How Do I Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant are the targets of numerous scams and miraculous stretch mark skin care creams are the most popular. While a little Vitamin E can be good for the skin, to expect that it will make all stretch marks go away overnight is not sensible. Irrespective of what is put on, the skin will in all probability show scars of drastic stretching that happens over a short time period. The level of successful healing depends upon a person’s age, skin tone, heredity and diet.
The common cause of stretch marks is the stretching of the skin, an increase in cortisone production that undermines the skin’s elasticity and the disruption of collagen production. Typically, pregnancy or other weight gain causes the appearance of stretch marks. However, other folks may get these scars too. These include body builders, growing adolescents, those taking Corticosteroids or those with a genetic disorder, including Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. People may be predisposed to these unsightly marks if they have dry skin, do not drink sufficient water, consume excess greasy foods, exercise too little or too much, take steroids, smoke or drink.
Even though there are various alleged stretch mark removal treatments available, most are at best only partially effective. The least invasive treatment is the use of stretch mark creams such as Tretinoin cream (Retin-A, Renova) that can assist with new stretching during maternity. These creams work by rebuilding collagen with the effect of reducing stretch mark appearance. Also available for new marks is Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy or Fractional Photothermolysis, both of which use wavelengths of light to promote collagen and elastin growth. For older marks, Microdermabrasion employs a hand-held device to polish the skin surface with crystals, thereby removing skin cells from the top layer of skin to promote newer, more elastic skin growth. Additionally, for older white marks, the Excimer laser tries to stimulate melanin production to reduce the appearance of the scars.
Presently, there is no guaranteed way of preventing pregnancy stretch marks and there are no magic remedies either. While there are a number of products marketed toward the reduction of stretch marks, there is no scientific evidence that suggest they really work. Maintaining general health is the best thing an individual can do to maintain an attractive appearance, by exercising, eating a balanced diet, drinking eight glasses of water every day and applying a moisturizer cream on dry skin. Over time, these marks normally fade a bit by themselves.
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