Book excerpt: How to naturally get rid of stretch mark, methodology and other means of getting rid of stretch mark from your body. Stretch marks are scars that affect both men as well as women and this is so mainly due to the fact that it is caused by the overstretching of the skin at a fast rate over a relatively short period of time. This can happen during pregnancy, puberty, as well as in people who are into body building and to people who are genetically pre-disposed to getting stretch marks. Many pregnant women have had to deal with stretch marks as their womb grows and stretches in order to accommodate their growing babies. However, there are actually stretch mark treatments, lotions and creams on the market that can help these expectant mothers to either prevent stretch marks or remove them from their skin permanently No one likes getting stretch marks. They are unsightly and they never really go away. Ironically though, everyone can get them. People of all ages, races and genders can get stretch marks although they are more common among women and particularly common among pregnant women, with 9 out of 10 women getting them. So what are they, what causes them and how can we avoid them? Any discussion about stretch marks will have to begin with an explanation of exactly what they are. There are varying explanations of how and why stretch marks are formed. 1.Stretch marks or Straie, are caused when the middle layer of the skin or the dermis is torn allowing the inner layers to show through. This happens when the skin's elasticity breaks down. The stretching causes the connective tissue to break down leading to inflammation. There is microscopic bleeding that shows up as red or purple and later scarring. It is the scars that cause the marks. When the under layer stretches the epidermis also stretches and allows the layer underneath to be visible. They take the form of long, narrow streaks or lines that develop on the surface of the skin. Stretch marks usually occur when the skin goes through rapid stretching such as in the case of pregnancy or when there is rapid growth or what is called a growth spurt such as what is experienced by some children and teenagers