Avoiding Stretch Marks: 5 Simple ways and the main product I highly recommend to prevent them. I swear by it because it is that good.
I've always asked myself, how in the world actresses, singers and models avoid stretch marks during and after pregnancy?! Public figures live out of their images and figures so I thought there must be way so here I am summarizing my research.
What are Stretch Marks?
According to the America Academy of Dermatology Association: "Stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly. The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. As the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.
Not everyone develops these narrow bands on their skin. Fluctuating hormone levels seem to play a role. You may also have a higher risk if people in your family get stretch marks.
If you develop stretch marks, you’re most likely to do so during these times:
Growth spurts that happen in puberty
Pregnancy
Rapid weight loss or gain
Weight training when you have rapid muscle growth"
I’ve been always been on the smaller size, as a matter of fact I wanted to keep some extra weight after pregnancy. So, as I started gaining weight, I knew that I could end up having stretch marks. I also read that this was also based on family genes, that if your mom had them you most likely would end up having them.I knew my mom had them after 3 pregnancies so here I was.
After a lot if research, I decided to give these 5 things a try. I am proud to tell you that it worked! I have not a single stretch mark on my belly after pregnancy, I cannot still believe it since my belly had to stretch a lot! Here is what I did and I hope it helps you as well, and I will list them in order of importance and effectiveness.
#1: Drink Plenty of Water
Oh yes! our old friend the water. Water hydrates our skin and will make any other products for stretch marks work. So, please do not skip this step. I know that for some people is really hard to stay on top of drinking their daily intake of water.
Here’s an effective way to help you drink more water during the day: get a water bottle with a straw! This will help you drink lot more water when you remember you have to.
There are a lot of benefits about boosting the collagen in your body. Collagen has many important functions, including providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones. Although you don’t want to take any supplement while pregnant without asking your doctor, you could start supplementing your collagen before you are planning to get pregnant.
It is important to drink plenty of water for these products to work like magic on your skin, remember do not forget that step!
This is by far my favorite brand and I've been using it for about 5 years now. It tones my skin and it make it look radiant. You can find it HERE.
On this one, I am going to be more specific about the product I used. Reason being is that Body Boost Milk & Honey Stretch Mark Butter brand worked wonders for me, so I can attest to the effectiveness of the product. This brand will not only help you prevent but will also help you repair already existing stretch marks. It will aid with itching and heals dry skin instantly. It also has natural ingredients – Jojoba, Sesame, Wheat Germ, Grapeseed, Sunflower and Vitamin E
I bought both the cream and the scrub for the shower. I did not use the oil as shown on the picture. I would utilize them both every other day. Of course if you use it daily you would see even better results if trying to get rid of existing stretch marks. For my whole pregnancy I had to buy only 2 sets of each.
#4: Coconut Oil
Coconut oil, besides being considered a super food, it has amazing benefits to your skin. Studies show that coconut oil can improve the moisture content of dry skin and reduce the symptoms of eczema. Click here to read some other amazing benefits about coconut oil you can’t miss.
I would use coconut oil at least once a week, and when I knew I was going to stay home for a while so I could leave my belly uncovered. I would utilize it especially towards the last couple months when feeling extra itchy. I would spread it around my belly and left uncovered, this to allow the oil to absorb on my skin as best as possible. I would use the Costco organic brand. You can find Coconut oil at almost every online and retail store.
#5: Scratch the Least Possible
This might seem like a grandma old tale but here is the thing according to Health Line Parenthood: Stretch marks are caused by the stretching of your skin that causes tearing at the dermis, the layer below the epidermis. This tearing allows what’s in the layer below the dermis to fill in and cause stretch marks. Healing skin tends to be itchy. With dermal tearing, your nerves respond by creating the itchy sensations.
My suggestions and what I used to do is, as soon as I’d felt the itch coming, I would go and rub the itchy area with the cream mentioned above and/or with coconut oil until it would stop.
Final Thoughts
Hope these tips help you through out your pregnancy journey. Of course, these also help before and after pregnancy! so don't be hesitant to try them out consistently to see a big results.
Affiliate Disclosure:
This blog post might contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through such links will result in small commission (or referral fee) for the author, at absolutely no cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally use and/or genuinely love.
Comments