Stretch Marks During Pregnancy: Find Out How To Avoid Them Easily
Stretch marks are one of the main headaches for women during pregnancy. Because of the changes taking place in the body, they seem impossible to avoid. But that’s not entirely true, as there are some ways for women to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy and display a nice belly during and after pregnancy.
First of all, we want to make clear the naturalness that stretch marks represent. They are part of the natural development of pregnancy. However, as this can be complex for many women, we want to teach you how to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy.
Causes of stretch marks
According to Elizabeth Fonte : “Stretch marks affect a large number of pregnant women (75-95%) and are produced by two types of factors: mechanical and hormonal“.
The pharmaceutical explains that the mechanical factors are produced by the “increase of adipose and connective tissue”. Thus, the volume of the body is affected because “the skin has a stretch”.
In addition, hormonal factors are related to increased levels of estrogen which “produces weaker collagen and elastin fibers so that these supporting structures of the epidermis become thin and sink in.”
Habits of preventing stretch marks during pregnancy
A proper diet
Eating well is something that must be done before, during and after pregnancy. Taking care of the skin is fundamental and its condition , in addition to being largely related to our genetic makeup, is influenced in part by the foods we eat.
That’s why it’s important to include all the nutrients necessary for the skin to remain elastic and, at the same time, firm, thus avoiding the appearance of stretch marks.
The contribution of nutrients will depend on the food we eat. When eating foods rich in silicon such as potatoes, beets, whole grains, spinach and Swiss chard, the natural production of collagen is favored, an element that interferes with the maintenance of the skin’s firmness.
The same thing happens with foods rich in fatty acids like avocados, nuts and coconut, among others.
Of course, you can’t leave out foods rich in vitamin C, which significantly improve the skin’s elasticity.
In addition, vitamin C acts against the harmful effects of the sun’s radiation, preventing the appearance of stretch marks and marks related to aging. Some of these foods are: lemon, strawberry, milk, pepper and tomato.
It ‘s also very important to drink plenty of fluids to flush out toxins and keep your skin hydrated.
constant hydration
Applying creams can be a tedious thing for some women. But when you’re pregnant, it should be something fundamental. Ideally, start long before the changes in the body begin to occur so “better safe than sorry”.
One way to routinely moisturize, without forgetting, is to store the cream or natural oils in the bathroom and apply them as soon as we dry off, as a complement to our beauty routine. The idea is for the cream or oil to be completely absorbed so that each of our skin cells hydrates.
Anti-stretch mark massage
Massages are a very relaxing way to avoid these skin tags. They can be made with the same moisturizing oils or with a combination of olive oil and wheat, for example.
Below, we’ve highlighted the areas you should focus more on because that’s where stretch marks appear most often:
Breasts
Put a little oil on your hands and, in a gentle way, make a wrapping movement towards the inside of the breasts and then continue towards the shoulders.
Stomach
With oil-soaked hands, make gentle, circular motions across the entire length of the belly until the oil is completely absorbed.
hips and thighs
Always perform circular movements from the bottom to the top to the top of the hips.
Then apply the oil again and cover the entire length of the buttocks and thighs, applying a little more force until the moisturizing oil is completely absorbed.
