Stretch marks are not for women only. They affect many teenagers and body builders. What are stretch marks? The fine lines that change in color over a time and appear on different parts of body generally after pregnancy or after sudden weight increase are Stretch marks. Skin care and stretch marks formation- Stretch marks don't form only because the skin stretches during certain periods. Let us look at this carefully. Most of the women believe that they get stretch marks because of their body expanding during pregnancy. This is true, but please note that the marks that you see in your skin get formed when the skin does not stretch and therefore tears. This not stretching of skin is believed to be because of certain hormones. These hormones don't allow the dermis to make more collagen and elastin. If the skin had made enough collagen and elastin to support the stretching, no marks would have appeared. This hormone called glucocorticoids is responsible for formation of stretch marks. Skin Care and stretch mark avoidance- Stretch marks form during pregnancy in women, in teenagers when they gain weight very fast, in body builders and in some conditions such as Cushing's syndrome. Use of steroid creams over along period may also form stretch marks. Skin care and stretch marks treatment- There is no proven treatment available for stretch marks. Rather than trying any product that claims to treat stretch marks, please consult your doctor. Chemical peeling and laser is being tried to remove them. Vitamin C creams and retionoids are said to help. Your doctor is the best judge. Please consult him/her and find the remedy if possible. Even otherwise don't get disheartened. They fade away over time. This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.