Stretch marks. Striae Gravidarum. The marks of pregnancy. Call
them what you will. But they are the one thing that all women
dread will occur as soon as they get pregnant.
But what are stretch marks anyway? And why do they occur?
Well, the reason lies in the anatomy of the skin. The skin has
two layers - a thin upper layer called the epidermis, and a
thicker, lower layer called the dermis. Scattered in the dermis
are fine protein filaments called elastin that, like a piece of
rubber band, are capable of stretching on being pulled. But just
as a rubber band can stretch only so far Click here to read the rest of this article ...