Pregnancy Stretch Marks – How To Get Rid Of Them?

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience in a woman's life. Its a time of joy and celebration of womanhood and you get lots of compliments and gifts. However, along with all this you also get those unsightly stretch marks.

Along with your protruding belly, you can also develop red and brown color streaks on your abdomen and even thighs and hips. A popular misconception among women is that stretch marks only appear when you scratch the skin surface. However, this is not true. Scratching the skin surface definitely accelerates the intensity of the marks but that doesn't mean you can escape them by not scratching. Following are some important facts about stretch marks that will help you better understand the situation.

What are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are narrow depressed lines formed on the skin surface as a result of tearing in the underlying elastic supportive tissues. These elastic supportive tissues, lying just beneath the top skin layer, help the skin to stretch and strain. However, when the skin is stretched beyond a specific limit, the tissues get torn and marks are formed. Depending on your skin color, these marks can be either red or brown in color. In spite of the elasticity of the skin, the weight gain during pregnancy is so much that stretch marks eventually can get formed as well. Apart from pregnancy, stretch marks also depend on genetics.

Prevention & Cure of Stretch Marks

The bad news is that stretch marks cannot be completely eliminated. Once they are formed, you can never go back to the completely flawless skin. However, the good news is there are many ways you can prevent their formation and also reduce their appearance once they are visible on the skin. Here are some tips:

Moisturize Well

Use a rich moisturizer in order to enhance the skin elasticity. When the elasticity of the skin increases, there is less of a chance of tears and marks. Apply a good amount of moisturizer and massage it all over the body especially on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. This is because these are the region’s most prone to the development of stretch marks.

Avoid Scratching

The skin becomes excessively dry and sensitive during pregnancy. Moreover, there is an irresistible feeling of itchiness. However, control yourself and avoid itching if you want to prevent the formation of stretch marks. The more you scratch, more will be the tears formed and more will be the appearance of stretch marks.

Apply Gels and Creams

Vitamin E gels, shea butter and cocoa butter are especially useful against reducing the appearance of stretch marks. They are excellent emollients that not only help trap in the moisture but also help to heal wounds and skin discoloration. All these properties help it in acting as a stretch mark removal treatment. Other effective ingredients include plant extracts, and fruit acids like glycolic acid and lactic acid. Apply these products liberally over the affected area and massage well.

Avoid Certain Ingredients

Avoid using skin care products that contain Retinoic Acid or Tretinoin and other vitamin A derivatives and hydroquinone because these have been shown to cause numerous birth defects. Always consult with your doctor before trying on new skin care products during pregnancy.

Though stretch marks cannot be completely eliminated, their appearance can be drastically reduced using the right kind of treatments. The broken skin fibers cannot be repaired but by diligent skin treatments, your skin can again become clear and supple.