Causes and treatment of stretch marks on the arms

The appearance of stretch marks on the arms does not in any way affect their physical functions, but can cause a lot of psychological discomfort and also cause complexes. Often people, having these formations on their hands, are simply embarrassed to wear open summer clothes. If you are faced with a problem in the form of stretch marks, you should not despair, the main thing is to identify the cause of their appearance in time, and then begin treatment.

Causes of the disease

All forms of dermographism, including red, have not been sufficiently studied, and their exact causes have not been established.
The disease itself is not life-threatening, but it creates significant discomfort for the sick person due to its external unattractiveness and severe painful and itchy sensations in the affected areas. If we talk about the origin of such signs, the most common is red dermographism, the causes of which are allergic in nature. In second place are disorders of the digestive tract, including:

• dysbacteriosis;
• gastritis;
• frequent constipation;
• parasitic infestations.

Also, the problem can be caused by gluten intolerance, thyroid diseases, and psycho-emotional overload.

Provoking factors for the appearance of mechanical urticaria can be:

• emotional instability;
• constant skin irritation from tight or rough clothing;
• exposure to extreme environmental temperatures;
• Exceeding the duration of treatment with certain medications;
• chronic alcohol or chemical intoxication;
• unfavorable environment.

The manifestations themselves in the form of red stripes on the body are formed due to increased skin sensitivity. It reacts to the slightest friction or contact by dilating capillaries and releasing histamine, which leads to swelling of the skin surface. This mechanism is very similar to the development of an allergic reaction, so symptoms when they first appear are often perceived as the consequences of an allergy.

Causes of stretch marks in teenagers

Why can girls and boys develop stretch marks? Adolescence is a time when rapid weight gain and body growth are also accompanied by a hormonal surge. Due to the fact that the skin quickly stretches, the epithelium ruptures. The result is the appearance of red and purple stripes on the teenager’s body, which are called stretch marks (striae). After some time, the color of the stretch marks changes to white, but against the background of tanned skin they are very noticeable.

Stretch marks are equally likely to appear in girls and boys. They most often occur on the abdomen, thighs, legs and butt due to increased muscle mass. In girls during this period, the mammary glands begin to grow, which contributes to the formation of stretch marks on the chest.

The reasons for the appearance of stretch marks on the body can be different. The main ones:

• A sudden weight gain or growth spurt leads to thinning of the skin and cracks. These cracks are then filled with connective tissue and red and purple stripes appear.
• Weight gain, caused by hormonal changes or a sedentary lifestyle, also contributes to the appearance of stretch marks on the legs, thighs, butt or abdomen.
• A weakened immune system will sooner or later cause the skin to become less elastic and tears to occur.
• Heredity. The predisposition to developing stretch marks in a child can be passed on from parents. In this case, it is worth taking preventive measures as early as possible.
• Lack of muscle mass with rapid bone growth is the cause of the formation of stretch marks on the back. If a teenager feels pain, then it is worth seeing a doctor as soon as possible. Displacement of the vertebrae may occur.

If your child begins to grow rapidly, be sure to warn him about the possibility of stretch marks appearing on his legs, stomach or butt.

You can, for example, show a photo so that he knows what they look like and immediately turns to you the first time he appears. Explain that there is nothing wrong with this and stretch marks can be treated.

Preventive actions

It is much easier to prevent the occurrence of stretch marks on the hands than to treat them later in various ways. In addition, preventive measures are quite simple:

1. When engaging in bodybuilding, monthly weight gain should not exceed 4 kg. However, if even in this case stretch marks continue to appear, the growth of muscle mass should be slowed down even more;
2. Maintain proper nutrition. The daily menu should be rich in all necessary vitamins and microelements, but animal fats, sweets and flour should be excluded;
3. Systematically take a vitamin-mineral complex containing ascorbic acid;
4. Do aerobic exercise daily;
5. Use moisturizers with vitamins A, E and collagen.

Symptoms

The main signs of red dermographism appear externally on the skin, but at the same time they are almost always accompanied by a deterioration in health. General symptoms of the disease include:

• the appearance of swollen red or pink stripes at the site of the streak effect on the skin;
• the appearance of itchy rashes in the form of small rashes or blisters on the affected area;
• development of physical and psychological exhaustion.

Red welts, swelling, itching, burning and rashes develop even with minor friction and last from several hours to several days. In most cases, these symptoms appear and disappear suddenly. The most unpleasant thing is that symptoms that appear at least once can continue to manifest themselves throughout life, without affecting its duration, but significantly reducing its quality.

In addition, when scratching itchy, inflamed areas, the integrity of the skin is disrupted, which is dangerous due to infection. A constant feeling of severe discomfort and deterioration in appearance can cause serious psychological problems. Therefore, the disease requires mandatory competent diagnosis and subsequent adequate treatment.

Is it possible to get rid of stretch marks on arms?

At the first sign of stretch marks, you should immediately begin to take all possible measures to prevent the formation of new marks. The same applies to women who have a tendency to develop stretch marks on their skin. After all, preventing the formation of stretch marks on your arms is much easier than trying to get rid of them later. This is quite difficult to do at home. Therefore, it is worth starting treatment when the stretch marks on your arms are fresh. The more time has passed since their appearance, the more difficult it is to remove them.

To forget about stretch marks on your arms forever, it is advisable to use several methods simultaneously.

What solution do cosmetologists offer?

Having learned why stretch marks form in teenagers, you should immediately begin procedures that will help eliminate them: the sooner, the greater the chance of eliminating skin defects. You should not hope that the treatment will go quickly. As a rule, it takes more than a month. There are different methods: both traditional medicine and folk methods.

There are 3 effective methods that will help cure stretch marks:

• Mesotherapy is quite effective in combating skin defects, painless and safe. Using thin needles, the doctor injects drugs that speed up the skin restoration process. The procedure is usually carried out 2 times a month, and the course itself will take up to six months. It must be remembered that this type of therapy is contraindicated if the teenager has infectious and inflammatory processes.
• Laser resurfacing is an expensive procedure, but after the first session, some stretch marks disappear. It usually lasts for an hour, and after completion there is slight redness and burning on the thighs, legs, butt and other parts of the body. The effectiveness is very high: after a couple of weeks, all defects can be completely eliminated.
• Cosmetic preparations - ointments and creams that contain collagen and silicone, will also help in the fight against stretch marks, as they accelerate skin regeneration. Before use, it is necessary to check whether the child is allergic to the components of the drug.

Diagnosis of pathology and causes

Red dermographism itself is diagnosed quite simply, since it is characterized by pronounced manifestations on the skin. It is enough for the doctor to conduct an examination and perform a mechanical test - run a dermographometer or simply a thin blunt object over the patient’s body. The result is assessed after 10 minutes and allows you to determine the presence of pathology with absolute accuracy.

However, dermographic urticaria is extremely rarely an independent disease. Therefore, for effective treatment it is necessary to identify and eliminate its root cause. Diagnosis of concomitant diseases includes laboratory blood tests, collection of medical history and examination (most often differential) for the presence of the underlying disease.

To identify it, the following are additionally prescribed:

• ultrasound examinations of internal organs;
• tests for parasitic infestation;
• hormonal studies;
• encephalogram, tomography, radiograph;
• biopsy of various tissues;
• checking the state of immunity.

The treatment plan is prescribed depending on the results obtained and the identified pathology.

Folk recipes

Traditional methods of combating stretch marks can be combined with folk recipes. Wraps with honey and aloe are very helpful for stretch marks on the hips, legs, butt and stomach.

You need to take 5 tablespoons of honey and aloe (porridge), mix with 100 ml of warm water and divide into 2 parts. Freeze one in an ice cube tray, and apply the other to the skin after taking a shower and wrap in film. After an hour, rinse everything off with water and wipe the skin with prepared cubes of the frozen mixture. After drying, additionally lubricate the skin with a cream containing collagen or silicone. Repeat the procedure every day for a month.

A paste of cucumbers and oatmeal, rubbed into the skin within half an hour after a shower, will also be effective.

Home remedies

To remove stretch marks on your hands yourself, you need to approach this event comprehensively. Getting rid of stretch marks involves performing several procedures:

Massage

Include massage therapy into your daily activities. The procedure using honey gives very good results:

• Warm up the skin on your hands with light pinching and rubbing;
• Next, pour a little honey into your palm and apply it to the stretch marks of the opposite hand;
• Spread the honey over the surface and massage the area using quick light pats;
• As a result, the honey should be absorbed into the skin, and a white mass will remain on the surface;
• Do the same with your other hand and take a cool shower.

This massage promotes improved blood circulation, destruction of subcutaneous fat and saturation of the epidermis with microelements and vitamins.

However, please note that there are a number of contraindications for this procedure:

• Pregnancy period;
• Allergic reaction to honey;
• Skin injuries.

Scrub

Using a homemade scrub will also help remove stretch marks on your arms. To do this, you will need to mix 1 cup of sugar and salt with 0.5 cup of olive oil. This product must be rubbed into the damaged areas after taking a shower for 3 minutes 2 times a week.

This method stimulates the release of collagen and elastic, making stretch marks less noticeable and significantly narrower. Contraindications are diseases and injuries of the skin.

Nutrition

To improve the condition of the epidermis, you need to include fatty varieties of sea fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals in your diet. And do not forget that the amount of liquid consumed per day should be at least 2 liters.

Treatment

When treating dermographic urticaria, elimination of its external manifestations is necessarily carried out simultaneously with therapy aimed at getting rid of their cause, that is, the underlying disease. If the precipitating factor cannot be identified, persistent red dermographism may not be completely curable throughout life. In such situations, it is necessary to maintain it within normal limits using conservative or alternative methods.

Drug treatment involves taking several groups of drugs:

• antihistamines - Claridol, Clarisens, Suprastin, Fenkarol;
• vasoconstrictors – “Troxevasin”, “Ascorutin”, isoflavonoids;
• relieving swelling - “Lioton-1000”, troxevasin ointment, “Heparin”;
• antipruritic - “Panthenol”, “Fenistil-gel”, “Skin-up”, “Gistan”;
• to restore intestinal microflora - “Acilact”, “Narine”, “Bifiliz”, “Biovestin-lacto”;
• choleretic - “Cholenzim”, “Vigeratin”, “Hologon”, “Decholin”.

In serious cases, hormonal agents based on hydrocortisone are used. In addition, an individual treatment regimen is prescribed depending on the identified cause of symptoms.

Folk recipes

Traditional medicine very effectively eliminates all external signs of dermographic urticaria, relieving itching, redness, inflammation and swelling. The following recipes are considered the most effective:

1. Nettle decoction – 100 g of herb per 1 liter of water, boil for 5 minutes, cool, filter. Wash affected skin as often as possible.
2. Decoction of raspberry rhizomes - 25 g of raw material per 1 glass of water, boil for 15 minutes, cool, filter. Drink at a time, prepare and take daily.
3. Herbal decoction - pour the same amount of medicinal chamomile, valerian, sage, string, St. John's wort, celandine with water so that it completely covers the herbs. Boil for 15 minutes, cool, filter. Add the resulting decoction to the water when taking a bath. The procedure must be carried out every day until the symptoms disappear. It helps very well to relieve symptoms even with persistent red dermographism. It is also recommended to regularly wash the affected areas with this decoction (or just a few herbs).
4. Olive oil – moisten the painful areas with heated oil.
5. Raw potatoes - wrap the grated mass in a thin cloth, apply several times a day.
6. Sea salt (pure, without additives) – 100 g per 10 liters of warm water, take a bath. After the procedure, do not wash off the salt; pat your body gently with a soft towel.

When choosing this or that plant material, you must take into account the likelihood of an allergic reaction, so as not to aggravate the situation.

Most skin problems in humans directly depend on nutrition, eating habits and the quality of the digestive system. Therefore, if red dermographism manifests itself, you definitely need to reconsider your diet so that it is healthy and balanced. In addition, a lack of vitamins, minerals, and other substances necessary for the body leads to a significant decrease in immunity, against the background of which dermographic urticaria most often develops.

The diet for red dermographism is based on compliance with the following rules:

• complete exclusion from the diet of all aggressive foods - salty, spicy, fried, smoked, etc.;
• minimizing or completely abstaining from alcoholic beverages;
• consumption of predominantly plant foods with a predominance of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits (except for those that are highly allergenic - strawberries, citruses, grapes, etc.);
• introduction of lactic acid products into the daily diet.

In many cases, dermatological problems can be successfully corrected if you start eating right. It is especially important that the body receives:

• vegetable fiber necessary for normalizing digestive processes and cleansing the intestines;
• lactic acid products that help maintain intestinal microflora and normalize stool.

Such nutrition should not become a diet, but a way of life. It should be followed for life immediately after signs of red dermographism appear. If the causes of the pathology are not serious diseases of the internal organs, then correct adjustment of the diet will help to quickly improve your well-being and general health.

Demographic urticaria. Causes

Due to the rarity and implicit internal signals of demographic urticaria, the causes of the pathology have not been discovered to this day. Research is underway.

However, there are supposed factors that can provoke pathology:

• Genetic predisposition. In some cases, there is a relationship between this pathology and autosomal dominant inheritance.
• Emotional stress. Especially long-term stress.
• Weakened immune system. Especially when the immune system is weakened due to infectious lesions.
• Endocrine pathologies. And the hormonal imbalances they cause.
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• Blood transfusion.
• Presence of tumors in the body. Including benign formations.
• Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, local analgesics and formulations containing iodine.
• Presence of worms. Parasites reduce the body's immune function and release harmful substances.
• Formation of pathology independently. Without concomitant and predisposing factors. This case raises the greatest number of questions among specialists and researchers.

In a healthy body without serious pathologies, external contact with physical irritants leads to an increase in the production of mast cells - special immune cells. However, their volume and activity are not enough to cause an acute negative skin reaction.

In the case of patients with demographic urticaria, the situation is the opposite. Upon contact with an irritant, the body releases large volumes of histamine and bioactive fluid.

This entails an increase in the size of the arteries and the permeability of the vascular walls. Excessive biofluid accumulates in the tissues and edema forms. Skin receptors are irritated.

Therefore, during laboratory studies, it was suggested that this type of pathology is caused not so much by the production of mast cells, but by an incorrect response of the body systems to irritants.

Factors that provoke rashes include:

• preference for tight, uncomfortable clothing (poorly processed seams damage the epidermal surface);
• heavy bags with a handle slung over the shoulder (strong pressure);
• intensive rubbing of the skin (when massaging, with a towel, when washing with a whisk);
• scratching the skin (for example, when itching from a mosquito bite, etc.).

As you can see, pathology is mainly provoked by rough mechanical influences. However, there are different subtypes of mechanical urticaria, the causes and treatment of which may differ.

In any case, it is especially difficult for children with demographic (mechanical) urticaria. They may develop rashes during outdoor games. For example, with minor impacts, scratches, and also due to rubbing of bruised areas.

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