The answer may very well come from understanding that the skin matrix is in charge of 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 mentioned. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is characterized by thinning, weakness, roughness, sagging, stiffness and decrease in the size of tissues, diminished cellular proliferation, and decreased function, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a valued resource which is produced and consumed quite often during our lives. On one hand, skin matrix is regularly synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other hand, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into particles by collagenase and gelatinase 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 progressing biosynthesis. Unfortunately, this difficult balance gets disrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or 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 important, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the dermis. These skin fibers supply the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble elastin and collagen fibers depend on the interaction between 3 factors. The first is the existence of active fibroblasts, which emanate the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative amount of several skin matrix components within the dermis also secreted by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are in charge of both cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their renewal for the synthesis of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

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

What is needed is the biosynthesis and appropriate self-assembly of complex skin structures from inside out 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 afterwards transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the extracellular matrix where, through an intricate and coordinated biological process, they coalesce 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 newest 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 mode fails or falls short in most people affected by atrophic skin, apparently due to the peculiar chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an incapacity to respond to matrix synthesis boosters.

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

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

This can only be accomplished by the action of two types of ingredients that act together. One is messenger molecules 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 recognized 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 cream that includes not just hydrating enhancers or collagen biosynthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' damaged cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can provide substantial improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.

Please browse 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.