The explanation may very well appear from understanding that the skin matrix is responsible for the skin's mechanical properties, like firmness, strength, suppleness, and elasticity. Stretch marks are tears in a skin matrix affected by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the opposite of those just mentioned. Yes, skin affected by stretch marks is identified by thinning, weakness, roughness, sagging, stiffness and decrease in the size of tissues, impaired cellular proliferation, and decreased functions, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a precious resource which is both produced and consumed quite frequently during our lives. On one side, skin matrix is continuously synthesized by fibroblasts. On the other side, if it is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix - especially the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also named matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then recycled. By digesting key matrix proteins, such as collagen and elastin, MMP enzymes play an underappreciated yet critical function in skin physiology.

In healthy and youthful skin, the synthesis and degradation of the matrix are in balance: damaged or disfunctional matrix is degraded while the deficit is replenished by the ongoing synthesis. Unfortunately, this intricate balance gets disrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or and 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 synthesis 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 provide the resiliency of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble collagen and elastin fibers depends on the interdependence between 3 factors. The first is the existence of active fibroblasts, which exude the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative quantity of several skin matrix components within the skin also exuded by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are responsible for both the cell degradation processes that allows the breakdown of dead cells into their component amino-acids and their re-use for the synthesis of new proteins (amino-acid chains).

So be careful of creams that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT do the trick.

What is necessary 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 orchestrated 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 most recent stretch mark treatments and prevention products are focused on restoring skin matrix by stimulating the synthesis 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 approach fails or falls short in most people bearing atrophic skin, presumably due to the peculiar chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an inability to respond to matrix synthesis boosters.

Their failure to affect existing stretch marks is most possibly due to something important ingredient absent in those products; an element that can help your body to get rid of scar tissues . In fact, your body needs two things to accomplish this.

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

This can only be achieved by the action of two types of ingredients that act in concert. One is carrier molecules able to link communication between cells and allow them to differentiate scars from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast proliferation. The other crucial ingredient is enzymes that decompose the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were identified by the messenger molecules.

Combined methods that introduce some form of abrading to physically break down some of the more superficial scarring, and a topical cream that includes not just moisturizer enhancers or collagen synthesis boosters, but also cell communicating ingredients, enzymes that 'dissolve' damaged cells and scar proteins and skin regenerating activators can produce significant improvements.

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.