Pregnancy changes your body in many ways and one of those things is the appearance of nasty looking stretch marks. Stretch marks during pregnancy are inevitable. The uterus expands to accommodate the growing foetus and also stretches the skin surrounding the stomach. When the skin stretches it tends to split and the collagen in the skin is not enough to fill those splits which leads to the formation of stretch marks. But, instead of waiting for them to appear and then treating stretch marks with laser treatment or any chemical treatment, it is best to prevent them from appearing. Here are six easy ways to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
1. Drink water. You have heard that drinking water is great for the body and you must follow that rule of drinking six to eight glasses of water during pregnancy. Water helps detoxify the body and helps your skin cope with the stress of stretching. You can also sip green tea in between to stay hydrated. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and is caffeine free. You should also eat foods with high water content like watermelons, strawberries, cucumbers, etc.
2. Eat your vitamins. Vitamin A, E and C are great for your skin. While vitamin A helps in the repair of skin tissue, vitamin E helps keep the skin membranes intact and vitamin C helps in the production of collagen (an essential component to maintaining elasticity of the skin and regeneration of skin cells). You should also include foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids into your diet, not only will it keep your skin membrane healthy, but also give your skin a natural, healthy glow. Foods like spinach, strawberries, nuts, seeds, carrots, sweet potato, mangoes, walnuts and eggs are rich in all these vitamins and are guaranteed to give you stretch mark free skin. You should also eat these superfoods during pregnancy for a healthy and strong baby.
3. Massage and moisturise your skin regularly. During pregnancy, your tummy, sides, lower back, thighs and legs are more prone to stretch marks as these areas bear the stress as your baby grows. So, for the skin to stretch with forming stretch marks it needs to be moisturised. But your ordinary moisturiser might not do the trick, as they will not penetrate deep into the skin. So use oils that are specifically made to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy or use natural remedies. According to Ayurveda oils like til oil (sesame oil), coconut oil and castor oil are great to help moisturise the skin. During your pregnancy gently massage areas most prone to stretch marks with any one of these oils twice a day. Remember you don t need to apply much pressure, just rub the area repeatedly till the oil disappears. Here are also some home remedies to tackle skin problems during pregnancy.
4. Exfoliate your skin. Exfoliation is a great way to remove dead skin from the top layers of the skin. It allows new cells to surface and increases blood circulation in the area and prevents the formation of stretch marks. Experts say that exfoliation is as important as moisturising one s skin to avoid stretch marks. Therefore to exfoliate during your pregnancy, use any one of the following methods--
Either of these methods can be done twice to thrice a week. Do not overdo this as it can irritate your skin.
5. Exercise. It is commonly believed that pregnant women should not exercise and should rest completely. However, that is far from the truth. Exercising during pregnancy can have a number of benefits. It makes the entire birthing process easy and can also help you manage labour pain better. Exercise helps your skin maintain its elasticity, regulates and increases circulation in the body and helps you breathe in more oxygen that is great for your skin and for your baby. More oxygen and increased blood circulation helps make your skin more able to stretch, therefore reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Another benefit of exercising during pregnancy is that it helps you body gain weight gradually nipping the stretch mark menace at the bud.
If you want to exercise during pregnancy, consult your doctor. Follow their advice and don't go overboard with it.
Exercises you can do during pregnancy--
Walking, aqua workouts like swimming, aerobics, cycling and other cardiovascular exercises can be easily done during pregnancy. Pre natal yoga asanas like the palm tree or the modified triangle pose are also great during pregnancy. Just remember that these exercises should not put a strain on your back or your stomach.
Exercises you must not do during pregnancy--
There are a few exercises which should do while there a few you must strictly avoid during pregnancy. Exercises that put a strain on your back or require you to hold your breath for a long time should be avoided.
6--Treat stretch marks as soon as they appear. If after taking all these precautions you still develop stretch marks, make sure to take care of them when they are still pink/red and a little painful. The best solution for this is to apply coconut oil regularly on the site. If you would like to use prescription medicines, you could try a cream that contains either glycolic acid or retinol. But before you opt for any one of these, do consult your doctor first as ingestion of glycolic acid or retinol, during pregnancy can be dangerous for your baby.
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