Having a baby maybe one of your biggest accomplishment yet, but that doesn’t mean you want a physical reminder of the experience.
During pregnancy, the skin on your belly is stretched to accommodate your growing baby. Skin doesn’t bounce back if it has been stretched by rapid growth due to pregnancy, weight gain, and or extreme weight loss. But there are other factors that affect the integrity of the skin like genetics, nutrition, overall health and whether or not you are a smoker. Instead it can be decorated by a form of scar called stretch mark or striae. Stretch marks often start off as reddish or purplish in color but tend to gradually fade to a lighter range.
Research has shown that the formation of stretch marks begins with the breakdown and stretching of collagen located beneath the top layer of the skin. When a person experiences the skin being stretched over a short period of time, the natural order of the colagen fibers is disrupted. The fibers are stretched and we see what we know as stretch marks.
Stretch marks affect more than 50 percent of pregnant women. While most women noticed them on the stomach, you may also see stretch marks on the buttocks, hips, thighs or breasts.
Although the marks initially appeared pink, reddish and dark brown, they will start to fade within 6 to 12 months of your baby’s birth. Unfortunately, those stretch marks never completely disappear which maybe so many women seek to prevent them in the first place. While there’s no proof and way to do so, it can help to not gain excessive weight during your pregnancy and to make sure you drink a lot of fluid and to exercise regularly. Some women swear by over the counter stretch mark prevention lotions like Reviva, while other women rave about Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E oil. Please remember though that there is no conclusive scientific proof that any of these creams work. Still, rubbing lotion into your belly each night will prevent itching and may improve elasticity.
Several factors play into the development of stretch marks, so even your best attempts to prevent them after you’ve already become pregnant may minimize but may not completely avoid this issue.
Locally, you may be able to reduce the appearance of the scar by applying a topical ointment like retin-A but be sure to discuss this with your doctor especially if you’re breast feeding.
If your stretch marks really bother you, you may consider laser treatments to help restore your skin’s elasticity and alter the color of the marks to better match your skin. But because this costly treatment is considered cosmetic, they are barely covered by insurance. That’s why most women choose time do its effective fading work on their stretch marks.
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