Pregnancy Stretch Mark Cream: Prevent Stretch Marks During Your Pregnancy

If there are any skin issues that are even more stubborn than acne, they are stretch marks. Pretty much all women suffer from them during pregnancy and/or breast-feeding in the abdomen area and breasts. They are caused when the skin is pulled unnaturally due to sudden weight gain and typically appear as dark red vertical lines towards the direction the skin is pulled. Even though pregnancy is the main cause, they may appear during puberty also, because of the fat that starts to accumulate in different parts of the body for hormonal activities.

Body-builders also develop stretch marks as the skin surface is tightly pulled because of the bulging muscles beneath it. Remember, stretch marks as we can see them are not occurring on the skin surface and therefore cannot be reached by any topical anti-septic that may quicken the healing of the scars.

There are quite a few pregnancy stretch mark cream products available on the market today to fight developing stretch marks. Even though some dermatologists doubt if topical creams can be used to treat scars that occur deep inside the skin, many of these creams prove to be quite effective. Some well-known anti-scar creams such as Mederma can also be used as a pregnancy stretch mark cream.

However, most cosmetic companies have their special range of creams, sprays and lotions to fight stretch marks specifically. Some pregnancy stretch mark cream products also have anti-aging properties and can be used to treat sagging skin of the face. You can use good moisturizing lotions such as Nivea blue, Vitamin E or olive oil to massage the affected area, but it is advisable that you also apply pregnancy stretch mark cream as they are specially formulated to heal the wear and tear in the collagen.

The effectiveness of a pregnancy stretch mark cream may vary depending on different factors. Heredity plays a major role in their severity. If women in your family have a history of developing scars that refuse to disappear, yours may be quite difficult to treat even with the products.

If your stretch marks are a few years old, stretch mark creams may not be as effective for you. Dermatologists advise to start applying a good cream from the 3rd or 4th month of pregnancy, that is, even before the stretch marks appear. Remember, the longer the stretch marks are left untreated, the more likely they will become permanent.