Away With Nasty Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are war scars that means that you have survived the battle of pregnancy and delivery. It ought to be a symbol of victory and strength. But not everyone finds this victory scar pleasant to look at. Not all women have them though. There are a few lucky ones that do not develop any marks after pregnancy. It could be because of genes or the right preparation before or during pregnancy.

Stretch marks develop because the skin is stretched. When the growth of a certain area of the skin grows faster than the skin could keep up with, stretch marks develop. It could be anywhere in the body more commonly in the thighs, abdomen, buttocks, legs, and even in the arms. With stretch marks, prevention works best.

How could stretch marks be prevented?

·         Keep watch of your weight gain during pregnancy. 25-35 pounds of weight gain during pregnancy is ideal. Going below 25 pounds or above 35 is not healthy. If you keep watch of your weight and the food that you eat, you also prevent complications that may arise during pregnancy. Some complications due to weight gain or unhealthy food consumption includes gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia (caused by an increase in blood pressure during pregnancy).

·         Proper hydration. Water is good for the skin or you can also make use of fruit juices. Healthy skin means improved elasticity. Hydrating yourself also prevents you from eating more than you should. Studies show that thirst could also be interpreted by the brain as hunger.  Proper fluid intake prevents you from taking unnecessary snacks.

·         Moisturize your skin. This is found to be the leading method of prevention that reduces the appearance of stretch marks in most pregnant women. It improves the elasticity of the skin that enables it to tolerate much stretching so that the elastic fibers of the skin are not likely to be damaged. Apply a moisturizing oil or lotion after taking a bath to keep the moisture trapped in the skin.

Make sure that your moisturizer does not contain ingredients that are not good for pregnant women. It would be best to use a lotion that has all natural ingredients or organic content. You should look for the following ingredients: Vitamin E, Elastin, and Collagen. Another alternative to lotion is moisturizing oil. Also, to make sure that the lotion or oil is properly absorbed in the skin, take some time in slowly massaging it into vulnerable areas like your thigh and abdomen.

What to do with itchy stretch marks after pregnancy?

Apart from the streaks of white or violet lines, stretch marks could also appear red and raised. Scratching it could make the condition worse that it could also leave black marks. Applying Betamethasone helps with the itching. Follow it up with a good moisturizing lotion after five to ten minutes of betamethasone application.

Dark stretch marks will eventually lighten over time and some could not even be noticed. Applying a whitening and hydrating lotion on the area could help even out the color of the stretch marks and the surrounding area of the skin. To fight stretch marks, make skin moisturizing a habit.