Pregnancy
Written on 14 August 2018
Neither you nor your body remains the same after giving birth to your baby. While the apple of your eye becomes the center of your life and makes you more responsible than ever, your body also gets some unwanted marks of pregnancy. The stretch marks are one of those changes that you wish should not have happened. Though you can’t stop them from appearing, you can definitely reduce them to a great extent.
Stretch marks are nothing but a kind of scar. They appear when elastin and collagen fibers spread wide and tear because of stretching. This happens due to hormonal changes. The most common parts of your body where these stretch marks can appear are the abdomen, arms, breasts, buttocks, hips, lower back, and thighs. Though they are not harmful in any sense, we can’t deny the fact that stretch marks look ugly and they can bring your self-confidence down.
There are many skincare and beauty brands that claim that they can help you in preventing stretch marks during pregnancy. However, we must know that we can only minimize these stretch marks and there are no possible ways that can give you true prevention from stretch marks. Though the family history of stretch marks can make things worse, you can still follow these steps to keep them to a minimum-
Stretch marks are easier to treat in the early stages of pregnancy. The first stage of stretch marks is known as striae Rubra. They appear red or purple in this stage. You can take various steps to treat striae Rubra. With time, these stretch marks become stubborn and lighter in color. They appear almost silvery white. At this stage of their life, they are called striae alba. During the alba phase, it becomes very difficult to treat them. Hence it is necessary to take the required treatment steps at the early stage to avail their maximum benefit.
Retinol works most effectively on stretch marks by stimulating collagen production. Therefore, you should check out this ingredient before buying any anti-stretch marks cream or lotion. Retinol helps to stimulate collagen production. You will start to see the results in approximately six weeks.
Retinol is the main ingredient of most face creams. If you wish to and your budget allows you then you can also use these face creams for minimizing your stretch marks. However, it is not a very practical idea because these creams are designed for use in smaller areas.
Retinol is very effective on stretch marks but it may not suit everyone. If similar is the case with you and you feel that Retin-A creams and lotions or Retinol are causing irritation or peeling to your skin and stretch marks you should stop using them immediately. There are some other anti-stretch marks creams and lotions like Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid, Onion extract, Centella Asiatica that are available over the counter. However, consulting your doctor before buying any of these products is a must.
Laser stretch mark removal is a very effective but also very costly stretch mark treatment. The types of lasers are advised according to the type of stretch marks. This should be reserved for when you are done having children. There are different types of lasers that can be used. It is not only a very costly procedure but you will also need to take out time for more than three visits to the dermatologist. If interested you can also opt for micro needling. It treats the appearance of skin problems like stretch marks, acne with the help radio frequencies.
No one likes to have them but unfortunately, you cannot prevent the stretch marks from appearing during pregnancy. But you don’t need to lose your heart because there are many anti-stretch mark treatments that you can use after giving birth to your baby. You can choose them according to your choice and budget and minimize the appearance of these stretch marks after childbirth.
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