travels only in a car, and is nervous a lot. All this leads to excess weight. And with it, stretch marks appear.

In addition to the genetic predisposition to striae, weakened immunity also has a strong influence. Hormonal imbalance, inflammation of the skin, and surgical interventions contribute to the appearance of stretch marks on the chest. Artificial termination of pregnancy “helps” to activate previously existing stretch marks, and surgical removal of various tumors leads to the appearance of new stretch marks in the breast area.

Types of stretch marks and the reasons for their appearance

Early striae are very different from older ones in color and structure. They are red and blue, riddled with blood vessels. They can still be influenced and significantly reduced in size. White stretch marks hardly undergo correction and are very similar to old scars. The area where stretch marks are located can either be level with the skin, or sink or rise above it. Any physical discomfort or pain is completely absent in the presence of stretch marks.

There are several reasons for the appearance of stretch marks on the chest:

1. excessive stretching of body tissues;
2. loss of skin elasticity;
3. loss of elasticity of the muscle frame. When the body is constantly exposed to moderate physical activity, the muscles are toned and ready for any changes.

Adolescents are very susceptible to stretch marks. The body is growing rapidly, hormonal levels are just off the charts, and in girls, the mammary glands are actively enlarging. This is all a favorable environment for the appearance of stretch marks.

Stretch marks on the chest are very similar to scars, only they are located not on the surface of the skin, but inside. There is absolutely no pigmentation on the surface of micro-tears. Because of this, tanning in the areas of stretch marks is completely impossible. The only positive aspect in this situation is that stretch marks acquired during pregnancy or growing up do not pose any threat to the health and life of a woman.

How to remove stretch marks on the chest?

One of the main ways to treat stretch marks is intensive prevention. No matter how sad the whole situation may seem, they will not disappear simply by wishing or even by magic spell. Constant work on the body, fight against them, control of nutrition, and of course cosmetic procedures are required.

There are only a few rare cases where a young girl acquired stretch marks due to hormonal maturation, and then had them removed. But this happens in the case when they immediately noticed red-blue stretch marks and immediately consulted a doctor. If stretch marks have already turned white and have been on the body for more than one year, then you won’t be able to get rid of them completely. They can only be made less noticeable. There are a number of cosmetic procedures for this. And if the case is completely advanced, then surgical intervention is necessary.

You need to choose a beauty salon very carefully, otherwise the consequences of the procedure will be sad. List of particularly important procedures.

These procedures include:

1. laser body resurfacing;
2. chemical or laser peeling;
3. microdermabrasion;
4. laser nanoperforation;
5. fractional photothermolysis.

All these procedures smooth the surface of the skin, promote its regeneration and natural collagen production. Because of this, stretching of the skin becomes almost invisible.

In cases where cosmetology is unable to help, surgical intervention is necessary. The plastic surgeon lightly excises deep stretch marks on the chest from the surface of the skin. But there is an acceptable operational depth. If the stretch marks on the chest are completely neglected, then no doctor will do this. This will simply be dangerous for the woman’s health. In any case, before making a decision, you need to consult with a competent plastic surgeon.

If the stretch marks are “fresh” enough, then the most optimal method for getting rid of them is ultrasound. It massages the skin at the micro level, stimulates increased skin elasticity and collagen production.

A similar method is ozone therapy. The oxygen mixture is introduced into the striae itself. In mesotherapy, a mixture of vitamins and nutrients is injected into the stretch to increase skin elasticity. And plant extracts in the mixture increase metabolic processes. If stretch marks have just begun to appear, you can try to eliminate them with the help of masks, wraps, massage, a specially designed nutrition system, and also taking medications.

Masks to eliminate stretch marks

We all know how important face masks are for wrinkles or dry skin. The same thing happens with the whole body. The skin of the breast needs to be smooth and elastic. And it certainly shouldn’t age quickly, just like the skin on your face. You can make masks from absolutely anything you find in the refrigerator. The main thing is desire and a little imagination.

The components of masks against stretch marks increase blood circulation and increase skin elasticity. It is better to carry out procedures after a bath or shower, when the body is steamed and absorbs nutrients as much as possible.

Every day you need to rub the oil into the skin of your chest. Peach, olive and almond are suitable for this. You can mix them together, add a couple of drops of lavender, rosemary or rose oil. After applying the oil, you can wrap the breasts with cling film. The procedure itself should last about fifteen minutes. Such wraps must be performed twice a week. Such mixtures of oils give a good effect during massage procedures.

A recipe for a rolled oatmeal mask will help prevent the first stretch marks. To do this, you need to take two tablespoons of dry rolled oats flakes and pour 100 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for fifteen minutes. Then drain the remaining water. Add two tablespoons of fat sour cream to the resulting mixture and place in the refrigerator. Let it brew for one night. The next day after the bath, apply this mask to the skin of your chest. Leave for fifteen minutes.

Another option to improve the condition of your breast skin is to make a cottage cheese mask. To do this, you need to combine one spoon of cottage cheese with an egg, add a teaspoon of honey, sour cream and olive oil. Apply the mask to the stretch marks on the body and wait twenty minutes. Afterwards it must be washed off with lukewarm water.

All these procedures will not create an immediate effect, but they will help to delay skin aging and reduce stretch marks.

Massage against stretch marks on the chest

Another way to combat stretch marks is massage. A woman can massage her breasts on her own. This must be done very gently, always clockwise. The main thing is to massage without causing pain. This procedure helps remove congestion in the chest, prevent the appearance of mastopathy, and eliminate the appearance of stretch marks. Massage can be done with essential oils or use only cedar oil, which accelerates skin regeneration and helps fight skin diseases.

Shilajit creates a beneficial effect for the skin. This substance can be added to body cream and used for breast massage. The only problem is that there is very little of this substance in nature and it is very expensive. Be careful, because here you can run into a fake.

Preventive measures

It is much easier to prevent a situation than to deal with its consequences. This applies to everything that surrounds us in life. But we need to take the issue of health especially seriously. Stretch marks at first glance are not at all dangerous, but if you take a closer look, you will notice dissatisfaction with your appearance, many complexes, and depression. All this can be changed if you direct your life in a different direction. For this you need little - just love yourself and take care of your body. There are a number of procedures aimed at improving the skin. These include:

1. Regular contrast shower. It should start with hot water and end with slightly cool water. Be sure to direct the stream of water to the neckline and hips;
2. It is necessary to drink at least two liters of clean water per day. No cream or mask will help if the skin is dry and cracked. Tea, coffee or juices do not count as water;
3. You need to eat a balanced diet. The daily diet must include a large amount of vegetables and fruits, as little meat, heavy and fried foods as possible. What we eat and drink, when we get inside, immediately appears outside. We see skin unevenness, acne, rashes;