Stretch marks in men

In principle, both women and men can develop stretch marks. In society, stretch marks are often seen as a female problem because they are associated with pregnancy. In men, the reason for stretch marks tends to be rapid growth, overweight and bodybuilding.

Young men often experience strong growth spurts in a very short time during puberty and this affects both bones and skin. Stretch marks develop in the skin. In this case they are usually circular around the legs, as this is a growth in length.

Overweight men get stretch marks in many parts of the body. The stomach, chest, upper arms and thighs are particularly affected. The additional weight pulls on the skin, as the connective tissue is not designed for this strain.

Sportsmen and women can also suffer from connective tissue weakness. Especially when taking muscle building products, the muscle build-up happens too quickly and the connective tissue can tear. Stretch marks are therefore by no means a purely female phenomenon and are completely natural.

Associated symptoms

The stretch marks themselves are not a disease, but a symptom. This symptom can be accompanied by other symptoms. Depending on the cause, these are different accompanying symptoms.

Young people who are growing may experience joint and bone pain. Just like stretch marks, this is a sign of rapid growth, in which not all parts of the body can keep up in the same way. In pregnant women, stretch marks are caused by an increase in volume in the abdomen and breasts and a weakness of the connective tissue.

This weakness of the connective tissue has water retention in the legs as a further symptom. Both adolescents and pregnant women also suffer from hormone-induced mood swings. Stretch marks due to overweight lead to many other diseases caused by weight.

Overweight people suffer more often from circulatory diseases and joint problems. Diseases of the adrenal cortex, such as Cushing’s disease, can also lead to other acute symptoms. Apart from stretch marks, sufferers have problems with their muscles, blood pressure and they develop osteoporosis more quickly. The same accompanying symptoms occur during cortisone therapy. Depending on the cause, the accompanying symptoms therefore range from mild symptoms to life-threatening diseases.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of stretch marks is a purely clinical diagnosis. More precisely, this means that the stretch marks are visible to the naked eye and can be clearly assigned. If the cause is not clear, unlike in pregnancy, a Cushing’s syndrome must be excluded.

For this purpose it must be tested whether the cortisone level in the blood is normal. A too high cortisone level can weaken the connective tissue and thus lead to stretch marks. In most cases, no diagnosis needs to be made at all, as the affected persons themselves know the cause.