During pregnancy, there’s an overall gain in body weight and stretching of muscles that lead to the appearance of stretch marks. The medical terminology for stretch marks during pregnancy is, striae gravidarum. The stretch marks appear as long lines over the skin having different colors, depending upon the skin tone. Lighter skinned women usually get reddish or purple tinged stretch marks while lighter stretch marks are visible over dark skin. These stretch marks not only appear over the abdominal area but can also spread over hips, thighs, underarms, breasts, etc.
This is a natural phenomenon and women, usually ponder over stretch marks as they render the skin patchy and unpleasing. Though complete eradication immediately is not possible, there are some ways to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. There are ample stretch marks lotions and creams available over the counter, that help to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. Before dealing with the prevention methods, you must know the reason behind the occurrence of stretch marks during pregnancy.
Stretch Marks During Pregnancy – Why
Stretch marks occur due to tearing in the skin matrix, resulting in the separation of collagen from the skin. During pregnancy, there is an overall gain in body weight. This is observed during the second or third trimester. The more you gain weight, the more likely you are to get stretch marks. Women pregnant with two or more babies have more stretch marks. Stretch marks also result due to a greater amount of amniotic fluid. Women, who have already developed stretch marks during puberty, will have stretch marks during their pregnancy also.
If it’s the second pregnancy, women shall get stretch marks once again. The appearance of stretch marks during pregnancy is also dependent upon diet. Women who drink plenty of water and juices, normally get fewer stretch marks. A well-nourished and hydrated system gets fewer stretch marks during pregnancy. Read more on stretch marks home remedies.
How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Women usually mull over stretch marks only because of their unattractive appearance. You can control the diffusion of stretch marks to other parts of the body by maintaining a healthy lifestyle during this crucial period. Anti-stretch marks creams and lotions are also useful to a certain extent. Check out the next points to know the preventive ways. To get some more info, click here on how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
- Although weight gain is normal, follow a balanced diet regimen to avoid the gain of extra pounds.
- Include plenty of water and health drinks in your diet to keep your system completely hydrated.
- Along with diet, concentrate on some pregnancy exercises as directed by doctors.
- Food rich in vitamin C, E, and zinc helps to prevent stretch marks to some extent by promoting tissue growth.
- Gently massage the affected areas with Vitamin K, A, and Vitamin E oil. Massage lotion or creams with collagen are also effective to a certain extent.
- To avoid stretch marks during pregnancy, you can massage the affected areas regularly with cocoa butter, emu oil, wheat germ oil, and lanolin. Keep the skin moisturized all the time to prevent the occurrence of heavy stretch marks.
- Topical medication with tretinoin (Retin-A) and glycolic acid helps to fade stretch marks, but they are not considered safe during pregnancy.
Stretch Marks Creams and Lotions
There are a large number of creams for stretch marks during pregnancy, manufactured by different companies. These creams have shown positive effects in effacing away the stretch marks. Body lotions with cocoa butter, olive oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, cellulite, and multivitamins are effective remedies to fade away stretch marks during pregnancy. Know more on lotion for stretch marks.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.