HEALTH TIPS, GUIDES AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE

Do Stretch Marks After Pregnancy Leave You Scarred For Life?

Becoming pregnant is a beautiful time for any woman. Feeling that first kick creates a feeling of love like no other and holding that wee one forms a bond that will last a lifetime. But those enlarged breasts and expanded belly will also leave lasting signs of that blessed event in the form of stretch marks or striae (the dermatology terminology). This is actually a form of scarring of the skin due to stretching beyond the skin’s flexibility. New stretch marks are generally purple or reddish discolored lines and are very obvious. Over time they will fade somewhat but can still be seen. Weight gain and even young people undergoing rapid growth can develop stretch marks.

It’s skin – not rubber bands

Our skin is considered the largest “organ” of the human body, incorporating a large portion of our body, in fact surrounding the entire body with a protective covering to shield from the elements and diseases. This protective covering is capable of stretching and contracting to a certain point but when an occurrence such as a pregnancy or sudden weigh gain that enlarges areas of the body (breasts, abdomen, legs, and arms) the skin is subjected to much more stress than it can normally handle. When this stretching occurs the skin tries to compensate by expanding the epidermis or outer layer to the point of tearing itself. These tears are called stretch marks and most often they are irreversible. Young people, particularly teenagers, are highly susceptible to acquiring stretch marks or severe striae as they undergo rapid growth and gain body weight. Diet as well as exercise, hormonal change and even genetic influence have been found to contribute to the susceptibility of the skin to over stretch and scar.

At least three quarters of all pregnant women develop stretch marks

That last trimester of pregnancy is extremely stressful for a woman’s body. The baby grows rapidly, causing the skin surrounding mom’s breasts and abdomen to expand quickly and soon create stressed areas that are a common pattern for pregnancy stretch marks. This development used to be considered an unpopular side effect of being pregnant but there have been several remedies that now help lessen the effects of that stretching or even eliminate the problem altogether.

Creams and massage can help reduce stretch mark visibility

Massaging creams onto the surface of skin that is subject to becoming over stretched, such as on pregnant women, has shown to help by adding moisture to the surface of the skin, thus giving the skin more flexibility and resilience. Among the more useful creams, lotions, and oils to help are vitamin E oil and creams containing cocoa butter, retin-A, trofolastin, and collagen hydrolysates.  The massaging of the skin’s surface may well be the most contributory benefit as it allows the skin to be gently stretched before any serious damage is done with more severe stretching. Massaging various creams into the surface of the skin can help by rebuilding the skins collagen layer and camouflaging stretch marks, particularly those of recent origin. Most likely the treatments are most effective on recently developed stretch marks rather than old ones that have been created years ago.

Dermabrasion and laser treatments may help with lightly damaged skin

Depending on the depth of damage created by over stressing and stretching the skin’s surface, laser surgery may not work as well. When both the dermis and epidermis have been damaged or penetrated, laser will not be able to make noticeable improvements. A procedure known as a tummy tuck may be called for in severe damaged skin. This eliminates small amounts of skin, including the area that has been damaged. What works well for one individual may not be as beneficial for another and although men are also susceptible to developing stretched skin scars due to weight gain as a result of over eating or body building, they may require alternative methods of treatment due to hormonal differences.

Microdermabrasion smoothes the surface of damaged skin

 Use of a hand held devise which simply blows crystals over the surface of skin that has been damaged due to stretching has shown to be somewhat beneficial for smoothing out the ridges of stretch marks. It works by polishing the surface of skin and removing damages skin cells. When the skin regrows in that area it appears smoother and blends in to the surrounding surface. Microdermabrasion has shown to be effective on older stretch marks. Stretch marks are most often simply something that must be lived with after the damage has been done even though some treatments have proven beneficial, they never seem to entirely disappear.