Avoiding Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the most beautiful time in a woman’s life. When you bring a new life into the world, it is a very special feeling. Nothing can replicate that emotion and you happily accept all the roller coaster rides a pregnancy puts you through when you see your child.

There are a lot of hormonal changes that your body goes through when you are pregnant. Starting from the morning sickness to the nightly cravings, there are many new things that the body has to deal with in a short period of time. Sometimes your skin type changes drastically too.

In terms of physical changes, past the first trimester, you start to gain weight rapidly.As and when the baby grows your stomach expands fast and your skin stretches to accommodate the growing uterus. Sometimes this rapid growth and stretching of the skin leads to tiny tears in the skin that ultimately become stretch marks.

Stretch marks are actually linear scars, which affect a thin layer of the skin and are the consequence of a rapid stretching of the skin. This is associated with, and occurs during pregnancy, so pregnant women, watch out. It is also associated with obesity, i.e. because of weight gain over time, puberty growth spurts or any other fast weight gain that can happen with men weightlifters and body builders.

When stretch marks first appear they are purple or reddish lines. However they fade with age and eventually turn silver in color. The areas of the skin affected look empty and are soft to touch.

Stretch marks usually appear in the areas of the body where the highest amounts of fat are stored (i.e. during pregnancy and maternity, when having a new baby) and the most common areas are the stomach, upper arms, breasts, underarms, hips, buttocks and the inner and outer thighs. A quality stretch marks cream can handle all of this and more.

Stretch marks, also known as striae gravidarum, are not painful at all. They appear as slivers of a lighter silvery shade of the skin colour, sometimes slightly pink.Stretch marks do not cause any harm and just indicate the stretching of skin beyond its elasticity.

How To Avoid Stretch Marks

To avoid stretch marks there are few basic guidelines that you need to follow. To begin with, you need to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Not only is that necessary for the baby’s health but also for your health and general wellbeing. Stocking up on nutrients makes sure that you prepare your body for the changes that you will go through.

Moisturising your body is also important to maintain elasticity. There are several lotions and creams available in the market that are meant to counter stretch marks. While their effectiveness is disputed, their moisturising capabilities are useful to prepare the skin.

Vitamin E is also supposed to be helpful in maintaining the skin’s elasticity. Stock up on your vitamins and exercise regularly to maintain good circulation in the affected areas.

Don’t be disheartened if the marks appear despite trying all of the above, sometimes your skin is just susceptible to them and a family history also adds to it. Your pregnancy is a wonderful time and your concentration should be on the health of your baby.

Stretch Mark Removal

There is a good deal of over-the-counter treatments to prevent stretch marks skin problem. These include Vitamin E oil, stretch mark removal cream, coconut oil, butter lotion, olive oil remedy, aloe Vera, cocoa butter… Bio-oil stretch mark removal may be one such specially prepared home remedy formula for both stretch marks and scar removal (scars and acne). And there are a good number of stretch marks cream reviews praising the worth to prevent them throughout pregnancy.

Your diet and taking regular light exercise can go a long way in helping you to maintain a healthy skin, as can drinking plenty of water. An adequate daily supply of water keeps it soft and elastic, so it is less likely to be affected.

A nutritional deficiency can cause stretch marks too; so, to avoid stretch marks, cellulite, and to take care of your beauty, make sure you eat foods, which are known to promote a healthy skin and weight loss, such as nuts, and fish that are rich in zinc. Milk, fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin A, C, D and protein rich food, like fish and eggs.

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