When do stretch marks appear? Will it disappear? Causes of Stretch Marks + Prevention + Elimination Methods
During pregnancy, the expectant mother's belly gradually expands and begins to become itchy or dry, forming annoying stretch marks. In the early stages, white lines will appear on the abdomen. If not treated in time, obvious reddish-purple lines with a bumpy feel may form in the later stages, affecting the appearance. How can mothers improve and prevent stretch marks? In addition to using stretch mark cream, are there any other ways to restore the firm skin before childbirth and make the belly look beautiful again?
Causes of Stretch Marks
During pregnancy, the collagen and elastin fibers that support the skin cannot withstand the extension and pulling of the belly and tear, forming stretch marks. The formation and severity of stretch marks are affected by personal genetic factors, age, body mass index before pregnancy and at delivery, fetal weight, length and head circumference, and multiple pregnancies. In addition to pregnancy, rapid weight gain, obesity or excessive corticosteroids in the body may also cause stretch marks.
When do stretch marks appear?
Stretch marks usually appear after childbirth, mainly because the mother's belly continues to expand as the fetus in her belly continues to grow. When the belly becomes very large, it will cause the collagen layer in the skin to tear, forming silver reflective stripes. These stripes will be thicker and more congested, so red stripes will appear on the abdomen of the mother.
After giving birth, due to the body's own repair function, the blood vessels will slowly shrink and the pigment will fade. However, the skin has been overstretched and has no elasticity, so it will eventually turn into silver stretch marks, which are more difficult to eliminate.
Red stretch marks vs white stretch marks
In the early stages of stretch marks formation, they are red lines first. There will be red and purple stripes on the pregnant woman's belly. If the red lines are not treated in time, the blood vessels will slowly fade and turn into white lines after a period of time.
Stretch Marks Symptoms Phase 1
▸There are obvious white lines
▸Smooth or slightly bumpy touch
Stretch Marks Symptoms Stage 2
▸Distinct white/silver streaks
▸There is a noticeable bumpy feeling
Stretch Marks Symptoms Stage 3
▸ There are obvious red/purple or partial red/purple lines
▸There is a noticeable bumpy feeling
Preventing stretch marks
Before pregnancy - prepare first and prevent early
An important preventive method is to control your weight during pregnancy to prevent your skin from expanding rapidly! Don’t give stretch marks a chance to grow too much! Before pregnancy, you can do some sit-ups to strengthen your abdominal muscles for protection. When the tension of the abdominal muscles is well maintained, the chances of collagen and elastin rupture will also be reduced! There is a chance to prevent the formation of stretch marks!
Pregnancy - How to prevent stretch marks
1. Control your weight during pregnancy: Eat a balanced diet and avoid foods that are too oily, too sweet, too salty, or that can easily cause weight gain or edema.
2. Do moderate exercise: You can stretch your muscles and skin through walking, stretching and other moderate exercises to increase the elasticity of skin fiber cells.
3. Don’t scratch your belly if it itches: If your belly itches, please don’t scratch it. You can relieve it by patting it and applying cold compresses.
4. Strengthen abdominal massage: Choose a lotion massage cream or pregnancy cream suitable for your body type to apply, and massage more to train the elasticity of the muscles
After childbirth - Eliminate and reduce stretch marks
The best time to eliminate stretch marks is three months after giving birth. It is recommended that pregnant mothers can use lotion massage cream or pregnancy cream to massage the areas where stretch marks occur, or do some simple leg-lifting exercises, which can effectively eliminate stretch marks!
3 ways to improve stretch marks
Improve stretch marks method 1 | Maintain good eating habits
Avoid overeating and consuming too much fat, and eat less high-fat, high-oil, and high-sugar foods. Eat more protein and drink more water to replenish enough collagen.
Method 2 to improve stretch marks｜Moderate exercise
Maintaining moderate exercise during pregnancy can help increase skin elasticity, maintain skin elasticity, and avoid the appearance of stretch marks.
Improve stretch marks method 3 | Massage the skin
In the early stages of pregnancy, you can start using pregnancy oil or stretch mark cream to massage your skin to increase moisture and maintain elasticity, and reduce skin tightness and dryness.
Generally speaking, stretch marks may begin to form in the sixth month of pregnancy. Although it is impossible to completely prevent the formation of stretch marks, maintaining a proper weight and diet during this period can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. If the expectant mother already has stretch marks, she can first determine the degree of the stretch marks, and then choose the repair and elimination method based on the degree of expansion marks or stretch marks.
