What to do About Stretch Marks
Skin is the largest organ in the entire body and one of it’s most unique abilities is the ability to stretch. Stretch marks can occur with anyone and they are the result of skin that has been stretched beyond its limit. The building blocks of skin are collagen and elastin, which are proteins.
Any time there is an occurrence of very fast weight gain there is a risk of getting stretch marks. This is why they are found very frequently on pregnant women. During pregnancy the abdomen is stretched in a short period of time and can not handle the stress.
Stretch marks are completely harmless. When they first develop they are red or purple, but they change to white lines over time. Because they can be quite deep and unattractive, many women become very upset and unhappy with them.
As always, prevention is the best medicine, so if you are pregnancy you should try to prevent stretch marks from forming in the first place. A healthy diet and exercise will slow down the weight gain which helps to avoid stretch marks. Keeping your skin moisturized will make a big difference as well.
Once stretch marks are formed you may be left wondering what to do about them. While no treatment will work for everyone in every circumstance you can lessen their prominence. Natural remedies like cocoa butter, olive oil and wheat germ oil are all popular choices.
The stretch mark creams that have been touted on all the daytime talk shows are another option for dealing with stretch marks once you have them. They are not all the same and some cost more than others. They work by replenishing your skin with missing proteins and nutrients so that it can more effectively heal itself. You can also explore laser surgery with your doctor.
Stretch marks are sort of a badge of honor in being a mother, and even though they are well worth the end result of having a child, they can be discouraging to many women to look at. Although you want them to disappear, you can’t just wave a magic wand and hope they go away, but you can do something about them. Feeling ashamed or self conscious about these stretch marks is not good for your self-image or for your self esteem.