Stretch marks after pregnancy is a harsh reality you have to deal with, just like busy schedules and swollen ankles. When a baby is healthy and is rapidly growing, tissue tension is bound to cause stretch marks and when the baby develops poor growth, still a mother’s malnutrition will also cause stretch marks.

Rest easy, though, because Skin City is here to help.

A Brief Overview Of Pregnancy Stretch Marks

Stretch marks, officially called striae distensae (or striae gravidarum when they occur during pregnancy), are exactly what they sound like—the marks that appear on your skin when it gets stretched. While they can be unsightly and annoying, stretch marks are not harmful and don’t pose any health risks.

With that said, we should note that as many as 90% of women will develop stretch marks during pregnancy. It’s not entirely clear why some women are lucky enough to go through an entire pregnancy without developing any stretch marks. But there is evidence that shows women whose mother and/or older sisters developed stretch marks are more likely to have the problem themselves, suggesting that genetic factors are at play.

Treatments for Healing Stretch Marks

There are many treatment options for stretch marks after delivery. Few of them can be adopted for stretch mark prevention and few treatments are categorically avoided during pregnancy.

What to Avoid at Any Cost-

• Beware of stretch mark creams which actually may contain steroids which are known to cause stretch marks. There are ‘good creams’ which contain moisturizers, silicone, vit E, phospholipids and retinoids while ‘bad creams’ will contain steroids.
• During pregnancy silicone, steroids and retinoids containing creams should be avoided. Except for steroids, others can be started after delivery. Good moisturizers with vit E, aloe vera, phospholipids can be used regularly.
• Avoidance of smoking, keeping a happy mood, and good sleep and regular exercise will prevent stress-induced oxidative damage to microcirculation.

What You Can Do to Avoid or Ease the Stretch Marks –

• Diet rich in antioxidants or supplements will help the skin to cope up with the tissue tension and avoid stretch marks. So good and safe skin care, exercise, stress management, and a balanced diet, will help you to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
• Massaging the skin of your hips, belly, and bust is one of the best ways to treat stretch marks after pregnancy. A gentle massage increases blood flow and breaks up the scar tissue that causes stretch marks.
• We’re probably not the first to tell you how important it is to drink plenty of water. Its cliché, but it’s true! The water you drink provides your skin with the hydration necessary for it to remain healthy. We suggest drinking at least eight cups of water every day to keep your skin cells healthy and hydrated!
• Exercise can be a fun and effective method for repairing stretch marks after pregnancy. Even light exercise, such as walking and yoga, can strengthen the muscles of your hips, thighs, and belly (the areas where stretch marks most often appear). Strengthening those muscles helps to tighten loose, stretch-marked skin and promotes faster healing.
• Your skin does a great job of repairing and rejuvenating all by itself. You can help the process, though, by exfoliating stretch-marked skin once per week. Exfoliating helps remove the top layer of dead skin cells and promotes growth and healing in the deeper layers of skin where stretch marks form.

So just relax and stick with all of the “safe” treatment options we’ve described here. The tips above are not magical cures, but they are effective, and you will see results soon enough.

And if you’d like to get as close to a magical cure as possible, visit Skin City for the quickest and most effective way to repair, rejuvenate, and restore your skin. Our skin super specialists will prescribe a plan of action and you’ll be on your way to smooth skin in no time!