Pregnancy is a beautiful. Stretch marks, on the other hand, may make some new mothers feel less than beautiful. Some women wear their stretch marks like badges of courage, as well they should. The journey that a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy is awe inspiring if you really think about it. Some women, though, as much as they love their new babies are unhappy with their new mommy bodies, including stretch marks. There is a lot to be said for embracing and owning your post baby body, but if someone is simply not comfortable, then there are still options, like stretch mark removal.
What Are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks appear as indented streaks on the skin. On pregnant women they appear mostly on the stomach, breasts, hips, and thighs. Depending on the color of your skin, the marks will begin pink, purple, or brown but will eventually fade to a more natural color, although they will not disappear completely. Stretch marks are actually scars marking the tearing of the dermis layer of the skin.
The dermis tears whenever there is a rapid stretching of the skin, hence the name, as well as a change in hormones. This happens with rapid changes in weight as well as pregnancy, weight gain, puberty, and body building. The sudden change damages the structure of the dermis, which appears as a stretch mark.
Will I Get Them?
There is no way of knowing whether or not you will get stretch marks as a result of your pregnancy. Research states that anywhere between fifty to ninety percent of pregnant women get stretch marks. Keep in mind though that stretch marks come in various degrees of size and severity. Some women may end up with a few marks on their hip, while others may have many marks on their stomach.
It seems that there may be some genetic influence so you could ask your mother or sister if they were left with any stretch marks after pregnancy. Teen mothers are more likely to get stretch marks, so are mothers who are carrying multiples, carrying a big baby, or have
excess amniotic fluid.
What Can I Do?
Unfortunately, there is nothing to prevent them. Some pregnant women are told to use cocoa butter to decrease the chances of stretch marks, but there has been no scientific evidence supporting this old wives tale. The marks may appear brightly colored at first, but will fade with time. There are topical creams like tretinoin and glycolic acid that marketed as stretch mark removal products and may minimize them further. Although it is important to note that many of these topical creams are not safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding. If you want complete stretch mark removal though, you will need to consult with the professionals at Skinney Med Spa. They can use laser therapy to restore the lost elasticity of the skin as well as adjust the skin’s pigmentations so that the marks are practically invisible.
Check out Skinney Med Spa’s Stretch Mark Reduction service here.
