Pregnancy Stretch Marks! How to prevent & treat?
ByIm 5 months pregnant with my first child & im really trying to prevent getting stretch marks. Im Mexican & african american so my skin is really light brownish & it would be really noticeable. Ive been using palmers stretch mark cream & shea butter. Any other suggestions?
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10 Comments
April 16th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Given that they are hereditary there’s really no preventing them – you can lessen the effects by using a good cocoa butter lotion such as Palmer’s or Bio-Oil. which you’re already doing
April 16th, 2010 at 3:31 am
Bio Oil i’ve heard recommended by a few.
But as with most of these ‘miracle cures’ there’s no gaurantee.
April 16th, 2010 at 3:40 am
bio oil is really good if you put the lotion on at night and wrap cling film around certain areas that need it.The lotion will work extra harder as the cling film heats it up.It sounds crazy but it really works. Its like putting hand-cream on and wearing plastic gloves at night
April 16th, 2010 at 3:46 am
There are a ton of suggestions on the internet however, with my 1st child NOTHING worked and my “mommy marks” were inevitable. With #2 & 3 I didn’t get any “extra marks” but I used exactly what you’re using. I think it depends on your skins elasticity and how much your tummy grows. I’m not a vain woman and I accepted that they are a part of pregnancy (I was very small 108 lb with my 1st) so I had no choice but to stretch. It’s ok and I wouldn’t change a thing…my babies are well worth it.
April 16th, 2010 at 4:23 am
U can try to use the cream to keep them from getting bad, but unfortunately, they’re hereditary… ask ur mom if she got them, if she did then you probably will… just keep it moistureized and dont scratch…
April 16th, 2010 at 5:05 am
You can’t avoid 100% of stretch marks but can reduce the severity of them. I also use the same lotion as you and it did WONDERS! I applied if morning and night. Sometimes in the middle of the day just for kicks. Keep you skin hydrated as much as possible. Drink plenty of water to keep it hydrated also. Limit showers/baths to no more than 20 minutes and don’t use hot water (but you can’t anyways so that is easy
) You can lather on stretch mark treatment all you want but in the end time is what it will take. They do fade. Exfoliating is the best method to help the skin get rid of dead skin cells which will promote new skin cells. If you do end up with some they will turn a silvery/white color and will be not noticeable. Loosing any extra pounds after baby is born will help reduce the look of stretch marks also. Congrats!
April 16th, 2010 at 5:10 am
I used vitamin E or baby oil…it helps alot better than palmers cocoa butter….
when i was pregnant of my 1st child i used vitamin E and i had NO stretch marks when i ran out and i had the palmers lotion , i used it and as soon as i used it stretch marks started popping out like crazy…. i say baby oil is 10x better than palmers
April 16th, 2010 at 5:47 am
There is absolutely no way to prevent them. People “think” they prevented them, but actuality is that they were not genetically prone to getting them. You can treat them to make them appear smaller and lighten the color but that is about it.
April 16th, 2010 at 5:58 am
it is tru that if your mom had them u more than likely will too…trying wont hurt tho lol so after every shower while i was slightly wet i would use baby oil, and then air dry. after air drying i used palmers stretch mark cream…ma belly is stretch mark free!!
April 16th, 2010 at 6:02 am
There are creams out there that can help get rid of your stretch marks, but you need to find the right one.
I found this on the site I put in the source box below:
Things to look for in a stretch mark cream
There are a lot of creams and ointments out there that claim to remove stretch marks. The best way to fight stretch marks is to increase your skins flexibility before your stretch marks start appearing by using a topical cream on the area before the skin starts to show stretch marks. If you already have stretch marks, hope is not lost. There are creams out there that contain ingredients that help heal the skin while minimizing scar tissue.
Some of the key ingredients that you will want to make sure your cream contains are:
Vitamin A Palmitate
Vitamin A is an essential vitamin and is best known for having positive effects on vision. However Vitamin A is just as important to the largest organ; the skin.
Clinical studies have shown vitamin A to have properties that block the absorption of harmful UVA and UVB rays, as well as a stimulating effect on cell regeneration. It has been clinically shown to improve the appearance of striae (stretch marks) and regulate epidermal (skin) cell growth.
Aloe Vera Extract
Aloe vera has been shown in clinical studies to have a positive effect on wound healing and holds anti-inflammatory properties.
As stretch marks start out as microscopic tears in skin layers due to overstretching of the dermis, aloe vera helps heal these small wounds without causing scar tissue to form, effectively preventing the appearance of stretch marks. Aloe vera has been used for thousands of years by the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Indians and Chinese to decrease the appearance of scars and to moisturize and heal skin.
This extract from the aloe leaf protects skin from environmental factors and promotes skin regeneration.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract is a natural antibiotic used for many different types of skin ailments. It is a powerful ingredient to aid in the healing of skin damage. Grapefruit seed extract helps to restore damaged collagen and elastin, which strengthens and retextures the skin.
As collagen and elastin are responsible for the skins elasticity, improving and stimulating production of the connective tissue cells will prevent skin from tearing and thus prevent the formation of stretch marks. The condition of the skins connective tissue also dictates how well the skin contracts after pregnancy. So not only does this compound improve the condition of your stretching skin, after the delivery it will also aid in the contraction of your skin to its previous appearance.
DL-Penthenol
DL-Penthenol is the scientific name for pro-vitamin B5. It has healing properties on damaged skin as it works to improve the structure of both the lower and upper skin layers. DL-Panthenol soothes skin while stimulating cell growth and differentiation.
This ingredient aids in the regeneration of the skin, therefore aiding in reducing the appearance of existing stretch marks by replacing the scar tissue with new skin cells. It also acts to prevent stretch marks by promoting collagen and elastin production, which allows your skin to stretch without rupturing and causing stretch marks.
A cream that has shown to be highly effective at preventing stretch marks as well as healing strecth makrs that you already have is Stretch Mark Prevention by Revitol.
Whether you are afraid that stretch marks may be in your future of if they are already a part of your life, the Stretch Mark Prevention cream is the product you will want on your side!