Brief Answer: Kindly send pictures Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum. I can understand your concern for stretch marks. To tell you simply about stretch marks- These are medically known as "stria" or "Linea albicans". Our skin is multilayered structure and it is basically the deep skin ( dermis ) which is actually responsible for the resilience and tensile strength of the skin. It is also due to the main component known as "collagen". This collagen acts as in the same manner as there is air in the balloon. So whenever there is damage to the collagen then the skin gets atrophied and it leads to the problem of stria or stretch marks. It can be due to so many reasons but in your case I can make two important reasons of puberty and hormone replacement therapy in yourself. I can get from your query that you are 21 years of age and 152 cm in height but you have not told us your weight so that an exact correlation can be made and you can be guided accordingly. It would be best to send few good resolution pictures of the stretch marks area so that it can be analyzed best. You have a feature to upload images by yourself at the right side of the query page, please utilize that so that I can answer your queries better. Or else, you can send as an attachment to YYYY@YYYY with the subject as "Attn: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia). Wish you good health. Regards. Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia MD (Dermatology)

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Brief Answer: steroid side effects; meet Physician Detailed Answer: Hi young lady, Thanks for sending the important details so that I can guide you best accordingly. To further add to your condition - the striae are as a result of steroid side effects. To tell you simply: Due to long term use of steroids there is microscopic degenerative changes in the dermal layer of skin. Steroids causes inhibition of the mitotic activity ( the growing activity of cells) of fibroblasts resulting in reduction of collagen. Steroids causes inhibition of activity of collagen forming cells. It results in thin and fragmented Elastin fibers and collagen fibers in all over dermis. So ultimately it result in atrophic changes such as striae and then easy bruising and related changes. You probably got that steroids are the major cause of striae in yourself. Your weight is appropriate as per your age. I suggest you to meet a Physician or report to your treating doctor to tell all these side effects so that the dose can be minimized or terminated if possible. Additionally you require calcium supplementation and vitamin C supplementation in best possible dose. The vitamin C supplementation will take care of collagen synthesis and calcium supplementation will take care of bones additionally ( due to side effects of steroids on bones too). For the part of stria let me see the condition by pictures so that I can guide you for the same accordingly. Wish you good health. Regards. Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia MD (Dermatology)

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Brief Answer: pictures not received Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thanks for your follow up. I am happy to know that the informations provided were helpful to you. I am still waiting for the pictures to be uploaded. You can upload images by yourself at the right side of the query page, please utilize that so that I can answer your queries better. Or else, you can send as an attachment to YYYY@YYYY with the subject as "Attn: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia for Query Id : 94351). Wish you good health. Regards. Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia MD (Dermatology)

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Brief Answer: cream containing Extractum Cepae Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thanks for uploading all the important pictures. I have analyzed the pictures with diligence and discussed your case with XXXXXXX fellows as well as Plastic surgeon colleagues. After all the discussion on your case teh important points to guide you are: - Regarding your strech marks- these are though kind of permanant strech marks but are not very deep in nature. - The most important part in your strech marks is furhter prevention of the formation which can occcur by improvising the steroid therapy in yourself. - There should not be a sudden reduction or increase in weight. It is very important to note one of the factor in development of strech marks is because of fall or rise in weight suddenly. - As suggested before vitamin C supplemenation is quite helpful in improving the strength of skin and collagen development. - Skin moisturization is also very important in reducing the streching of skin. So moisturize the complete skin immeadiately after bath when skin is wet. - You can apply a cream containing Extractum Cepae, 50 IU Heparin and 10 mg Allantoin. I hope these inforamations will be helpful. Regards

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Brief Answer: Best wishes of early recovery Detailed Answer: Hi, My best wishes for you to get early recovery from the problem. If you have any further queries then I will be happy to help or if you do not then can close the discussion and rate the answer. In future if you have any sort guidance for skin then can reach me directly at: bit.ly/drsanjaykanodia With best wishes of early recovery, Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia MD

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