Pregnancy gives us a gift so precious that we don’t deserve – our babies. Unfortunately, it also gives us a souvenir that we cannot refuse – stretch marks. Learn more about the causes, treatment and how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy here.
What Causes Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?
The appearance of stretch marks are very common in pregnancy, affecting 8 out of 10 women.
Stretch marks happen when the elastin and collagen in the deeper layers of the skin get damaged.
During pregnancy, there is a rapid change in the skin stretch. This causes the delicate elastin and collagen to break and lose their elasticity. The connective tissues can get permanently damaged due to the breaking of elastin. These then begin to appear as stretch marks.
One important factor that affects the likelihood of stretch marks is how much weight you gain during pregnancy and how quickly. The faster your skin stretches, the more likely it is to leave a mark, which is why it is one of the many reasons why you should avoid rapid weight gain during pregnancy.
Hormones also play a part in the appearance of stretch marks. If your mother had stretch marks when she was pregnant, there is a big possibility that you will have it too.
Another possible cause of stretch marks is the presence of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that weaken elastic fibres in the skin.
What Do Stretch Marks During Pregnancy Look Like?
Image Source: iStock
Not all stretch marks look alike. It also varies depending on what caused them, your skin’s elasticity and your skin type. Common variations include:
- Indented streaks or lines on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks or other places on the body
- Pink, red, black, blue or purple streaks
- Bright streaks that fade to a lighter colour
- Streaks covering large areas of the body
Again, the appearance of stretch marks depends on how fast your skin stretches and how quickly you’ve gained or lost weight. But for expecting mums, you usually start to notice them on your stomach (or areas where the skin has been stretched) around the end of the second trimester into the beginning of the third trimester, between 6 and 7 months pregnant.
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How to Minimise the Appearance of Stretch Marks
All women hate stretch marks. Unfortunately, if you are genetically prone to it, sometimes there is very little you can do to prevent it. While there is no proven way to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, there are some steps to try to minimise how bad the stretch marks will look on your skin.
The first step to removing or minimising these stretch marks is to detect them as soon as you can. When fresh, it is easier to deal with them.
However, as they grow older and begin to fade, they may begin to settle in your skin and it will be harder for you to then get rid of them.
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Keep your weight gain slow and steady
As mentioned earlier, rapid weight gain is one of the culprits behind stretch marks. That said, slowly and steadily putting on pounds during pregnancy is key to preventing them or making them less noticeable.
It can be so tempting to eat for two, but try to follow your doctor’s general recommendations for daily caloric intake, which is also helpful in ensuring a healthier pregnancy for you and your baby.
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Apply a good moisturiser or stretch mark cream
Any mild one will do. Use it to massage the areas where stretch marks have begun to appear. Massage the area several times a day.
Some people believe that cocoa butter is an important ingredient that will help to reduce stretchmarks. However, it’s interesting to note that there are no studies that have proven this claim.
Meanwhile, studies have proven that creams containing gotu kola (also known as Luei Gong Gen/ Vallaria) extract, vitamin E and collagen hydrolysates are associated with less appearance of stretch marks.
Regular massage with vitamin E oil or coconut oil can help keep the elastin and the collagen healthy, preventing stretch marks.
It might sound a little counterintuitive, but the right stretch mark cream can also effectively prevent stretch marks! If you haven’t started using a stretch mark cream yet, it’s best to get one as soon as possible!
Mama’s Choice Stretch Mark Cream uses Lipobelle™ Soyaglycone, which intensively moisturises your skin, increases skin thickness by 12% and fades stretch marks. It’s also really good at relieving itching, which is normally a big sign that stretch marks are about to appear.
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Exfoliate your skin regularly
Do so with a gentle exfoliate. There are many ready-made exfoliates on the market. NTUC has tons and you can pick one that suits your skin type the next time you go shopping for groceries. You can also make your own exfoliant using dried and powdered orange peel and yoghurt.
Vitamin E helps repair and replenish collagen. A daily dose of Vitamin E or a massage with Vitamin E oils can help you reduce the appearance of these stretch marks.
Wheat germ oil, cosmetic products that contain peptides, and retinoids are some of the other products that may work on your skin. However, their efficacy is not known.
This way, you will keep your skin hydrated and it will remain relatively free from scars and stretch marks.
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Exercise regularly when you are pregnant
A lot of women avoid any kind of exercise and take long periods of rest. This could be detrimental to your overall health as well as the health of your skin. Take a stroll for a few minutes every day. If you want, you can even enrol yourself in a special yoga class for pregnant women.
Some women wear their “tiger stripes” with pride. But if you’re one of the bashful ones, you’ll be pleased to know that stretch marks from pregnancy usually lighten to a less noticeable (and more easily concealable) silvery-grey or pale glistening colour within about six months of birth.
If you’re still eager to remove any trace of these marks on your skin as soon as possible, don’t hesitate to consult a dermatologist about it.
MayoClinic,
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
