The truth about pregnancy stretch marks

Around 75 to 90% of women develop stretch marks during pregnancy, somewhere between their fourth and seventh month. These are tiny tears in the elastic tissue fibres under your skin, caused as you put on weight, and can extend across not just your belly, but your thighs, bottom and breasts as they grow heavier.

“They start as dark or pale lines on dark skins and fine pink, red or purple lines on white skins, and fade in time, but they are difficult to eradicate entirely,” says Dr Imraan Jhetam, a specialist dermatologist in Durban.

There really are no miracle treatments when it comes to stretch marks but you can potentially reduce the fallout. So what should you do?

1. Be realistic

The extent to which you develop stretch marks is largely determined by your skin type, which rests on two factors you can’t control. One is your genes – if your mom didn’t have stretch marks, chances are you won’t either. “There are also genetic disorders that increase your predisposition to them,” explains Dr Jhetam.

The second is your hormones: you may be more prone to stretch marks if your body produces more corticosteroid, which reduces collagen in your skin – the protein that gives it elasticity. “Certain medications, like oral cortisone, and medical conditions like Cushing’s Syndrome, can also play a part,” Dr Jhetam says.

2. Eat skin-friendly foods and drink water

Have oily fish like salmon or tuna two or three times a week (high in omega-3 fatty acids), avocado (vitamin E), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (zinc), berries (antioxidants), bananas (silica for making collagen) and green leafy vegetables (beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A). Also drink lots of water to promote hydration.

3. Use massage

From the start of pregnancy, massage your belly, breasts and thighs with any good quality oil or cream, as dryness exacerbates stretching. But know there is no magic product that will prevent marks – where studies have suggested an improvement, this has mostly been attributed as much to the massaging, which improves circulation, as the product used.

Before trying any product, check its safety with your doctor or midwife.

4. Speak to a dermatologist

If you are left with severe stretch marks after your pregnancy, speak to a dermatologist. “Once you have finished breast feeding, they may advise a prescription crème with vitamin A derivatives such as Retin A and elastin to speed cell turnover and stimulate collagen formation,” says Dr Jhetam. “Or they may recommend laser surgery to promote fading, again by promoting collagen growth, and by shrinking dilated blood vessels.”

Some may advise micro-needling to stimulate collagen, or in extreme cases, abdominoplasty – an operation to remove excess fat, skin and its stretch marks from your tummy.

5. Accept them

Else simply use a sunless tanning lotion to help disguise marks, or do what many women have done through the ages – accept them, and wear them as a badge of motherhood.

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com