6 Amazing Tips To Prevent Pregnancy Stretch Marks
Stretch marks, (which are also called striae distensae or striae gravidarum), look like indented streaks in your skin. They can be silvery, red or purple coloured and will most likely appear the the following places on and around your body:
stomach
bottom
hips
chest
thighs
During pregnancy, stretch marks are common, but surprisingly absolutely anyone can develop them at any point in their life.
They can be hereditary, and so if any of your blood relatives have them then you might be susceptible to them too. You are more likely to get stretch marks if you are:
female
have a family history of stretch marks
are pregnant
are overweight
have had breast augmentation
have gained or lost weight quickly
using corticosteroids
have certain genetic disorders, such as Cushing’s syndrome or Marfan’s syndrome
If you already have street marks starting to appear, or just want to make sure that you don't get them, take a look at the following 6 tips that should keep stretch marks at bay!
Watch Your Weight
This is probably the most important aspect of avoiding or controlling stretch marks. Maintaining a healthy weight is obviously an important part of any healthy lifestyle, but in particular your skin can get stretch marks if you suddenly gain or lose weight.
Try to keep any changes to body shape from happening too quickly which gives your skin tissue more time to adapt to it's new shape.
Obviously, pregnancy can be one of the most dramatic changes a human body can go through, and so take time to follow the rest of the tips to keep your stretch marks to a minimum.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Hydrated skin won't develop as many stretch marks as dry skin. Keeping your skin soft and hydrated from the inside is one of the best protections you can offer yourself.
The recommended daily water intake for a woman is 72 oz for a woman and 104 oz for a man, which works out to around 11 cups for a woman and 15 cups for a man. Many people don't drink enough water during the day, and even mild dehydration can lead to tiredness and lacking in energy.
Bear in mind that caffeinated drinks such as coffee can actually dehydrate the skin and increase your chances of developing stretch marks, so if you do drink coffee, make sure you don't let those drinks replace your water intake.
Eat Healthy
A healthy diet along with plenty of water is an important part of keeping your skin healthy from the inside. Try to steer clear of processed foods which may lack nutrition and essential vitamins and minerals and try to cook from fresh whenever possible.
Vitamins C, D and E, along with zinc are all important as part of your skins nutrition.
Vitamin C is important in helping the formation of collagen, which keeps your skin firm with plenty or elasticity. Eating plenty of citrus fruits like oranges, limes and lemons are a great way of keeping your Vitamin C levels up.
Vitamin D is also an important part of keeping your skin healthy, and is absorbed from sunlight, but try to keep direct exposure to the sun as little as possible.
Zinc, which can be found in fish and nuts is also an important part of your skins health as it helps reduce any inflammation and aids with the healing process.
Make Bone Broth
Gelatin is an important part of keeping your skin elastic. Gelatin helps with the formation of collagen, but there is little gelatine in the modern diet, so you can increase your gelatine intake by making bone broth and then using it to make up soups, gravy's and sauces.
The gelatine found in bone broth has plenty of other benefits aside from creating collagen - it improves sleep, improves insulin sensitivity, fights free radical damage and promotes overall healing.
Keep Yourself Well Oiled
Apply moisturising oils comically onto your skin to keep it elastic and well hydrated from the outside. Coconut oil is a full of saturated fatty acids which are great for your skin and less likely to cause free radical damage to the skin. Other oils such as olive oil, castor oil and Vitamin E oil are all great for your skin.
Additional you can try Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter, which are both excellent at keeping the skin moist and hydrated. The fatty acids found in these stimulate the skins renewal process which helps prevent and reduce stretch marks.
Do Something About It!
If you do start to notice stretch marks appearing then make sure you do something about them as quickly as possible. The longer you wait to treat them, the longer they will take to repair. Try a leading stretch mark treatment cream such as Dermology Stretch Mark Cream.
