Stretch marks.

Did you flinch? There are very few words that make a waiting room full of women squirm more than the mere mention of those pesky little lines. We all get them, we all hate them, and we all secretly fear what our bodies will look like post-baby, and wonder just how bad those stretch marks are really going to be.

Even if you aren’t “expecting,” most people experience stretch marks at some point in their lives, whether it be from rapid weight loss or gain, surgery, sun damage, dehydration or any other many catalysts that can cause them. Stretch marks are a form of scarring that occur when skin is rapidly stretched and does not have ample time to make new skin cells to make up for the change, causing the cells to stretch and can appear as silvery lines, red marks, deep pink lines or the appearance of broken veins underneath the skin. While your skin is very elastic, when your body has an abundance of Glucocorticoid hormone, commonly produced during pregnancy affects your epidermis by preventing it from making enough elastin and collagen to maintain the skins’ taut texture .

Between 75% and 95% of women develop some sort of stretch scarring during and after pregnancy most commonly in the stomach area, hips, back and breasts as these are the areas that see the most drastic change. While there is no proven way to completely remove or prevent stretch marks without cosmetic surgery, there are a plethora of cosmetic products available that all claim to reduce the appearance of stretch marks faster, better, and easier. The truth is that most of these products are very similar and contain ingredients like caffeine and seaweed that temporarily firm skin and give you the illusion and feel that it is instantly working. While these may make you feel a little more toned and you may find it easier to get into those lacy unmentionables, when you discontinue consistent use of the product your skin may return to it’s previous state, most of the time without much change or improvement.

While I am not promising you a magic potion or instant results, I have found a number of products and practices that worked for me to effectively improve the overall elasticity of your skin and as a bonus are also good for your overall health.

The first tip should go without saying, but the truth is that many people suffer from a variety of ailments and complications due to chronic dehydration. While you can bathe yourself in moisturizers all day long, if you aren’t drinking enough water an entire ocean of lotion wont do you a bit of good. It is especially important that you keep yourself sufficiently and consistently hydrated while you are pregnant, as you sweat more from the extra weight and strain on your body from the baby and most women are unaware of how much fluid they are losing. Fluctuating hormones also play a factor into our temperatures, and another culprit that can lead to severe complications is dehydration from morning sickness or nausea.

If you can stand a couple of trips to the bathroom during the night, start pushing fluids during your evening meal and night time routines and keep a bottle of water or Gatorade near your bedside or in the bathroom to remind yourself to stay hydrated. Your skin, your body, and your baby will thank you if you make a marked effort to push fluids every day and be aware of what you are eating, avoid salt, caffeine, and chocolate that can make your retain water and suffer swelling or nausea. Keeping a constant hydration and nutritional level throughout pregnancy will maximize your body’s’ ability to make new skin cells, and overall support the elasticity in your skin and will reduce the scarring after the baby is born. Soaking in a warm bath is also a pleasant and calming way to keep your skin moisturized and is a great pain reliever for lower back cramping in later months.

As far as topical skin treatments go, you can’t go wrong with shea and cocoa butter lotions, which can be found in a variety of flavors and brands but my favorite is the new installment from Johnson & Johnson that will put you back about three dollars for a large bottle and can be used for both you and baby! I can not emphasize enough that the key to these products and practices working for you is consistency, quantity, and making it part of your daily routine. Starting during pregnancy, apply lotion to your belly and back, breasts and thighs a couple times a day increasing the number of times you apply the lotion the further along with the pregnancy you are. If you are having a hard time remembering, write yourself a note on the bathroom mirror or keep a bottle by your desk at work, set an alarm in your phone or do whatever it takes to work for you.

As with anything, your body will adapt and get used to having these vitamins and will maximize their use according to your body’s’ needs, so missing or suddenly stopping the treatment may cause your skin to react to the lack of nutrients and may feel extra dry or itchy. You can also take oral supplements, vitamin e, gelatin, and your prenatal vitamins will all help to keep your body in tip top shape. It is most important to use the moisturizer near the end of pregnancy, in the hospital and the weeks following as many times as you can remember in the baby-chaos as this will help your skin to resist permanent scarring and promote healing as your entire body balance changes post-par tum and keeping up with your routines gives it one less thing to worry about and gives you more energy for healing and time with your new miracle.

If you already have marks that have been with you as long as the stone age, don’t despair. The same treatments will work for you too, it just may take longer to see results and may take more of a long term commitment to keeping up your daily routine. If you stick with it, I promise you will see and feel a healthy difference in the texture and appearance of your skin within a week of starting your regimen.

Now for the good news. When I first got together with my now-husband and father of my child, he was very self conscious of being without a shirt on because he had deep red stretch marks on his midsection and back due to losing over a hundred pounds when he was a teenager. While I tried to get him to “routine,” he could never really get into the pattern and had given up and admitted defeat. That’s when my good friend Ian told me about Tone Brand soap. Tone is available in most grocery stores and drug stores and is priced comparatively with other major bars, and it has the Cocoa butter and Shea right in the bar, so every time you shower you are double tasking, getting clean AND reducing the appearance of your stretch marks. My husband can now go to the pool and take his shirt off without embarrassment as his marks have faded almost into invisibility with regular daily use.

Stretch Marks. Water. Cocoa Butter and Shea lotion, and Tone brand soap. Now stop flinching and smile!

Tags: Cremes, Dermatology, pregnancy, Skin Issues, Stretch Marks