Easy Tips to Prevent Stretch Marks During Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy causes many strange things to happen to your body, as you may have discovered personally. Undoubtedly while you're expecting symptoms like nausea, fatigue, weight increase, and the unavoidable, adorably cute baby bump, you might not have anticipated stretch marks.

Most of us wish we could prevent stretch marks from emerging during pregnancy, although they are generally innocuous and common. While some women are proud of their pregnancy scars, others may feel self-conscious about them. Are you also one of them who is worried about stretch marks? 

Then do not stress too much since some ways available can help reduce stretch marks. But remember, you cannot stop them completely, but you can lower them. Read this guide to learn why stretch marks occur during pregnancy and what to do about them.

What are Stretch Marks? Why do They Occur?

Stretch marks are a scar that forms when your skin stretches or shrinks excessively. Stretch marks might look purple, brown, red, or pinkish in appearance and usually occurs according to your skin’s color. 

Initial stretch marks can be somewhat elevated and irritating, or they can be completely invisible. Stretch marks most commonly emerge on pregnant females' stomachs, pelvis, thighs, breasts, and butts.

According to experts, new tissue grows to replace the injured parts when skin fibers break, making the skin less tight and elastic. The new gelatin's texture may vary, resulting in elevated or indented scars.

What are the Reasons for Stretch Marks's Appearance?

Stretch marks typically arise during times of following quick changes to your body:

• Development during puberty
• Instantaneous weight increase or loss
• Pregnancy
• Fast muscle growth from a weight workout

Collagen fibers in the skin can burst when your body rapidly changes shape. Stretch marks emerge as your skin rebounds from this damage, similar to how a scar appears as a wound heals.

Stretch marks do not affect all pregnant women but most of them. The flexibility of your skin, which is primarily a genetic element, determines whether or not you will get stretch marks.

Helpful Tips to Prevent Stretch Marks

1. Eat Gelatin

Gelatin is a significant way to control stretch marks. Collagen construction is vital in improving your skin's elasticity. So, to improve your skin's collagen-building, you can eat gelatin to acquire more collagen in your diet. 

You can consume gelatin by making bone broth, drinking it plain daily in the morning, making gravies, soups, sauces, etc., and using gelatin for cooking your rice. You could use gelatin powder and harden or gel foods. It's perfect for making fruit gummies or jelly.

2. Be Hydrated

You should keep your body sufficiently hydrated during pregnancy since, this time, your blood volume raises, and you are making a giant water sack for your child. 

Your body needs hydration. Your skin also ought to be hydrated for maximum skin elasticity. I suggest that you fetch 8-12 glasses of water daily. 

Also, pay attention to changes in your body, like you might have dry lips or throat, fatigue, headaches, or a loss of concentration; they are signs of dehydration. 

3. Use Coconut Oil

You can use coconut oil lotion to keep your belly moist during pregnancy. Coconut oil can nourish your skin. It has saturated fatty acids that do not quickly oxidize and keep your body sticky. 

You can apply coconut oil right after a shower to hold moisture. You might even love a mixture of coconut oil and beeswax that assists in keeping the coconut oil in place until it immerses into your skin.

4. Obtain Vitamin C

Generally, your body uses Vitamin C to create collagen and cartilage. Vitamin C is an excellent option to reduce free radical damage since they consume collagen and elastin. 

It will be best to acquire Vitamin C from natural foods instead of supplements. Foods rich in vitamin C are red and green bell peppers, guava, parsley greens, kale, broccoli, and turnips. Tough, you can do both if you want to use supplements and eat these foods. 

5. Get Oil Treatments

You can use convenient oils like olive oil, essential oils, Vitamin E oil, and castor oil to improve skin elasticity and control stretch marks. Many of these oils function because of their antioxidant properties, which lower free radical crack. 

6. Consume Zinc

Zinc shortage in a body is also one reason to get stretch marks.  Zinc is a naturally occurring vital mineral that is the most abundant in the body and is also involved in producing collagen. To get more zinc, you can ingest foods like chicken, mutton, meat, eggs, nuts, lentils, and grains.

7. Use Stretch Mark Serum or Creams

Plenty of stretch marks creams or serums are available on the market, and you can easily use them during pregnancy. However, before purchasing any stretch marks creams, you should consult your doctor to ensure they don't have any side effects and will work well on your skin. 

8. Employ Shea or Cocoa Butter Supplements

Shea and cocoa butter work best to keep your skin moist and hydrated. Cocoa butter is a natural lubricant derived from cocoa beans, and shea butter forms from the karate tree. But again, you should talk to your doctor before employing any shea and cocoa butter supplements. 

Bottom Line 

It's a remarkable achievement that you can have a baby inside you and give it new life after a few months. Instead of catching up adverse effects of pregnancy on your body, you should try to honor and respect it and not mentally tear it down. 

So you should not stress too much about stretch marks and enjoy this fantastic feeling of becoming a mother. I hope the reasons for stretch marks appearance and tips to reduce them shared in this guide will help you during your pregnancy; feel free to comment if you have more questions.