Prevent Stretch Marks From Pregnancy
Avoid Getting Striae on Belly, Back, and Breasts If Pregnant
Sep 27, 2009
With just a few minutes each day during pregnancy, women can avoid getting stretch marks on the parts of their body that are most changed by pregnancy and childbirth.
Pregnancy Skin Care
Good skin care during pregnancy means more than just preventing stretch marks - it means embracing a healthy routine to care for skin during and after pregnancy.
Because hormone levels change during pregnancy, many women may find they need a different skin care regimen for their face and the rest of their body. Their skin may be unusually dry, itchy, or even splotchy.
These changes mean that sun screen is especially important; pregnant women should also drink at least 64 ounces of water each day while pregnant, which can help keep skin healthy.
In addition, if skin changes very unusually (red and flaky spots, dark splotches, serious acne, changes in mole sizes or shapes, etc), it does not hurt to inform the doctor. Most skin conditions that arise during pregnancy are easily treated and will vanish after the baby is born and hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels.
How to Prevent Stretch Marks
According to the American Pregnancy Association, as many as 90% of pregnant women experience stretch marks.
These marks appear as pink or reddish lines on the skin, particularly where the body changes the most - the belly and the breasts. They can be caused by pregnancy, rapid weight gain, or substantial weight loss.
Many women find that even if stretch marks do appear during pregnancy, they fade or virtually disappear after pregnancy.
These are the most common tips for preventing stretch marks from appearing or from remaining after pregnancy:
- Exercise regularly
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat a healthy pregnancy diet containing zinc, Vitamins A and C, and protein
- Use lotion or topical skin-safe oils on problem spots at least once per day
- Apply lotion or stretch mark cream that contains Vitamin E or alpha hydroxy acids
Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks
One of the most common suggestions for avoiding or eliminating stretch marks is to apply cocoa butter creams on the abdomen, breasts, and back during and after pregnancy.
Although there are no guarantees that this popular treatment will work, its moisturizing and skin repair abilities can only improve the likelihood of preventing or fading stretch marks.
Information on Stretch Marks and Remedies
There is no way to know whether any or all of these tricks will work perfectly, but they should give pregnant women as good a chance as any at avoiding permanent stretch marks.
For more information, the American Pregnancy Association has a great page on skin changes during pregnancy, including tips on managing or preventing varicose veins, spider veins, splotchy skin, and pregnancy-caused acne.
There are also many websites that have information on home remedies for stretch marks, in case the damage has already been done. Recipes for homemade stretch mark creams also abound, many rich in the ingredients mentioned above that can be found in common household products.
Just as a healthy diet and skin care regimen is important during pregnancy, good habits in terms of diet and skin care should be maintained after pregnancy. Nutrition needs for breastfeeding women are also unique, and may impact post-natal weight loss.
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