Are you curious about how you can get rid of the stretch marks on your calves? Or do you want to get information on the causes and prevention of stretch marks on calves? Either way, hop into this article to get all you need to know about the causes, prevention, and treatment of stretch marks on calves.
Stretch marks can appear on any part of the body, so when they appear on your calves, it should not be a cause of alarm since it is something you can deal with. However, before we jump into this article, do you know what stretch marks are? If not, let us give you a brief discussion of what we are talking about so that you get a clear understanding of this article.
What Are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks are scars that develop when your skin stretches or shrinks rapidly. Since your skin cannot deal with this stretching or shrinking, it releases collagen and elastin fibers to tackle this kind of stretching.
The impact is what we refer to as stretch marks. Stretch marks age with time; red stretch marks are considered fresh, while white stretch marks are old. In addition, the skin can stretch depending on various conditions, which we will also discuss on this article.
In most cases, stretch marks may appear on the inner and outer thighs, but they may affect your calves in rare conditions. For example, your skin may stretch due to rapid weight gain, muscle growth, or even medical conditions.
Some stretch marks are tough enough and require treatment, while others fade over time. We will lean on some methods of treating stretch marks or how to prevent stretch marks.
However, even if you don't treat stretch marks, you should be aware that they do not pose any health risks, so you should not remove them if need be. But if you are in for aesthetics, you should try removing them.
In this article, we shall discuss what causes stretch marks on calves and how you can prevent and remove them.
Causes Of Stretch Marks On Calves
When discussing the causes of stretch marks on calves, many factors come into play. Below is a list of the common reasons you may end up with stretch marks on your calves.
1. Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, the likelihood of you getting stretch marks is very high. Apart from getting stretch marks o your stomach, you will end up with stretch marks on other parts of your body, such as the thighs and calves.
As your baby grows, your stomach will begin to expand, and you will gain weight. The weight gain will cause your skin to overstretch, thus a common cause of stretch marks. When your skin overstretches, your body will release collagen and elastin, which leads to the appearance of stretch marks.
As you continue to gain more weight, your calve will feel the effect and stretch; that is why it is common to find stretch marks in the calves of pregnant women.
2. Weight Changes
When your weight fluctuates, stretch marks are likely to occur. If you gain weight, you are exposed to the risk of getting stretch marks on any part of your body, your calves included.
There is a difference between stretch marks that occur vertically and horizontally. Horizontal stretch marks occur in areas where you have increased height, while vertical stretch marks occur in areas where you have gained weight.
3. Muscle Build Up
When you over-exercise your calves, it may lead to muscle build-up around that area. As a result, your calves may gain muscle and stretch marks. The stretch marks form due to the increase in muscle growth, meaning that the skin stretched the same way it would when you had gained weight.
4. Using Wrong Products
When you are in the quest to fade stretch marks, you might bump on the wrong body moisturizers that contain corticosteroids which hinder the ability of the skin to stretch. When the skin elasticity is tampered with, it can form stretch marks. If your skin is prone to stretch marks, avoid using corticosteroids products.
5. Genes And Medical Conditions
Genetics plays a huge role in every type of skin tone. Since everyone is different, you may find that your skin cells produce less collagen, causing stretch marks more easily than a person whose skin cells produce more collagen. Apart from collagen production, other medical conditions may cause stretch marks. They include Marfan Syndrome and Cushing Syndrome.
How To Hide Stretch Marks On Calves
Most people are in quest of knowing how to hide the stretch marks on their calves if at all you can not be remove them. Sometimes the solution we demand is instant, while some solutions may take time. Below we have discussed some ways that you can use to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks over a few weeks and some tricks that can help you hide them for a day.
1. Applying Body Makeup
Applying body makeup will be a quick solution if you want to hide stretch marks for a day. You will need a concealer and a translucent powder to achieve this. First, choose a concealer that matches your skin tone to blend perfectly.
The work of the translucent powder is to help set the concealer. While using a translucent powder, be keen not to use too much on the area with a stretch mark so that it does not create a cakey effect or make the stretch marks worse.
You can also use tinted lotions since they help cover yu stretch marks lightly while they hydrate your skin. After applying the tinted lotion, use a translucent powder to set the tinted lotion.
2. Self Tanning
You can also use a self-tanning lotion to cover your stretch marks. Self-tanning is better than makeup since the effect can last o your calves for the next 10 days, while when you use makeup, you will have to wash it out at the end of the day.
If your stretchmarks appear white or silver, it is best to use a light or medium tan cover. You can hide developing stretch marks using a self-tanner or a tanning mousse, tanning spray, taking lotion, or even book for a professional tan.
3. Wear Longer Clothing
This solution can be tricky since you would like to whee something that you prefer. However, if you need a quick fix, this is the erect solution that can provide complete cover to developed stretch marks.
How To Remove Stretch Marks On Calves
There are many ways to reduce stretch marks on your calves. These methods include both natural ingredients and physical remedies.
1. Medical Treatments
Microneedling: Microneedling is used to remove uneven skin and stretch marks. In the process, dermatologists use small needles to puncture the first layer o the skin lightly. The needle puncture helps stimulate collagen production, which helps the skin heal faster ad thus become smothered by time.
Microdermabrasion: This is a method whereby you lightly puncture the skin. This method is painless and has similarities to the process of microneedling.
Microdermabrasion exfoliates the skin using mall crystals that stimulate collagen production. The collagen and elastin fibers produced help remove stretch marks and heal scars, giving you smooth skin. It is not guaranteed that microneedling and microdermabrasion will eliminate stretch marks com[elety, but if you use the process continuously, they may fade the scars away.
Laser Treatments: If you get a series of laser treatments done on you continuously, you may be able to fade away stretchmark quickly. The laser treatments remove the outer layer of the skin, going you a smooth layer effect. The laser removes the first layer of your skin using a concentrated light that increases collagen production.
Topical Creams For Stretch Marks:
Using topical creams helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks. There are stretch mark creams that are affordable in the market. Creams that are hydrating to the skin help stimulate collagen production, thus helping reduce the appearance of stretch marks. In addition, the application of topical creams can help reduce the size of stretch marks.
