Preventing Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

About ninety percent of pregnant women experience stretch marks to some degree. Stretch marks are a type of scar tissue that forms when the skin's normal elasticity is not sufficient to accommodate the stretching required during pregnancy. Stretch marks occur most frequently on the abdomen, but some women also get them on the breasts, buttocks, or thighs.

Be sure that your diet contains adequate sources of the nutrients needed for healthy skin, primarily vitamin C and vitamin E. Sufficient protein is essential, too.

Understand that stretch marks are caused from within, and external treatments can't remove or prevent them. Money spent on expensive or exotic skin creams may make you feel like you're doing something, but it won't make the stretch marks disappear.

Even though keeping your skin soft and supple won't prevent stretch marks, it might help minimize them and it may help you feel better about yourself. Some women find that cocoa butter helps keep the skin soft. A gentle massage with oil or cream on your own or with the help of you husband may be pleasurable and relaxing as well as an aid to soft, smooth skin.

Although stretch marks may not disappear after delivery, those that remain usually fade into a light silver color.