Preventing & Treating Pregnancy Stretch Marks
Helpful Tips to Cure Elasticity Damage During and After Pregnancy
Nov 3, 2009
Stretch marks may seem to be an unavoidable side effect of pregnancy, especially on the abdomen, breasts, hips, and buttocks. Rapid body growth during pregnancy stresses the skin, which can't keep up. The elasticity breaks down, leaving dark red lines on the skin, similar to a run in a pair of panty hose (Pregnancy Period).
Other factors can also increase or decrease your chances of getting stretch marks (O'Connor):
- Heredity: Women whose mothers had stretch marks will likely get them.
- Ethnicity: Those women with lighter complexions should expect more stretch marks than those with more melanin in the skin.
- Hydration: Drinking lots of water and staying well hydrated increases the skin's elasticity and can reduce the number of stretch marks that appear.
- Scratching: As the stomach expands and the skin tightens, some women may feel intense itchiness. Scratching will encourage the cells to break down, so a lotion should be used to soothe skin instead.
- Exercise: Keeping a regular exercise routine will keep a woman's skin supple, improving tone and elasticity.
Preventing Stretch Marks
During pregnancy, there are many things that can reduce the occurrence of stretch marks. As mentioned above, good hydration and regular exercise are important. These tips go a bit further to increase skin's elasticity:
- Use cocoa butter: A natural elasticity booster, cocoa butter-based lotions are a great way to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy and help to heal them post-partum. It should be applied every day as well as after every shower or bath.
- Use hot water: A hot shower in the morning and a hot bath at night are a great way to naturally add elasticity to the skin. Hot water opens up the pores of the skin, allowing it to stretch more easily, and thus, reduces stretch marks. Moisturizing with cocoa butter afterwards will be necessary, however, so as not to dry out the skin.
- Ensure that you have a healthy diet: Sticking to healthy foods and good eating habits during pregnancy can reduce a woman's overall weight gain, the capacity to which her skin must stretch and, in turn, the appearance of stretch marks. Moreover, a balanced diet will ensure that enough Vitamin A, E, and C are included to help maintain the suppleness of skin (O'Connor).
Treating and Removing Stretch Marks
In many cases, women become aware of their stretch marks after delivery, when the skin begins to shrink back to its former size. For these women, prevention is no longer an option and they're faced with erasing old stretch marks instead. Fortunately, there are many treatments available.
To reduce the appearance of stretch marks, physicians stand by cocoa butter. Lotions and creams that contain cocoa butter, wheat germ oil, and lanolin are easily accessible and the best course of action for temporary relief. It's important to note that this method works best as early as possible, as some stretch marks will become permanent after too much time passes.
For permanent solutions, many women turn to plastic surgery or chemical treatments available only from specialized clinics (O'Connor):
- Laser therapy, a simple procedure requiring little recovery time, will repair the skin's natural production of collagen. This can be a very expensive treatment.
- Blue light therapy uses gel and light to treat stretch marks.
- Retinoid compounds (retinaldehyde, tretinoin, or isotrtinoin) are available with medical supervision and have proven to treat stretch marks permanently.
As with most things, prevention and preparation are the best course of action in the treatment of pregnancy stretch marks. Paying attention to the growing body and acting quickly to reverse damage to the skin will yield the most positive results.
References:
Anonymous.(n.d.) "Causes andTreatments of Pregnancy Stretch Marks." Pregnancy Period. Retrieved November 2, 2009 from http://www.pregnancy-period.com
O'Connor, M. (2006, March). "Stretch Marks - Prevention, Treatment, and Removal." Medical News Today. Retrieved November 2, 2009 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
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