Prevent Stretch Marks: Moisturize And Hydration Is The Key
April 10th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
When the body grows too fast for the skin to keep pace with it, one may see stretch marks making an appearance. This is one of the reasons why teenage girls get stretch marks on their thighs as well as hip areas after reaching puberty, as they experience a growth spurt.
Stretch marks will also appear when women become pregnant because the belly grows too fast and stretch marks appear due to the elastin and collagen fibers becoming dehydrated and torn. This is one reason why doctors recommend moisturizing the stomach during pregnancy.
Gain Weight Slowly and Within Recommended Limits
Preventing stretch marks may help to reduce the degree of stretch marks that appear and one good way of not having stretch marks is to keep from putting on too much extra weight. One should ensure that the amount of weight that one adds to the body is not above recommended levels, and gaining weight slowly will help to prevent stretch marks.
One will often be reminded to keep the skin well moisturized as it will play an important role in preventing stretch marks from appearing. Using a nourishing lotion, oil or cream that is applied daily as well as nightly will help to moisturize the skin, which will aid in improving the elasticity of the skin, and thus prevent stretch marks. Products that help to prevent stretch marks include those that have vitamin E, vitamin A, emu oil, cocoa butter, wheat germ oil and also lanolin, though the results attained may be somewhat limited.
Eating carefully and maintaining a sensible diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables as well as leafy greens is certainly recommended, as good nutrition is of utmost importance to the developing baby while also contributing to the strength as well as health of the skin. Food rich in vitamin C and E, zinc as well as silica will help the skin in stretching better as well as get the skin to bounce back better post childbirth.
Another way to prevent stretch marks is to drink plenty of water as well as taking prenatal vitamins. In addition, there are many products being sold that claim to prevent stretch marks and are made from unique and natural products that have preventive as well as fading properties. To prevent stretch marks, one should massage the skin with a glove or massage brush so that there is better circulation, and using moisturizing creams to the affected area could also prove to be helpful.
Technorati Tags: prevent stretch marks, stretch mark prevention
Related Tags: prevent stretch marks, stretch marks, avoid stretch marks, best stretch mark cream, cocoa butter for stretch marks, fade stretch marks, natural stretch mark products, prevent stretch marks pregnancy
Prevent Stretch Marks The Smart Way
May 11th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Most women are keenly aware of the ugly, discolored scarring known as stretch marks. As a matter of fact, there is an entire beauty industry centered around the removal of these unsightly skin defects. But what about stretch mark prevention?
You may be wondering if it is just a myth or whether a person can really do something to prevent stretch marks from developing. Clinical studies tend to be inconclusive in this area, but a large number of women have learned through personal experience that certain preventive actions can help minimize the risk of getting stretch marks.
These actions are detailed below and should be seriously considered by any woman that wishes to take a proactive approach in the fight against stretch marks. But first, let’s take a look at the real cause of stretch marks.
What Causes Stretch Marks?
The surface of the skin is generally fairly elastic, but when it is stretched beyond its capacity, damage can result. It is usually during periods of rapid weight gain and subsequent loss that you are at the greatest risk of developing stretch marks.
Prime examples of this weight change cycle can be identified during:
- Pregnancy
- Weight training
- Rapid weight gain and loss
- Growth spurts in teens
During these periods of physiological change, the normal production of collagen is disrupted. It should be noted that collagen is an important protein, with an essential role in providing pliability and elasticity to your skin. As a result of this disruption, the skin loses some elasticity and when stretched beyond its limits, white or red scars may appear. These scars are what are traditionally known as stretch marks.
Will a Stretch Mark Prevention Program Really Help?
Obviously, if you had a choice, you would agree that it is preferable to prevent stretch marks from developing in the first place, rather than trying to treat them after the fact. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed method of preventing stretch marks, even though there are a number of products on the market that will make this claim. It is just not true.
The good news is that there are products that are proven effective in increasing the elasticity of the skin. It is believed that these natural creams and oils prevent stretch marks by attacking their root causes – loss of elasticity and sudden trauma through overstretching. To increase the effectiveness of these products, it is recommended that they be used as part of an overall skin conditioning program.
Stretch Mark Prevention Tips
As Ben Franklin so aptly put; ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!’ And no truer words have been spoken regarding an approach to stretch marks and their treatment. So, to help give you a jump start with your stretch mark prevention program, a number of helpful tips are provided below:
1. If you are thinking about getting pregnant, or are presently in the mother-to-be state, try starting an exercise program. Continue this regimen throughout your pregnancy and it should help in reducing a lot of the stretch marks that may have developed naturally during the process. An exercise program works by helping you to limit your weight gain and, therefore, limit the trauma and overstretching of your affected skin. Of course, before you start any exercise program, please check with your doctor.
2. Try using natural stretch mark products that inherently have the exceptional ability to increase the skin’s elasticity. Products made with cocoa butter and other natural ingredients are your best bet. Many women who have endured pregnancy swear to the effectiveness of this method.
3. To supplement stretch mark creams and oils, you should consider using a body brush to massage the affected areas where you want to prevent stretch marks from forming. This is usually on the thighs, breasts, buttocks, and arms. This extra effort helps increase the circulation to the skin and helps the absorption of the cream into the affected area.
4. If you are on a diet, moderation is the ‘keyword’. A diet encouraging slow weight loss will minimize trauma to the skin and allow the skin to better adjust to the weight changes. This will help reduce the likelihood of stretch marks.
At the end of the day, there really is no single fail-safe method to prevent the formation of stretch marks. But a stretch mark prevention program, based on a combination of natural stretch mark products and the helpful tips provided above, should dramatically increase your odds of reducing or eliminating stretch mark development. Give it a try - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Technorati Tags: natural stretch mark products, prevent stretch marks, stretch mark prevention
Related Tags: prevent stretch marks, stretch marks, avoid stretch marks, best stretch mark cream, cocoa butter for stretch marks, fade stretch marks, natural stretch mark products, prevent stretch marks pregnancy
Using Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks
May 26th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
This has been one of the oldest home remedies for stretch marks I can remember. Using coca butter for stretch marks has its roots in the belief that the richness of the cream, or butter, has healing properties. It is believed that the butter softens the skin and encourages the skin tissue to repair itself. This leads to the eventual reduction in the appearance of the stretch marks.
Does Cocoa Butter Fade Stretch Marks?
While some in the medical community still question whether cocoa butter is an effective stretch mark remover, cocoa butter has a very loyal following. Many women have used this cream for stretch mark prevention and swear that it helped them avoid getting stretch marks as a result of their pregnancy.
But the truth is that the overwhelming numbers of women who have tried this stretch mark remedy are staunch believers in its healing powers.
How to Use Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks
When using cocoa butter, it is best to make sure that the skin to be treated is clean and dry. If you prefer, you can gently massage your stretch marks with a loofah or other sponge made specifically for exfoliation. Don’t overdo – it can cause further damage of the skin. The final step is to gently massage the cocoa butter into the stretch marks.
Where Can You Find Cocoa Butter?
Cocoa butter is one of the primary ingredients in Barmon Stretch Mark Cream. Barmons is an all natural stretch mark solution that has been in existence for over 25 years. This cream has been used by 100’s of thousands of women as both a preventative and remedy for their scar damaged skin. It is also one of the few stretch mark products that has been proven safe to use during pregnancy. The company has an extremely loyal following of satisfied customers and their testimonials can be viewed on the Barmon’s website.
So, if you are a believer that using coca butter for stretch marks is an effective option, give it a try. You have plenty of company!
Technorati Tags: cocoa butter for stretch marks, fade stretch marks, stretch mark prevention, stretch marks
Related Tags: prevent stretch marks, stretch marks, avoid stretch marks, best stretch mark cream, cocoa butter for stretch marks, fade stretch marks, natural stretch mark products, prevent stretch marks pregnancy
