In women, stretch marks are not only formed during pregnancy but it can be seen on skin if a woman is overweight or when a girl enters puberty. The marks can be prominently seen on the breasts, stomach hips and areas, where you gain excess weight. Women who get stretch marks during puberty are more likely to have these marks during pregnancy. During pregnancy, one can prevent stretch marks by preventing the skin from getting dry. You can also find many different types of creams, which can be used to reduce stretch marks but many women develop the stretch marks even after using these creams.
1. Elastin and collagen found in the skin maintains the shape and firmness of the skin. Dermis is found below the layer of skin, which is visible when the skin gets stretched and if the elasticity of the dermis reduces to a level to cause breakage, it forms stretch marks.
2. Stretch marks can be hereditary but one should keep the skin hydrated by drinking lots of fluids, to prevent the marks.
3. Stretch marks depend on the elasticity of the skin. Fluctuation in weight during pregnancy can cause stretch marks.
4. Women who carry multiple babies may get more stretch marks because their abdomen grows more than normal pregnant women.
There are many treatments and lotions available in market which claim to prevent stretch marks but none of the creams can assure prevention of the marks altogether. Stretch marks effects more than seventy five percent of pregnant women and it can be found in ninety percent of white women.
1. Eat a nutritious diet which is needed for the growth of the fetus and it also keeps the skin of your body healthy. Take diet rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc and silica, to nourish the skin.
2. A steady weight gain helps in preventing stretch marks. Abrupt changes in weight can cause this problem. One should not lose weight excessively in a short time period after pregnancy, because it can also cause stretch marks.
3. In the first and second trimester, one should regularly apply the oils and creams to the stomach to prevent stretch marks. One can massage the skin of the stomach after applying oil to the hands to prevent stretch marks. There are many different types of oils available at store, which can keep the skin nourished and you can use one of the oils on the stomach to prevent the marks. The oil applied on the skin also helps the baby to stay healthy.
1. It cannot be cured completely but there are many who go for plastic surgery or laser treatment, to reduce the appearance of the marks. These treatments are extremely expensive and it may not give the needed results. Laser treatment may also have other side effects.
2. Steroids can be used to reduce marks but one should not use steroids when the fetus is at initial stage of development that is in the first trimester.
3. It may lessen and may fade itself after some years of child birth.
