Let's face it -- Puberty's hard on everyone involved. Parents have to deal with rebellious, hormonal teenagers. Teenagers have to deal with a billion changes to their bodies, minds, and spirits. There's a good chunk of time between ages 13 and 19 where total chaos ensues around every corner, and there's usually nothing you can do but buckle up, hold on tight, and wait for the ride to be over.

Unfortunately, while many of the remnants of those turbulent years eventually fade with time, some scars stick around long life settles down. For many people, puberty has a bad habit of inflicting long-lasting reminders on the skin that seem like they'll stick around forever once they're there: stretch marks.

Why Do Stretch Marks Appear During Puberty?

The short answer is because puberty is generally just hard on the body. During the teenage years, the body is changing at an incredibly rapid pace.

Weight Gain. Many teenagers experience sudden weight gain, as their bodies' chemicals struggle to keep up with the metabolic fluctuations, changes in appetite, and overall stress that's inflicted during this period. Stretch marks caused from weight gain often appear around the belly, hips, or lower back; although, they really could appear anywhere.

Entering Adulthood. This is the time when females' hips widen, requiring the skin to stretch seemingly overnight to keep up with the enhanced surface area. Because of this, puberty has a tendency to cause stretch marks around the hips, thighs, and lower back on females. Naturally, girls begin to develop breasts during puberty, as well. As the delicate skin around the breasts stretches to accommodate girls' womanly new forms, stretch marks can be left in the wake of the process.

Growth Spurts. This is also the age when both boys and girls are most likely to experience growth spurts. A growth spurt is often the cause for stretch marks around a person's limbs. A sudden gain of a few inches means a person's arms and legs got a little longer. As the bones grow to their adult sizes, stretch marks often appear around the shoulders and upper thighs.

How Can You Reduce the Appearance of Puberty Stretch Marks?

Generally speaking, stretch marks occur when the skin can't produce enough collagen and elastin to keep up with the sudden need for more skin. Elastin and collagen are proteins that are naturally created by the body, which are responsible for keeping the skin taut, firm, and flexible. During puberty, the excessive demand for these proteins is often more than the body can keep up with. When demand outdoes supply, stretch marks occur.

Dermaclara's Silicone Fusion™ Technology was designed to combat stretch marks. A full Silicone Fusion Treatment incorporates medical grade silicone pads and collagen-boosting skincare products. Silicone Fusion™ pads work by creating a microclimate in which the skin receives just the right amount of moisture and hydration necessary to take on the healing process. The silicone gently encourages tightening and soothing of the skin.

For best results, wash your skin with claraprep, a gentle, hydrating cream cleanser before applying clarafuse. After you remove the pad, apply claraline, our skin serum that's formulated with vitamins, peptides, and other nutrients that will encourage skin cell turnover and help fade those stretch marks.

If you're facing down the pitfalls of puberty, don't let stretch marks be the lingering reminder of these crazy years! Take care of your skin now, and you'll be on the path to a beautiful, happy body covering throughout your life. Contact our team at Dermaclara to learn more!