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The answer may very well appear from understanding that the skin matrix is responsible for the skin's mechanical properties, including firmness, strength, suppleness, and elasticity. Stretch marks are tears in a skin matrix altered by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the contrary of those just described. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is identified by weakness, thinning, sagging, stiffness, roughness and decrease in the size of tissues, diminished cellular proliferation, and loss of function, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a precious resource which is produced and consumed quite frequently during our lives. On one side, skin matrix is continuously synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other side, whenever it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix - especially the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also named matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then recycled. By digesting or chopping up key matrix proteins, such as collagen and elastin, MMP enzymes play an underappreciated yet critical role in skin physiology.

In healthy or youthful skin, the synthesis and degradation of the matrix are in order: damaged or redundant matrix is degraded while the deficit is restored by the ongoing synthesis. Unfortunately, this complicated balance gets interrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or as we age, too much of the matrix is degraded and too little is synthesized. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be bettered by either increasing supply (boosting synthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically crucial, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the epidermis. These skin fibers provide the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble elastin and collagen fibers depend on the interdependence between three factors. The first is the presence of active fibroblasts, which exude the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative amount of several skin matrix components within the dermis also exuded by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are responsible for both cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their re-use for the creation of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

So be careful of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT have any effect.

What is necessary is the biosynthesis and appropriate self-assembly of complex skin structures from within your body. The first step in elastic fiber formation is the appearance of small cell surface-associated elastin globules (soluble tropoelastin) that enlarge in size with time (microassembly). The elastin globules are eventually transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the skin matrix where, through an intricate and coordinated biological process, they integrate into larger structures (macroassembly) and become crosslinked funtional fiber-like polymers with reversible deformation and high resilience.

Collagen and Elastin Synthesis Boosters May Fail or Fall Short in People Affected by Atrophic Skin.

The most recent stretch mark treatment and prevention products are aimed at restoring skin matrix by stimulating the synthesis of collagen or elastin (e.g. ascorbic acid, copper peptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, oligopeptides and other|synthetic copper peptides, ascorbic acid, oligopeptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide, and other). Unfortunately, this mode fails or falls short in most people affected by atrophic skin, presumably due to the specific chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an incapacity to answer to matrix synthesis boosters.

Their failure to affect existing stretch marks is most likely due to something important ingredient absent in those products; an element that would help your skin to get rid of scar tissues and stretch marks. In fact, your body needs two things to accomplish this.

One, your body needs to be able to distinguish or identify scar tissue from the surrounding functional tissues in the skin matrix. Second, it must be able to process the proteins that those scar tissues are made off and divide their component amino-acids to then eventually use them to create new skin matrix components.

This can only be completed by the action of two types of ingredients that act together. One is messenger molecules that are able to bridge communication between cells and allow them to distinguish scar tissues from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast proliferation. The other crucial ingredient is enzymes that dissolve the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were identified by the messenger molecules.

Combined methods that consist of some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical product that has not just moisturizer enhancers or collagen synthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' damaged cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can yield significant improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.

Please go to our site to read more about how stretch marks can vanish with an effective stretch mark lotion that is safe for stretch mark treatment and prevention during pregnancy.