Almost half of all pregnant
women will acquire stretch marks during their pregnancy.
Stretch marks are tears in the lower layer of your skin
and this lower layer consists of elastic supportive
tissue which helps the skin to stretch. When the skin
is stretched to its limit, it tears slightly allowing
blood vessels to show through.
The main factors contributing to stretch marks in
pregnancy are:
• Age – the younger you are the more
elastic and supple your skin will be and so the younger
you are when you become pregnant, the less likely
you are to get stretch marks. Older women will unfortunately
be more prone to stretch marks in pregnancy.
• Skin color – stretch
marks are more common in those who are fair skinned.
• Genetic – if your mother or your sister
got stretch marks when they were pregnant, then the
chances are much higher that you will too.
• Growth of your baby in the womb – if
your baby is growing so quickly or if you are carrying
an extra big baby, then the weight is sometimes more
than the skin can handle. If you are carrying more
than one baby (twins or multiples) or you have excess
amniotic fluid, then stretch marks are even more likely
to occur.
Stretch marks are not painful and many will fade
within six to twelve months of giving birth but their
texture will remain the same. Depending on your skin
color during pregnancy, stretch marks start out as
pink, reddish brown or dark brown streaks. The reddish
brown pigmentation in the marks gradually fades and
the stretch marks begin to look like glistening silvery
lines of scar
tissue.
There are ways to prevent or treat these stretch
marks such as:
• Treating with a natural healing product and
pregnancy
stretch marks lotion made from essential oils
and which is safe to use during pregnancy and nursing.
• Limiting your weight gain to no more than
the recommended amount of 25 to 35 pounds, and this
weight should be gained gradually.
• Eat a diet which promotes good skin health
– foods rich in zinc such as nuts and fish;
foods rich in vitamins A, C and D such as carrots,
citrus fruits and milk; foods rich in protein such
as eggs.
• Drink as much water as you can, and if you
have to drink coffee, tea or any other caffeinated
drinks, then drink equal or greater amounts of water
to balance your fluid intake.
