How to avoid stretch marks pregnant

How to Prevent Stretch Marks: 7 Tips

Overview

Stretch marks, also called striae distensae or striae gravidarum, look like indented streaks in your skin. They may be red, purple, or silver in appearance. Stretch marks most often appear on the:

stomach
chest
hips
bottom
thighs

They’re common in pregnancy, but anyone can develop stretch marks in any phase of life. Some people are more susceptible to them. If your mom, dad, grandparents, or other blood relative has stretch marks, you’re more likely to get them. Even if you’re at increased risk of stretch marks, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk and treat the stretch marks you already have.

1. Control your weight

One of the most helpful things you can do to prevent stretch marks, whether you’re pregnant or not, is to maintain a healthy weight. Stretch marks can happen when your skin pulls apart quickly due to rapid weight gain. You may also notice stretch marks after rapid weight loss. Some people develop stretch marks during growth spurts, such as during puberty. Other people, like bodybuilders, notice them after big gains from working out or using steroids. Working to control body changes from happening too quickly may be your best bet. Eat a healthy diet and exercise to help you manage your weight. If you do notice rapid weight gain or weight loss, it may be a good idea to visit your doctor to find out why.

2. Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water may help keep your skin hydrated and soft. Soft skin doesn’t tend to develop stretch marks as much as dry skin does. The Institute of Medicine’s current recommendations for daily water intake are 104 ounces for men and 72 ounces for women. Drinking caffeinated beverages, like coffee, may actually increase your risk of developing stretch marks. If you drink coffee, make sure you’re balancing out your fluid intake with plenty of water, herbal tea, and other caffeine-free fluids.

3. Eat a nutrient-rich diet

Stretch marks may also occur if you lack nutrition in certain areas. Eating foods that boost skin health may help. Make sure your diet includes foods rich in:

vitamin C
vitamin D
vitamin E
zinc
protein

One way to make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients is to choose unprocessed foods in various colors. For example, a breakfast of eggs, whole wheat toast, and mixed berries adds many colors to your plate while packing in a variety of nutrients.

4. Include vitamin C in your diet

Collagen plays a role in keeping your skin strong and elastic. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but it may also be important for preventing stretch marks. Vitamin C is an important nutrient for the development of collagen. Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, are especially good sources of vitamin C.

5. Soak up some vitamin D

One study found a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and the incidence of stretch marks. More research is needed, but results suggest that maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of stretch marks. The easiest way to get vitamin D is through exposure to the sun. The vitamin is also commonly added to bread, cereal, and dairy products like milk or yogurt.

6. Eat foods rich in zinc

Zinc is an important nutrient for skin health. It helps reduce inflammation and plays a role in the wound healing process. There is very little evidence to date of a connection between zinc and stretch marks, but including zinc-rich foods in your diet, such as nuts and fish, may help keep your skin healthy.

7. Treat fresh stretch marks when they appear

If you can’t totally prevent stretch marks on your skin, you can work to minimize their appearance so they aren’t as noticeable in the long run. Make an appointment with your doctor or a dermatologist to discuss your options if you have fresh stretch marks. Your doctor can help determine what is causing your marks, and they may be able to suggest treatment options that work best on new stretch marks.

Risk factors

Some people are more likely to develop stretch marks. Risk factors include:

being female
having a family history of stretch marks
being overweight
being pregnant
gaining or losing weight quickly
using corticosteroids
having breast augmentation
having certain genetic disorders, such as Cushing’s syndrome or Marfan syndrome

Stretch marks in pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most common times when women notice stretch marks. In fact, it’s estimated that 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women will develop stretch marks before delivery. So, are pregnancy stretch marks different from the ones that other people get? Maybe. Some experts believe that hormones during pregnancy may make you more prone to stretch marks. The hormones may bring more water into the skin, relaxing it and making it easier to tear when stretched. This idea is up for some debate. Regardless, a good number of pregnant women will notice stretch marks starting in the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. In recent study published by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 78 percent of respondents used a product to prevent stretch marks. Of these women, a third of them said they tried two or more products, with Bio-Oil being the most frequently used. Still, 58.5 percent of the women who used this oil developed stretch marks. That said, the best way for pregnant women to prevent stretch marks is to gain pregnancy weight slowly and steadily. You can work with your healthcare provider to find a diet and exercise plan that will help you avoid gaining too much while also giving you the nutrition you need to nourish yourself and your baby. If you do develop stretch marks during pregnancy, you may be glad to know that they will eventually fade. Over time, the red or pink color will mature into a pale silver or white color.

Treatment

Preventing stretch marks may be difficult, but there are many treatments that may lessen their appearance.

Retinoid cream

Retinoid cream is a topical medication that comes from vitamin A. The appearance of your skin may improve after applying retinoids, especially if your stretch marks are relatively fresh. The cream helps rebuild the collagen in your skin and makes the marks look more like the rest of your skin. Speak with your doctor about this treatment if you are pregnant or nursing, as most physicians agree that topical retinoids should not be used during pregnancy or while nursing because their risk-benefit ratio remains questionable.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy is another option for reducing stretch marks. The lasers can help stimulate collagen or elastin in your skin to grow. There are various types of laser therapy, and your doctor can help you choose the kind that is right for you.

Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid creams and chemical peels are other treatments for stretch marks. Many of these treatments are expensive and may not be covered by your insurance. They work to help lessen the appearance of current stretch marks, but they do not keep new ones from forming.

Outlook

Stretch marks often fade to become less noticeable with time. Preventing them can be difficult, and no miracle products have been scientifically proven to work. Many creams, oils, and other personal care items claim to help prevent stretch marks, but many of these claims lack scientific backing. They may not help, but in most cases they aren’t likely to hurt, either. Keeping your weight in check, staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet, and seeking treatment soon after the marks appear may help. Call your doctor if you notice an increase in stretch marks or if they cover a large area of your body. Your doctor may be able to help you figure out what is causing them and suggest treatment options.

5 Tips for Avoiding Stretch Marks While Pregnant

You have probably wondered whether or not you will end up with stretch marks after your little one arrives. Stretch marks are fairly common after pregnancy, but there are some preventative measures you can take to avoid them. If you do end up with stretch marks, then try not let it affect your self-confidence. Those stripes should be worn as a badge of honor for the incredible achievement your body has accomplished.

Stretch marks are indented, often-vertical lines in your skin that can appear in a range of colors from purple to pink to light grey. You may only think about stretch marks on the area that would be stretched during pregnancy: your midsection. However, they can also appear on your legs, hips, chest, bottom, or thighs .

Some risk factors include being overweight and having a family history of stretch marks. While 50 – 90% of pregnant women develop some time of stretch mark during pregnancy, many of these will fade over time and become less noticeable. Even if you are more susceptible to get them, you can follow these 5 steps to avoid stretch marks while pregnant.

1. Get your vitamins

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is paramount for the growth of your baby. Furthermore, stretch marks may occur simply because you were missing certain essential nutrients. Vitamin C, E, D, and Zinc are some of the crucial elements of a balanced pregnancy diet that can help prevent stretch marks. Taking a prenatal vitamin can also help make certain these daily goals are met, and your OB-GYN can provide some guidance to help you find the best prenatal vitamin with the recommended amounts of nutrients.

Ensuring you consume an appropriate amount of protein is another key toward preventing stretch marks. In order to reach your daily goal of eating the appropriate amounts of nutritious foods, you should strive to eat a variety from each food group . Grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and protein sources make up these groups. An example of a balanced meal could be a chicken thigh, sweet potato or slice of whole grain bread, and broccoli with cheese.

2. Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water is beneficial during pregnancy for many reasons. Water helps carry nutrients to you and your growing fetus. It can also aid in urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention, which is common during pregnancy. Additionally, a proper hydration level can help with fatigue, prevent swelling, and even relieve morning sickness. In fact, if you become dehydrated during pregnancy, then you may experience headaches, nausea, and cramping. However, if you are well hydrated, that means your skin is well hydrated and even softer as well. Simply put, softer skin is less likely to develop stretch marks than dry, rough skin.

Check with your doctor on how much water is appropriate for you to drink in a day, as your activity level and the weather can affect this daily water intake goal. One of the best pregnancy tips is to keep a water bottle with you at all times, so it is convenient for you to sip it throughout the day.

3. Gain weight at a doctor-approved pace

Arguably the best way to avoid stretch marks is not to gain weight rapidly, since stretch marks occur when the skin is pulled apart quickly. Many opinions exist about how much weight gain is appropriate during pregnancy. Although you should not actually eat for two, you do get to increase your calories. Finding the balance of how much more to eat while not overdoing it is certainly possible.

Speak with your doctor about what is best for you, as the total weight gain can differ for every individual. This number will fall between 25-35 pounds for most patients . However, your ideal weight gain number can fluctuate based on whether or not you are overweight or underweight going into pregnancy.

4. Soak up some sunshine

Vitamin D can also help you avoid stretch marks during pregnancy. It is extremely important to be cautious when you expose yourself to direct sunlight, especially while pregnant. Your skin tends to be more sensitive during pregnancy. You also should be careful not to get too overheated or dehydrated.

With this in mind, a few minutes in the sun here and there throughout your pregnancy can give you just the boost of vitamin D you need to help you avoid stretch marks.

5. Promptly treat new stretch marks

If stretch marks appear, then you can still act quickly to treat them. There are many creams and lotions available on the marketplace to help minimize their appearance.

The ingredients in popular stretch mark treatment lotions range from vitamin E to hyaluronic acid, as well as, shea butter and cocoa butter. Your doctor can also help better determine what may be causing the stretch marks, and give you some guidance on treatment options.

Most Common Stretch mark Creams:

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy
Belly Butter by Earth Mama
Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
TriLASTIN Maternity Stretch Mark Prevention Cream

You can also check out our list of top products for stretch mark prevention. Start treating your skin early on for the best results for how to avoid stretch marks.

For more information

At The Woman’s Clinic, we are happy to provide prenatal and postnatal care for all expectant patients. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about our pregnancy care in Little Rock, contact The Woman’s Clinic at (501) 664-4131 today.

The Woman’s Clinic participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide sites with a means to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com based on our patient’s needs and desires.

How to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy: prevention of stretch marks

Whether they appear or not depends on many factors, and primarily on genetic predisposition. Has your mother or grandmother experienced stretch marks after pregnancy and childbirth? Then you need to double your efforts to prevent the appearance of these defects on the skin. It is important to remember that they can occur not only on the abdomen, but also on the hips, chest, buttocks and even the shoulders. A few helpful tips can help reduce the risk of stretch marks during pregnancy.

1. Eat right. In the daily diet it is recommended to include products that contain substances that improve skin elasticity. Brown rice, buckwheat, fish and seafood dishes will be useful. Include in the menu vegetables and fruits rich in fiber, as well as foods containing vegetable oils and proteins. They are necessary for the production of elastin and collagen, which the skin needs.

2. Stay hydrated. In order for the skin to retain its elasticity, it is important to saturate it with moisture from the inside. If there are no contraindications, it is recommended to drink about 2 liters of fluid per day.

3. Be active. A good prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy is frequent walks in the fresh air and moderate physical activity, selected taking into account the state of health of the woman. Swimming, rhythmic walking, yoga can be useful.

4. Moisturize your skin. One of the causes of stretch marks is dry skin. When it lacks elasticity, the cells do not stretch, but simply tear. That is why it is important to use moisturizing cosmetics from the first days. They carefully prepare the skin for upcoming changes. Cream, serum, oil complex - the choice is yours. Usually these products differ only in the concentration of nutrients and texture. Both oils, and creams, and serums are applied to clean skin twice a day : morning and evening.

Mustela Maternity helps prevent stretch marks, provides long-lasting hydration and improves skin elasticity.

Safe for mother and baby

Breastfeeding compatible with good skin hygiene
Tested under dermatological control
Rigorous selection of every new ingredient for babies and pregnant women

The skin becomes soft and velvety, elasticity increases, the feeling of tightness decreases.

5. Gently cleanse the skin. For the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy, it is useful to exfoliate dead cells of the surface layer of the skin. To do this, exfoliate once a week using soft scrubs. Choose products with the smallest abrasive particles that clean the skin as gently as possible.

6. Wear a brace. It not only can reduce the risk of stretch marks in late pregnancy, but also promotes the correct distribution of abdominal mass, reducing the load on the spine. In addition, it is important to wear a special maternity bra, which provides good breast support due to the wide straps.

7. Take a contrast shower. This procedure has a warming effect on the skin, improves blood circulation.

8. Control weight gain. Do not forget that during pregnancy you need to eat for two, but not for two. That is, you should not eat twice as much, but twice as useful. A sharp jump in weight often provokes the appearance of stretch marks, so you need to try to make the gains smooth. It is optimal to gain up to 10-14 kg during pregnancy.

We wish you a beautiful pregnancy and easy childbirth!

How to avoid stretch marks during and after pregnancy – 4fresh blog

Everything around seems so harmonious and natural, and the expectant mother herself blooms like a beautiful flower, revealing her best feminine qualities - kindness, tenderness, joyfulness and caring.

Many questions come to mind, for example, how to properly care for yourself during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Is it possible to use the usual deodorants and cosmetics? How to prevent the appearance of cellulite? How to get rid of stretch marks on the stomach?

Today we would like to talk with you about stretch marks - why they appear and what to do about it.

What are stretch marks?

Ideally, our skin should be firm and elastic, regardless of external factors. But for some reasons, which we will discuss below, stretch marks or striae may form on it.

This means that the inner layer of the epidermis is torn, and scar tissue forms at the site of the stretch over time. Our in-house tailors darn the best they can!

At first, the skin at the site of stretch marks has a red and even purple hue, but over time it turns white to its normal color. Unfortunately for us, stretch marks are almost impossible to get rid of, and even a tan most likely won’t take them off.

Prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy

In order to know what helps with stretch marks during pregnancy, let's first get acquainted with the causes of stretch marks, there may be several.

First, it is an increase in weight and volume of the body. If we take care of our skin and health incorrectly, smoke, do not use moisturizers, etc., the chance of getting stretch marks with breast and abdomen enlargement during pregnancy increases significantly.
Secondly, it's all about hormones. With hormonal changes or failures, the synthesis of collagen and elastin can be disrupted. Because of this, the properties of the skin change, which leads to the appearance of stretch marks.
Thirdly, stretch marks are also affected by how you eat. The lack of vitamins, proteins and nutrients is especially strong during pregnancy. The prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy can be a balanced and natural diet. Perhaps this does not guarantee the complete elimination of stretch marks, but it significantly reduces the possibility of their appearance.
And fourthly, the cause of the appearance of unwanted stretch marks can be a genetic predisposition. If your mother and grandmother do not have stripes on their stomach and chest, then you should not have them either.

How to prevent stretch marks?

Eat right. Make sure your diet contains enough proteins, vitamins and minerals. Also drink more water.
Take care of your fitness before pregnancy. This will help to reduce the possibility of stretch marks by almost half.
Take a contrast shower, which will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.
Engage in exercise, yoga, or simple walking.
Use special moisturizing and nourishing products before pregnancy and oils against stretch marks during and after pregnancy.
Performing these simple steps will be the best prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy.

How to get rid of stretch marks at home?

Starting from the third month, when the tummy begins to grow, it is worth paying special attention to the prevention of stretch marks.
In addition to the tips that we have already mentioned above, I would like to say a few words about oils for stretch marks during pregnancy and special bandages for pregnant women.
From the second trimester, it is worth stocking up on a few supportive bras with wide straps to help avoid unwanted stripes and a tummy tuck.
The latter is best used only as directed by a doctor. It is suitable for mothers with many children and women with weak abdominal muscles. Also, for the prevention of stretch marks on our own, natural oils and creams will become our best friend.

Oils for stretch marks during pregnancy

Specialized creams for pregnant women should contain a maximum of natural organic ingredients and, moreover, be enriched with vitamins, minerals, collagen, amino acids and active moisturizing ingredients.

Good base oils for pregnancy stretch marks are almond oil and olive oil. For better absorption, it is recommended to have a light moisturizing massage at home.

The simplest example of such a massage would be simple stroking movements with a hand or a shower glove around the tummy, chest, buttocks and legs.

By the way, if you are thinking about how to get rid of stretch marks on your chest, then massage with natural oils against stretch marks is the easiest and most convenient way.

Another interesting way is massage with pinching movements. To do this, apply the oil on the skin of the tummy, rub it until completely absorbed, and then gently pinch the skin with your fingers, moving from the bottom up.

We have selected for you cosmetics for stretch marks for pregnant women, consisting of natural and most useful ingredients. Such oils can be used not only during pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding.

Classical Weleda oil against stretch marks during pregnancy does not contain allergen components and is safe for the expectant mother and baby. Use oil 2-3 times a day to keep your skin hydrated and supple.

Weleda Arnica Massage Oil is the best way to relieve tension in the body and relax. In addition, it has excellent regenerative properties and improves tissue respiration.

Mommy Care Cream can be used not only as an excellent remedy for fighting stretch marks, but also for everyone who wants to restore their youthfulness and firmness to their skin.

How to get rid of stretch marks after pregnancy

After childbirth, it is better not to stop using special creams for stretch marks. During breastfeeding, you can continue to use the same creams as during pregnancy. But after, when the risk of an allergy in a child is excluded, you can already introduce "heavy artillery".

Is it possible to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? Young mothers may find small stripes near the chest and lower abdomen after the birth of a child. Special modeling serums and oils from natural ingredients will solve this problem with a bang.

In combination with proper nutrition, hardening and regular physical activity, a few months after pregnancy, your body will quickly return to its previous shape, and the skin will remain healthy, well-groomed and elastic.