There is nothing wrong with having stretch marks, and there is a good chance that you have a few. This is due to the fact that there are a few reasons they can show up on your skin. At the same time, you are more likely to get stretch marks while you’re pregnant. This is not something to be upset about, however, because there are solutions out there for you. Some of the solutions can be used while you’re still pregnant, while others you’ll have to wait until after you deliver your bundle of joy. Here’s a look at the causes of those unwanted stretch marks, and how to get rid of them or at least lessen their appearance.
What are the causes of stretch marks?
There are a small number of reasons why stretch marks may show up on your body. One is that you have a predisposition for them, since there is some evidence to suggest that genetics plays a part. In other words, if you have seen stretch marks on other women in your family, you will likely get them too, especially when you’re having a child.
Another reason you may get stretch marks is because you lost weight or gained weight rather quickly. Again, this is the same reason you may see stretch marks when you’re pregnant. This is a time when you gain weight faster than other times in your life, and there isn’t a lot you can do about that. However, there are solutions to change the appearance of these marks, so you don’t have to stress about them.
How do you get rid of them?
Even though you likely can’t get rid of these marks entirely, you can still make them less noticeable and severe. Here are a few ways to do this.
Stay Moisturized
When your skin is nice and nourished, it will be harder for stretch marks to appear. The reason for this is that moisturized skin will be able to stretch easier than skin that isn’t. In essence, since you’ll be stretching your skin each month while you’re carrying a baby, it is a good idea to be sure that you are being responsible about skin care, especially throughout your core or any area that may become swollen, like your ankles, legs, or arms. These are the places where you’re most likely to get stretch marks.
Vitamin C Is Good For The Skin
Maybe you didn’t know, but with plenty intake of vitamin C your skin is more likely to be healthy. Daily intake of vitamin C has to be about 1500mg, so it is time to start eating fresh vegetables and fruits. With that you will not only keep your skin healthy, but whole organism.
Check out essential oils and creams
There are so many different all natural solutions for keeping your skin looking great. These should be the first place you look, because these oils can also have other benefits. They won’t be toxic to you or the baby in most cases, so they are safe to use. Besides that, they often smell nice too. If you are familiar with aromatherapy, you may already have some of these oils around, or you know where to get some. The creams are virtually the same thing, but are easier to spread all over your body.
Prescription Medication With Retinoids
These medications will increase the level of collagen in the body which will make your skin shiny and healthy in turns. Of course, you’ll have to consult your doctor first for the prescription. You have to know that these medications are not good to use during pregnancy or breast feed, they can be dangerous for the baby.
Slowly Increase Exercise
Although you might want to lose extra weight right after the pregnancy, it’s important to know that skin can’t shrink fast so if you burn your fat fast you can get stretch marks. Good exercise is slowly built up, increasing level of training every day so the skin can follow.
Ask around
Although most methods can’t be proven to work for everyone, there are a lot of people that have different ways that they cope with stretch marks. Talk to your neighbors, parents, aunts, and anyone else that’s been in your shoes and ask them for advice. There’s a good chance they know a great lotion or solution for you to try. You can also look on shopping sites for products that other women use; there are dozens of products that are highly rated and used by thousands of mommies.
Visit a doctor
If you have tried many different things and nothing works, you might want to talk to your doctor to see if they have anything that can help. They should be able to recommend a powerful cream or ointment to try, if the marks are bothering you. Keep in mind that these ointments likely can’t be used until after the baby is born.
What else can I do?
There are a few more things you can do to keep your stretch marks from ruining your self confidence.
Limit sun exposure
It is a good idea to limit how much you’re in the sun when you’re worried about stretch marks. This doesn’t mean that you can’t go out in the sun. Instead, try to be sure that the areas that you’re worried about are covered up. If you get a tan in the location of the marks, they may become even more noticeable, and it will be harder to lessen their appearance.
Professional advice
There are surgical and laser procedures you can take advantage of to get rid of these marks, but these should be a last resort. Many are safe but each one of them should be discussed thoroughly with your doctor and your family. Of course, these procedures can’t be done while you’re pregnant, so you’ll have to wait until after you have the baby. They can also be very expensive and they may have side effects or simply not work the way you wanted them to.
Besides that, if you think about how most of the population, men and women, have stretch marks, it may not seem too important to get them removed with a potent machine or a scalpel. These are very powerful tools that could cause bigger scars than the stretch marks, which wouldn’t solve the problem at all. For this reason, you should think about this decision long and hard before you have a medical procedure done to remove them. You also want to be sure that you’re done having children first, or you’ll have to get the procedures done again after your next child is born.
Learn to love them
There really isn’t anything wrong with stretch marks, and most people, even men, have plenty of them. They are nothing to be ashamed of and they aren’t something that is ugly or unsightly, when you consider how you got them. You have a beautiful baby to worry about, so relax. Think about all the changes your body went through during that special time in your life.
If you don’t really like them but have become okay with seeing them, you can always cover them up so other people won’t see them. This may mean staying away from shorter shorts and tank tops, but you will be able to feel more self confident if you aren’t always trying to pull at your clothes when you’re trying to have a good time.
Conclusion
Stretch marks may be unsightly to you, but they don’t present any sort of a health problem. There is no proven way to prevent them or remove them entirely, but there are ways to make your skin look healthier, which can make your marks a little lighter or less noticeable. The best way to solve the problem is do a bit of research to find out all the best natural oils or creams to use. You can also talk to your friends and family to see what they have used in the past. In emergency situations, you may also consult with your doctor to see what they may be able to suggest. Other than that, just remember that the majority of people have stretch marks, so you aren’t alone in your journey.