Pregnancy is a nine-month span of time where a woman goes through a lot of physical and mental challenges. Hormones are altered, sleep is lost, belly aches occur and weight is gained. One of the common side effects of this weight gain is stretch marks, or striae as they are known in the medical world. These are little lines that form in the middle layer of the skin called the dermis. They take place as a result of the skin being stretched too much too quickly. The steps to avoiding them after pregnancy start before the child is delivered.
The Steps
Step 1
Do not overeat. When you are pregnant, you have to eat more than usual and it is not uncommon to gain 25-plus pounds. But with that being said, keep your eating to a point where you are getting what you need and not a lot extra. Overeating can cause more excess weight than you want, which can increase your risk for developing stretch marks.
Step 2
Keep your skin in good shape. Apply good moisturizers and skin cream to your stomach the whole time you are pregnant. This can help it keep its elasticity and reduce the chances for stretch marks to appear. Look for moisturizers that contain cocoa butter, lanolin, vitamin E or wheat germ oil.
Step 3
Drink your water. Water offers the body a number of benefits. It helps lubricate joints, it flushes toxins from the system, it aids in digestion and it also helps keep you hydrated. It not only hydrates the body, but it hydrates the skin as well. According to the Institute of Medicine, women should consume 2.2 liters a day.
Step 4
Strengthen your skin with food. There are various vitamins that are beneficial to skin health that can be found in foods. Some of these include vitamin C, vitamin E, silica and zinc. Foods that contain these include citrus fruits, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and leafy greens.
Things You'll Need
- Skin moisturizers
- water
