- Mas-Chamberlin, Ph. Mondon, O. Peschard, F. Lamy and K. Lintner – Sederma SAS, France
Skin is notably elastic, but there are limits to its capacity to stretch. One such limit is evident in the visible skin blemishes generally called “stretch marks” (striae distensae or striae gravidorum).
Stretch marks develop abruptly and progress slowly from a pink to violet colour, then to an ivory white or sometimes nacreous hue. They never disappear although with time they may fade.
There is also an inflammatory component to the initial stages of stretch mark formation. Sheu et al, 1991, showed that stretch mark biopsy specimens were the sites of inflammation displaying granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF) and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP1).
Visible elastolysis triggered by mast cell degranulation with release of trypsin and chymotrypsin leads to progressive destruction of the extracellular matrix in the stretch mark as is confirmed by biopsy specimens of stretch marks developing four months pre-biopsy. Sometimes a total absence of elastin is observed (Sheu, 1991).
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