The answer may very well come 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 altered by atrophy, a condition characterized by exactly the opposite of those just mentioned. Yes, skin injured by stretch marks is identified by weakness, thinning, roughness, sagging, stiffness and decrease in the size of tissues, diminished cellular proliferation, and decreased function, also called atrophia.

The skin matrix is a valued resource which is both produced and consumed quite often 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 -particularly the structural proteins collagen and elastin- is broken down into fragments by collagenase and gelatinase enzymes, also called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and then recycled. By digesting or chopping up key matrix proteins, such as collagen and elastin, MMP enzymes play an underappreciated yet critical function in skin physiology.

In healthy or 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 continuous biosynthesis. Unfortunately, this intricate balance gets disrupted because of hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, or as we age, too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. As with any supply-demand imbalance, it can be bettered by either augmenting supply (boosting biosynthesis of the matrix) or reducing demand (inhibiting the breakdown).

In particular, the synthesis of elastin is physiologically crucial, although elastin is only 2% of the total protein in the dermis. These skin fibers provide the flexibility of skin. Elastin synthesis and the regulation of the quantity of cross-linked insoluble collagen and elastin fibers depend on the interdependence between 3 factors. The first is the existence of active fibroblasts, which emanate the soluble precursor of elastin, tropoelastin. The second is the relative amount of several skin matrix components within the dermis also secreted by fibroblasts. The third are enzymes that are responsible for both the cell degradation progressions 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 beware of products that contain soluble collagen and/or elastin, they will NOT do the trick.

What is needed is the biosynthesis and proper 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 increase in size with time (microassembly). The elastin globules are afterwards transferred to pre-existing elastic fibers in the skin 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 latest stretch mark treatment and prevention products are aimed at restoring skin matrix by stimulating the biosynthesis 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 affected by atrophic skin, presumably due to the particular chemistry of skin affected by such condition and an inability to respond to matrix synthesis boosters.

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

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

This can only be completed by the action of two types of ingredients that act together. One is messenger molecules able to connect communication between cells and allow them to distinguish scar tissues from functional and/ or healthy tissues and trigger fibroblast development. The other main ingredient is enzymes that dissolve the non functional, worn out, or damaged tissues that were identified by the messenger molecules.

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

Such product can also effectively prevent stretch marks.