How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

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Do you dread getting stretch marks during pregnancy? Are you wondering what you can do to avoid developing stretch marks? Or maybe you’ve already given birth and you are wondering how to reduce the appearance of your stretch marks. Then this post is for you!

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First things first, can you REALLY prevent the appearance of stretch marks? Simply put, no. There are many factors that contribute to the development of stretch marks such as the elasticity of your skin, moisture, and how quickly you put on pregnancy weight.

For me, I lathered myself with lotion and oil daily throughout pregnancy, stayed extra hydrated, and ate decently healthy, but still developed stretch marks all over: my stomach, hips, breasts, and inner thighs! I went through the entire first and second trimester without a single stretch mark in sight, but the third trimester is when I started to gain all of my weight and thus all of my stretch marks. My breasts grew twice as large and even started leaking milk in the third trimester and my bump didn’t REALLY start showing until the third trimester. Due to this rapid weight gain, it was inevitable that I developed stretch marks.

RELATED: Pregnancy-Safe Skincare Routine

So what can you do to minimize the occurrence of stretch marks and reduce the appearance of ones that do develop?

What Are Stretch Marks?

First, let’s take a look at what stretch marks are. Stretch marks are those long, thin lines that appear when your skin is stretched at a rapid pace. Such rapid stretching of the skin causes the collagen and elastin to rupture. You may be more prone to these if close family members have stretch marks or if you have fluctuating hormone levels, such as during pregnancy.

Stretch marks do not all look alike and their appearance can depend on numerous factors. Such factors include how you got them, how long you’ve had them, where they are on your body, and your own skin type. These long, thin lines may first appear red, purple, pink, or brown and can be raised and itchy.

As your skin starts to heal, stretch marks will start to fade into whiteish, scar-like lines that leave a depression in your skin. At their basis, stretch marks are scarring of your skin. With any scar, you can minimize its appearance, but scars are permanent.

 

Why Do We Get Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?

As previously mentioned, stretch marks may appear due to fluctuations in hormones, dehydration, and rapid weight gain or loss. Pregnancy is a triple whammy, causing all of the above. 

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about your fluctuating hormones during pregnancy or your genetic predisposition to stretch marks. However, you can manage your internal and external hydration levels as well as your weight gain and loss.

Below we will explore ways to prevent stretch marks through internal hydration and external hydration (hydration of the skin). We will also take a brief look at products that help diminish the appearance of stretch marks after they have already developed. 

Internal Hydration

Drink Water

Help keep your skin moisturized from the inside out by staying well hydrated! By drinking plenty of water your skin will stay soft and hydrated. Soft, hydrated skin is less prone to damage and, thus less prone to stretch marks. This is due to your skin having improved elasticity and flexibility when it is properly hydrated and nourished.

It is recommended pregnant women drink about 1 gallon of water per day. This not only helps with preventing stretch marks but has numerous other benefits for pregnancy as well. If you struggle to stay hydrated, order yourself a large water bottle to hold yourself accountable. If you can’t remember to drink from your cup, set a timer on your phone or apple watch for every 30 minutes.

Electrolytes

Another way to improve hydration is with electrolyte drinks. If you are having a normal, healthy pregnancy, drinking plenty of fluids, eating a well-balanced diet, and keeping everything down, you should not need to supplement with these. However, if you cannot drink enough or if you are suffering from severe nausea or vomiting that is not letting you eat well or keep food and fluids down, you may want to look into this. 

If you get a good electrolyte drink, it will help you drink more water because it will make it taste better. During pregnancy, you also want to ensure you’re not drinking the “bad” electrolyte drinks that contain too much sugar and salt such as Gatorade or Powerade. Drip Drop is a great hydration powder that you mix with water. It comes in numerous different flavors and their website provides valuable information on how important electrolytes are during pregnancy.

External Hydration

Best Moisturizers to Prevent Stretch Marks

I personally used a combination of Palmer’s cocoa butter formula massage lotion for stretch marks and bio-oil during pregnancy to keep my skin elastic and moisturized.

Palmer’s cocoa butter massage lotion for stretch marks has vitamin E, collagen, elastin, argan oil, and shea butter to help prevent stretch marks. Bio-oil hydrates your skin, helps maintain elasticity, and improves skin quality. It contains rosemary oil to help heal scars, chamomile oil to help even out skin, vitamin E with antioxidant properties, vitamin A, lavender, and calendula. I continue to use bio oil postpartum to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks that I did develop!

One product I started incorporating postpartum to reduce the appearance of stretch marks was Mederma Stretch Marks Cream. This cream really helped decrease the redness of my stretch marks and has helped significantly fade them. It does this via Cepalin (onion extract), hyaluronic acid, and Centella Asiatica extract. This cream can be used starting in the second trimester of pregnancy, and if I had known this at the time, I would have started it then! However, I will say there is a strong scent to it, so if you have a sensitive nose, I do not recommend it. 

Best Exfoliators for Pregnancy

Any form of exfoliation will encourage faster cell turnover and thus reduce the appearance of stretch marks. By removing old cells, a new layer of skin will grow and improve tissue oxygenation. Exfoliation in pregnancy is great for not only stretch marks but also melasma and acne scarring.

When choosing an exfoliant during pregnancy, you must be careful to avoid harsh chemicals, BHAs, and other ingredients unsafe for pregnancy. One great exfoliant is the Bare Botanics Salt Scrub. This vegan, cruelty-free sea salt scrub is made with deeply hydrating ingredients like avocado oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera. 

If you have sensitive skin and find that a salt scrub is too harsh on your skin, you can opt for a sugar scrub such as Beauty by Earth Organic Body Scrub. This antioxidant and anti-inflammatory scrub is also great for acne-prone skin, eczema, psoriasis, and sensitive and oily skin. Many people report having soft and smooth skin that does not irritate their sensitive skin or cause breakouts after using this product.

Reversing Stretch Marks Postpartum

If you do develop stretch marks, retinol (Vitamin A), is a great way to reduce their appearance. This encourages skin cell turnover and stimulates collagen production allowing for skin to become smoother and firmer. For a true retinol cream, you should visit your dermatologist for a prescription-level cream. 

Disclaimer: DO NOT USE RETINOL PRODUCTS DURING PREGNANCY. It is also recommended to avoid retinol while breastfeeding.

After your pregnancy and breastfeeding journeys, you can explore other options for treating stretch marks recommended by dermatologists. Such treatments include tretinoin cream, microneedling, laser treatment, chemical peels, and fillers. 

Conclusion

I hope some of this helps you in your journey to preventing/reducing pregnancy-related stretch marks. Do not worry if you do develop stretch marks, as it is a very normal part of growing a baby. However, if you do develop stretch marks, just know that there are things you can do to help minimize their appearance. Personally, I have learned to love and embrace my stretch marks as they are a sign of what a wonderous thing my body has been through. 

Please comment below on what you did to prevent stretch marks during your pregnancy.