Pregnancy is that beautiful moment that makes every woman feel great. A woman’s body undergoes many changes during this time, some of which are very unpleasant. Stretch marks is one such unpleasant changes. Women wonder about how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
This blog will help you understand the different ways to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
What Are Stretch Marks and How are They Formed? Before we learn about how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, as well as how they form.
Stretch marks look like scars. They are generally found at the middle layer i.e. dermis of the skin. During pregnancy, they become visible at the uppermost layer of the skin i.e. epidermis. The body of a pregnant woman around this time undergoes changes like increased weight and fluctuation in the hormonal levels.
The skin gets stretched to such an extent that it becomes irreparable. The skin’s elastic fibers and collagen give it the ability to change and adapt to the changes. In general, skin becomes vulnerable when it is stretched too much. When the skin is torn, the body starts to heal the new scars immediately. However, there are possibilities of new scars forming even after the completion of the entire healing process.
Pregnancy leads to the formation of stretch marks.
The effectiveness of the skin’s fibroblasts minimizes primarily because of the fluctuation of pregnancy hormones in the body. Besides this, the skin also loses its stretching abilities as pregnancy hormones affect the collagen and elastin levels.
Coupled with it, the growing womb, chest and thighs provide ideal conditions for the stretch marks to form.
5 Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Just like the proverb ‘Prevention is better than cure’, stretch marks should be treated early even before they become visible. If you start treating them after the marks are formed, it is going to be very difficult to get rid of them.
When do stretch marks start in pregnancy? They generally start appearing from the second trimester of pregnancy.
So, when you know you are pregnant, get started to curing stretch marks.
The following treatment tips can come as handy.
1. Eating a Healthy Diet:
While treating the stretch marks, women often look for natural ways to get rid of them. How can I reduce stretch marks during pregnancy naturally? The first natural step for preventing stretch marks is eating a healthy and balanced diet. Weight gain is one of the reasons for the formation of stretch marks. Although you cannot prevent weight gain totally you can keep it within controllable limits by eating healthy food. A balanced diet should include the following:
- plenty of vegetables and fruits in your diet. It is recommended to have vegetables and fruits at least four times a day.
- 6 to 11 ounces of wheat bread and oatmeal a day.
- Three servings per day of beans, fish, and chicken.
- Dairy products at least 100 grams per day.
- Prenatal vitamins are important for your body.
To prevent nausea, you may consume sweets or sugars but keep them to the bare minimum. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor before deciding on the diet. The healthcare provider can guide you with a diet that is ideal for you and the baby.
2. Keeping Your Skin Hydrated:
It is important to keep yourself hydrated during pregnancy which is also good for preventing stretch marks. Most of us have a habit of hydrating the face and the neck. However, the other parts of the body escape our attention. The best way to deal this is to apply a moisturizing balm to hips, thighs, stomach. To get the best results, apply the hydrating balms at least twice a day. The hydrating creams maximize the skin’s elasticity. The best part is they allow the skin to grow and expand without forming stretch marks.
Make sure these balms and creams are safe for pregnant women before you start to apply it. Apply the balm right after shower to maximize the effect.
3. Exfoliating the Skin:
Although moisturizers and creams can prevent the formation of stretch marks, exfoliating the stretch mark prone areas is an excellent treatment. Make sure to exfoliate the chest, thighs, stomach once every week to get the most out of it. Exfoliating is important because it helps to remove the dead and dry cells that hinder the penetration of the moisturizers and creams deep down the lower levels of the skin. The natural herbs are great exfoliants. Witch hazel and baking soda are ingredients that can be applied to any type of skin. The best part is they do not damage the skin.
4. Drinking Water and Exercising:
In addition, to taking care of the skin, drinking adequate quantities of water and exercising regularly is essential for your body. You should drink at least 2 liters of water per day to strengthen your skin cells.
Regular exercising can also help prevent stretch marks because exercising facilitates blood circulation as well as the stretching abilities of the skin.
5. Massaging the Skin:
Moisturizers are good for preventing the stretch marks but do you know massaging is equally important for your skin. In fact, massaging the skin just for ten minutes a day can make a huge difference. The body’s stretch mark prevention potential improves with regular massaging.
Massage the stretch mark prone areas to get the following results:
• Elasticity and the suppleness of the skin improves.
• It helps the cream and moisturizes to penetrate deep down the skin.
• It hinders the growth of any stretch marks that have already started to form.
• It improves the blood circulation of the body.
How does coconut oil prevent stretch marks during pregnancy? Apart from using creams for massaging, you may also use coconut oil to prevent stretch marks. Coconut oil is a great massaging ingredient that penetrates deep down the skin as well as helps to rejuvenate and strengthen it.
Conclusion:
Stretch marks are the scars that appear on the skin when a woman gets pregnant. Pregnant women feel worried because they don’t know how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. Now that you have gone through the guide it will be easier for you to manage stretch marks.
