The Conversation: Most women get them. Some men get them. Few people welcome them. Stretch marks, or
stria distensae as they are known medically, are scars that appear when the skin is stretched beyond its elastic limit. Physicists define the elastic limit as the maximum force that can be
applied to solid material before the onset of permanent deformation. In
dermatology, when stresses up to the elastic limit are removed, the skin
resumes its original size and shape. When forces beyond the elastic
limit are removed, the skin remains permanently stretch-marked. The younger you are, the firmer your skin. The firmer your skin, the
lower your elastic limit and the more likely you are to develop stretch
marks. Stretch marks occur most frequently during adolescent or
pregnancy growth.
