Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

The most common effect during pregnancy is the development of stretch marks and these appear like purple or red lines which sometimes may be very itchy. You first need to know all about these stretch marks so that you can get yourself properly treated. These stretch marks can be seen on your thighs, breasts, belly etc. Stretch marks appear because of sudden increase in the weight which causes a lot of strain on the belly.

Are there any signs and symptoms of stretch marks?

At first when you start developing stretch marks purple or red color lines appear which fade off gradually but the area around these lines are soft to touch. Stretch marks appear on the middle layer of the skin which is also known as the dermis and this is possible only when there is no support from the cells in this second layer i.e. the dermis layer.

Causes of stretch marks

Stretch marks develop because there is a sudden stretching of the skin around the belly region and it has been found that most often these marks develop in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Stretch marks are actually the wear and tare of the skin tissues that support the skin this wear and tare appears visible when the collagen separates from the skin leading to the development of stretch marks. Though these stretch marks are not harmful and fade away with time but in some cases they have proved to be harmful when the rashes go deep below the skin layer.

How to prevent stretch marks from appearing? Eating a well balanced diet food will help you to maintain your weight; it is also the best solution to getting rid of stretch marks and in the process helps you to regain the growth of elastin as well as collagen in your body. There are many stretch marks creams available in the market which help rebuild and rejuvenate the skin. Drinking plenty of water helps to strengthen the skin layer as it helps to retain the moisture in the skin. There are various modes of treatments to treat stretch marks like topical medications, laser therapy and the last one being dermabrasion. Laser therapy is one of the most rapid modes of treatment gaining lots of popularity especially during the postpartum period.

How does one get rid of these stretch marks?

Topical creams as such used within a short span of delivery have shown to help fade the stretch marks while there are some women who prefer cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery to get rid of these stretch marks. Most of the stretch mark creams don't help erase the stretch marks completely though they help to moisturize the skin and sooth the itching. Massaging the affected area also helps reduce the stretch marks and help stimulate the growth of new tissues. But then when you decide to try out the stretch mark creams available in the market you also need to do some research on these creams and the ingredients used as some of them may do more damage.