Specialty skincare products for mothers-to-be is a hot market, with stretch mark cream for pregnancy leading the line-up. A May 2008 New York Times article points to popular stretch mark creams that attach their product names to celebrities who use them--making these particular products all the more desirable. The bad news for expectant women who fret about stretch marks is that there's no way to prevent them--and almost all consumer creams that claim to help stretch marks actually have no effect at all.
The Basics
The way stretch marks form is best explained by skincare expert Paula Begoun, who states that she receives an "amazing number of emails" asking her which consumer products work. Stretch marks do form when the skin is distended, such as during weight gain or pregnancy. But it's not just rapid weight gain alone that causes the marks; cortisone, a hormone produced by the adrenal system, causes a breakdown in the skin's elastin, explains Mayo Clinic experts. Begoun states, "the visibly curled ends of stretch marks are actually bands of elastin broken beneath the skin," and further describes stretch marks as scars that are formed from the "inside out," rather than a scar that results from a wound. Your risk for developing stretch marks is largely determined by your genetic propensity for the marks, says the New York Times, which goes on to report that almost 80 percent of women of color experience stretch marks during pregnancy.
Miracle Ingredients
Stretch mark creams for pregnancy may contain any number of ingredients that product marketers claim have magical, miraculous properties. Some of these include cocoa butter, shea butter, aloe vera, grapefruit seed extract, castor or olive oil, seaweed and other botanicals. Dermatologist Eric F. Bernstein states in "The Patient's Guide to Stretch Marks" that he has not come across any published medical studies that these ingredients prevent or treat stretch marks "in any meaningful way." Mayo Clinic experts echo Bernstein's sentiment, citing lack of evidence that supports that any of these topical creams or lotions work. There is, however, some medical proof that some of them don't.
Proof Positive?
Studies have been conducted on cocoa butter and vitamin E, two popular ingredients said to prevent and reduce stretch marks. The New York Times cites a 2008 double-blind study conducted by the American University of Beirut Medical Center, the largest study, as of 2010, to assess the effectiveness of cocoa butter, which followed 175 pregnant women who used either cocoa butter or a placebo. After several months of daily application of the topicals, there was no difference in the development or severity of stretch marks between the two groups. Another double-blind study among the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2000 indicates that topical vitamin E may be slightly more effective--but only for women who experienced stretch marks during a previous pregnancy. Otherwise, vitamin E provided no benefits for general use.
Topicals That Help
Bernstein indicates that the only topical stretch mark treatments he would recommend are creams that contain alpha hydroxy acids and prescription topical tretinoins, such as Retin-A and Renova. When used along with a topical steroid, this treatment may reduce inflammation and reduce the effect that hormones have on the skin. However, Begoun points out that topical tretinoins cannot be used on pregnant women, and use of this medication is also ill-advised for women who intend to nurse their babies.
What To Do
Stretch marks often fade, given enough time, says Mayo Clinic experts. In the meantime, they can be blended in with the rest of the skin with sunless tanning lotions and sprays, says the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The most effective treatment for stretch marks that linger is a series of laser treatments, says dermatologist Dr. Brian Zelickson of "The Patient's Guide to Stretch Marks." While no medical treatment will get rid of stretch marks completely, laser treatments can reduce their appearance and help them blend in better with surrounding, undamaged skin.
