A PROBLEM SHARED
Got a problem? Dr Ranj Singh is here to offer his advice
I have really bad stretchmarks. Every summer, I panic because I want to wear certain things, but I’m scared people will see them and it’s starting to get me down. How do I get rid of them?
Evan, Cardiff
Stretchmarks affect many of us – including myself – and I hate to say this, but they are tricky, if not impossible, to get rid of.
They’re caused by a combination of rapid changes in your skin and hormones. If your size changes quickly, your skin doesn’t have time to adapt and the deeper layers containing collagen and elastin ‘tear’. That’s why we often see stretchmarks in bodybuilders, people who have just had a growth spurt, or who have gained or lost a lot of weight. The marks initially appear as reddish lines and, as they heal, they form a scar which is lighter in colour; they may also be slightly indented.