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

The skin matrix is a valued resource which is both produced and consumed quite often during our lives. On one side, skin matrix is continuously synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other side, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix - especially the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by gelattinase and collagenase enzymes, also called 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 degradation and biological synthesis of the matrix are in balance: damaged or disfunctional matrix is degraded while the deficit is replenished by the ongoing biosynthesis. Unfortunately, this complicated balance gets disrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or and as we age, too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be improved by either increasing supply (boosting biosynthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically essential, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the epidermis. These skin fibers supply the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble collagen and elastin fibers depend on the interdependence between three factors. The first is the presence of active fibroblasts, which secrete the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative quantity of several skin matrix components within the skin also exuded by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are in charge of both the cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their renewal 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 proper 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 augment in size with time (microassembly). The elastin globules are afterwards transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the skin matrix where, through an intricate and coordinated biological process, they coalesce into larger structures (macroassembly) and become crosslinked funtional fiber-like polymers with changeable deformation and high resilience.

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

The latest stretch mark treatment and prevention products are focused on replenishing skin matrix by stimulating the biosynthesis 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 approach fails or falls short in most people affected by atrophic skin, probably due to the specific chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an inability to respond to matrix synthesis boosters.

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

One, your body needs to be able to differentiate or identify scar tissue from the neighboring functional tissues in the skin matrix. Second, it must be able to degrade the proteins that those scars are made off and separate their component amino-acids to then eventually use them to generate new skin matrix components.

This can only be achieved by the action of two types of ingredients that act in concert. One is carrier molecules able to bridge communication between cells and allow them to differentiate scars from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast development. The other main ingredient is enzymes that dissolve the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were identified by the messenger molecules.

Combined methods that include some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical cream that has not just hydrating enhancers or collagen biosynthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' injured cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can produce substantial improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.

Please visit our website to read more about how stretch marks may be treated and prevented with an effective stretch mark lotion that is safe for stretch marks treatment and prevention during pregnancy.