Pregnancy is a very taxing process on the body so avoiding stretch marks even for women who barely show signs of pregnancy is very hard to accomplish. But, you don’t have to live with those unsightly marks forever by reading more about how to heal them properly.
How Pregnancy Stretch Marks Work
When your body expands too quickly, the skin is pulled tightly over the new mass area. Stretch marks are caused by your skin tearing and being stretched too tightly.
Your body naturally produces collagen and elastin to combat weight increase but stretch marks happen because the weight jumps too quickly.
They aren’t produced at a quick enough rate to encompass all the new skin and thus tearing and scarring occur.
You have seen this phenomenon when trying to rip apart a plastic bag. You pull very hard and the subsequent material is striated and wimpy. Don’t worry. Stretch marks cause no health risk whatsoever.
In fact, many teenagers and bodybuilders have stretch marks as well.
Teenagers go through periods of rapid growth during puberty and shoot up in height or actually lose a lot of weight if they were heavier set in middle school.
Bodybuilders also go through quick transformations even though putting on muscle takes years and years of dedication.
Nevertheless, muscle can be added onto the body in as little as 2 weeks which means muscle fibers were broken down and repaired into a bigger surface area.
In the case of pregnancy, it is your belly growing as the baby does and stretching the skin in the process. Most women will see these marks in the hip, stomach and breast areas.
However, any particularly highly fatty area on a woman will potentially experience this as well. You also aren’t alone. Anyone who loses or gains weight very fast will also get stretch marks.
In fact, many teenagers and bodybuilders have stretch marks as well.
Teenagers go through periods of rapid growth during puberty and shoot up in height or actually lose a lot of weight if they were heavier set in middle school.
Bodybuilders also go through quick transformations even though putting on muscle takes years and years of dedication.
Nevertheless, muscle can be added onto the body in as little as 2 weeks which means muscle fibers were broken down and repaired into a bigger surface area.
As it stands 9/10 women will develop stretch marks during pregnancy so that means you most likely will develop them as well. For the lucky 10% that don’t the world may never know how they do it. If mom or your older sister had them then your chances increase for getting them.
Considering taking a vitamin or supplement to treat Stretch Marks? Fertility Pills is natural remedies used to treat or reduce the symptoms of Stretch+Marks+(Striae+Gravidarum). Follow the Fertility Pills link to read common uses, side effects, dosage details and read user reviews for the drugs.
Tips For Healing Your Pregnancy Stretch Marks
Most pregnancy stretch marks start appearing during the 3rd trimester when the growth of the baby shoots up rapidly. These steps will show you how to mitigate the number of stretch marks you’ll get during pregnancy as well as how to treat them afterward.
Use Oil
Massaging the skin of the affected areas helps immeasurably with the removal of stretch marks. It increases blood flow and separates scar tissue that creates stretch marks.
We suggest an oil that’s great for skin repair such as vitamin E or (insert oil here) which will give you the necessary minerals to rejuvenate your skin.
For this method to work best take a warm bath. This will increase circulation throughout the body and warm you up for repair. Upon exiting, apply a modest amount of oil to your hands and rub the affected areas in a circular motion for about 2 minutes.
In general, oil is better for the skin than lotions so using it all over your body is recommended as well. They are lighter and can be made with natural ingredients full of minerals that are vital to rejuvenation.
Hydration
Water is the nectar of life so it is essential you drink as much as necessary every day. Water keeps your cells in peak condition to function and repair themselves. This means your skin stays looking healthy as well as elastic.
The recommended amount of water daily for each person varies. We recommend you drink until your urine is a light yellow color. You want to have some tint in it. Completely clear means you’re overhydrated and potentially peeing out some electrolytes and minerals from your body.
Water is best to sip and not chug. When you sip it more is absorbed into the body which means fewer runs to the bathroom.
Also, drinking water at room temperature aids in faster absorption. Water must be at the body’s homeostatic temperature of 98.6 degrees in order to be absorbed.
We also recommend avoiding coffee as it is a diuretic and can dehydrate you. Also, smoking cigarettes is another factor that aids in dehydration.
Exercise
Heavy to light exercise are great methods for repairing your skin from stretch marks. It offers an innumerable amount of physiological and physical benefits. It adds muscle definition and tightens the skin around the affected area which helps you heal quicker.
Our favorites are walking, yoga or swimming as they are very low impact and give a great return on investment. If you look at people who do these consistently you’ll see even in their older age, the skin is tauter and younger looking than their peers.
Cardio is not a one size fits all thing so you must discern what type you are doing when choosing your routine.
Low impact things like walking or swimming can be done every day for as long as you desire.
If you are doing something high intensity like sprints or version of jump rope then we recommend only 3x a week max.
High-intensity anything is very taxing on the central nervous system and can lead to burn out. You want to give ample time for your body to recover from these types of workouts.
High-intensity sessions also burn more fat since they recruit your body to output all its energy possible at certain intervals. This is also known as High-Intensity Interval Training(HIIT).
The same can be said of weight training. If you are doing light weights used for toning muscles then 3x a week or more is fine.
Gauge your soreness and see how you feel as your body is still recovering from the recent pregnancy.
Ice It Down
Any sort of warping to the skin can cause redness and inflammation and as you know. Ice works perfectly in reducing it.
A reusable ice pack or some ice placed in a sandwich bag are perfect for this. Wrap them in a light material such as a towel so they don’t come directly in contact with your skin.
Apply it for about 10 minutes per area and refreeze/reapply until all areas are covered.
Ice has been used to lessen inflammation after surgeries so it is perfect to help with your stretch marks especially if they are newer.
Exfoliation
If you already have a top skin care routine then you know that exfoliation is a must. It takes away dead skin and promotes new and healthy skin cells to take its place.
As always, natural products are the best choice. A sugar and honey mask or witch hazel are perfect for the process.
Try your best to do it in the morning after your skin has already healed on its own. The weekend would be great since most people don’t have work or other obligations that immediately need to be tended to.
Drawing a nice warm bath and applying a body scrub will help take away the low functioning skin cells and give you cleaner feeling and healthier skin in the process.
Exfoliate, relax with a cup of coffee and be at peace knowing your stretch marks are disappearing.
Use Stretch Mark Cream
Creams made specifically to heal stretch marks are formulated with a plethora of natural ingredients that promote healthy and undamaged skin.
Products like (product) and (product) have the capabilities of reaching the deeper layers of skin while keeping the top layers smooth. Applying it 2-3x a day will yield the best results.
Try your best to remain consistent as doing otherwise will make it difficult for your skin to make any headway in the healing process.
We should also let it be known that stretch mark creams cannot entirely remove stretch marks necessarily. It’s the same as trying to completely remove a scar.
The damage has been set in for too long and too deep and the skin will always have a hint of its new formation.
However, stretch mark creams greatly reduce the appearance of stretch marks to the point where they are nearly invisible.
Many people have used them and gotten great results in the process.
Diet
This is also another tidbit of common knowledge but your diet is a huge factor in the healing process. How do you expect to heal on the outside if what you’re putting inside your body isn’t good?
Whole foods, unprocessed carbs like rice and potatoes, fruits and veggies, proteins like fish and chicken and lots of healthy fats like real olive oil(a lot of them are fake so do your research), full-fat dairy and avocado are great for you.
They are rich in vitamins and minerals that are used for repair and optimal function. Also, avoid supplements for now as you will be breastfeeding and that will affect the milk to the baby.
Vegetables should be part of your quotidian diet as they give the most benefit out of all food groups. Protein for a lot of people also boosts vitality.
Life can be very hectic and eating out may seem like a better option but making recipes in a crockpot before your day or meal prepping for the week are great ways to save time.
Quick breakfast like smoothies with protein powder or eggs and yogurt are simple and light meals that will pack a punch for your system.
Relax
What are you worried about? You just performed one of the greatest miracles there is. You produced life! You are amazing and incredible. Don’t let a few battle scars bring you down. Take some time for yourself and your baby and just bask in having a slow period.
Stress is a silent killer and worrying about things that can be fixed with time is a waste of yours. Pick up meditation and yoga and learn to be at peace with everything around you good or bad.
Visualization is also helpful for healing. Imagining what your skin will look and feel like once the scars are healed is a great way to get there.
It will automatically align your actions with your goal and can expedite the process. Just be patient and you’ll be amazed at how much can be accomplished.