Are you a pregnant woman and do you get frustrated and unhappy seeing the stretch marks on your abdomen etc? Please don`t worry about that!!

Pregnancy is one of the most important stages in the lives of a married woman and during pregnancy a woman would face many issues both internally as well as externally. One such external issue is formation of stretch marks on her body

Genetic as well as hormone based changes would influence the formation of stretch marks in women during pregnancy. The skin will stretch due to pregnancy, and this would result in stretch marks. On the abdomen, breasts, thighs etc, stretch marks would develop in the women due to fast stretching of the skin. This is mainly because the body of the woman expands to accommodate the growing baby. It is worthy to note that stretch marks are normal during pregnancy and many pregnant mothers try various ways to get rid or prevent them.

Why do stretch marks happen?

When the skin middle layer or dermis gets stretched beyond its elastic capacity, then pregnant mothers could get stretch marks. The collagen and elastin fibres in the skin would break due to stretching resulting in the formation of scars. The scars would appear as reddish, purple or pink coloured lines. These stretch lines would never disappear completely. As genetics play a huge role here, a daughter would have stretch marks during pregnancy if her mother had these marks in the past. In addition to genetics, hormones also play a role here. Increased levels of cortisone during pregnancy would lead to weakening of elastic fibres and then to stretch marks.

Various ways to prevent stretch marks are:

By moisturising regularly:
It is necessary to keep the skin hydrated and by that skin elasticity could be maintained. Pregnant women must apply rich moisturiser like cocoa butter or shea butter or certain oils like almond/coconut oil etc on their abdomen, thighs, breast etc for 2 times a day.

By staying hydrated:
Pregnant women would be able to maintain their skin elasticity by staying hydrated or by drinking water frequently throughout the day.

By consuming a healthy diet:
For skin health to be good, pregnant women must eat a well balanced diet containing vitamins C and E, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids for the sake of collagen formation and skin repair etc.

By controlling rapid weight gain:
Point is that a gradual and steady increase in the weight during pregnancy is less likely to result in the stretch marks. Here, healthcare provider`s guidelines must be considered for a healthy weight gain.

Treatment options for removal of stretch marks:

Topical treatments:
The appearance of stretch marks would be improved by creams and oils containing retinoids. Important point is that these must be used only after pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Laser therapy:
For reducing the colour anand texture of the stretch marks, laser therapy would be good. The production of collagen would be stimulated by laser therapy and there would be skin regeneration. This must be done after the childbirth only.

Microdermabrasion:
Here, the top layer of the skin is exfoliated to improve the texture and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. This is usually a safe procedure and it could be done postpartum.

Microneedling:
In this process, to create micro injuries in the skin, needles are used. This would stimulate collagen and elastin formation. This is normally performed after the pregnancy and it would improve the appearance of stretch marks.

Important note:
Pregnant women must understand that getting stretch marks on their bodies is common and natural occurrence and the appearance could be minimised by proper treatment.