Monday 14 January 2013

Coping With Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

By Novelette Simmonds


Stretch marks are striated marks that are created by the skin when it begins to stretch rapidly as it normally does toward the middle and the end of pregnancy. Stretch marks occur because the skin looses elasticity.

Pregnancy is prime time for stretch marks especially as a woman's waist, hips, thighs and breasts expand to accommodate the child growing inside her.At least a half of all pregnant women get stretch marks.As mentioned before stretch marks most often occur when the skin is stretched and loses its elasticity.

Their color varies widely depending on ethnicity, they may be red, pink, purple, or dark brown depending on your skin tone, once they are created they are permanent, although they might begin to fade but they never completely disappear. To date, the most effective treatment has been laser treatment.

Whether or not you get them in pregnancy is connected with genetics. If your mother had them or a close relative such as a sister had them during pregnancy then you are more likely to suffer the same fate. You are also at risk for them, if you put on a lot of weight during your pregnancy, if your baby is large, if you are carrying twins or triplets, this causes the skin to stretch even further.The best way to deal with stretch mark is to be proactive. Although there is no strong scientific evidence, for the effectiveness of some creams that claim to remove stretch marks, the best thing you can do is to try and keep your growing tummy well moisturized, as the more moisturized it is, the more likely your skin will cope well with the stretching and not lose elasticity, be careful though as the ingredients in some creams are not good to use when you are pregnant.

However cocoa butter and vitamin E oil can be used and some women swear by them even though there is no scientific proof. If you find that the cocoa butter and vitamin E oil are not working, your next best option if stretch marks really bother you, is to budget for laser treatment within the first eight weeks of giving birth. To date laser treatment is the most effective form of treatment, especially if the marks are new. It has had some measure of success on older marks as well. Try not to become so worried about getting stretch marks that you lose some of the joy of watching your tummy and your child grow.




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