Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life, but at the same time, it is a condition associated with various fears and concerns. One of the reasons for a woman’s fear during pregnancy is the appearance of stretch marks after childbirth. In another way they are also called striae.
By themselves, stretch marks do not carry any danger to the health and condition of the mother, much less the baby, but bring a lot of trouble for a woman in an aesthetic plan.
Therefore, many women want to know how to avoid the appearance of striae and how to remove postpartum stretch marks that have already appeared. Let’s try to figure it out.
What are stretch marks and why do they occur?
Stretch marks are purple, reddish or white stripes on the skin resulting from a rupture of subcutaneous tissue. This is due to a lack of collagen and elastin fibers, which is the result of changes in the hormonal background in the body. While stretch marks have just appeared, they are red in color, but as soon as the scars are tightened with connective tissue, they turn white. It is most difficult to deal with such stretch marks, because they are already micro scars.
Most often, stretch marks after childbirth occur on the abdomen, because the skin in this area is subject to the most significant changes. Striae can also appear on the chest, hips and buttocks and very rarely on other parts of the body and face.
Often stretch marks are hereditary. For example, if your mom had the stretch marks, then most likely you will have them, and preventive measures should be taken. As a prevention, you can use various creams and lotions. Even if stretch marks cannot be avoided, the use of cosmetics can significantly reduce their number and size.
Prevention and prevention of stretch marks
As soon as the striae become white, it becomes very difficult to remove them, so it is better to avoid their appearance and take a few simple steps to prevent them:
- Wear a bandage and a supportive bra;
- Apply a contrast shower;
- Use special creams and peels;
- Eat properly and take vitamins;
- Do the massage;
- Perform special physical exercises.
All these measures should be performed both during pregnancy and after childbirth. Let’s consider each of them in more detail.
A good prophylactic against stretch marks on the abdomen after childbirth is to wear a bandage, both prenatal and postpartum. You need to start wearing it from the 20th week of pregnancy. In addition, it is important to wear the bandage correctly. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position (so the abdominal muscles are most relaxed) and put on a bandage so that it fixes and supports the stomach, but does not squeeze it. After all, it should be remembered that wearing a bandage is not only the prevention of stretch marks, but also a device that supports the fetus and reduces the load on the spine.
There are many kinds of bandages now. To avoid stretch marks also on the buttocks, you should choose a stretching pants. For the chest, you need to choose a supportive bra that does not squeeze it. Choose supportive underwear and bandages made from natural fabrics so your skin can breathe.
Another measure for the prevention of striae is the adoption of a contrast shower using light massage movements. This will improve blood circulation, as a result of which all trace elements necessary for the skin to maintain elasticity and elasticity will be delivered.
Now on the cosmetic market there are a huge number of creams for stretch marks after childbirth. But it should be remembered that creams can not remove already whitened striae. Cosmetics should be used either as a prophylaxis, or in the very early stages of the appearance of stretch marks. It is necessary to use a cream for stretch marks regularly, i.e. every day in the morning and in the evening, paying special attention to problem areas (chest, stomach and buttocks).
Apply the cream with light massage circular movements on clean skin. You should approach the choice of cream for stretch marks with special care. Be sure to study the composition of the product. If possible, it is best to try it first, in order to avoid allergies, and only then buy it. It is better to purchase such a tool in specialized stores, and not in markets and kiosks. Most often, the composition of the cream from stretch marks includes retinol, essential oils and plant extracts, as well as collagen and elastin. Pay attention to the fragrance of the cream, it should not be too harsh and annoy you. In addition to the cream, peeling can be used, it will contribute to the regeneration (restoration) of the skin, as well as improve blood circulation.
In addition to cosmetic products, a balanced diet and vitamins should not be neglected. It is necessary to maintain the skin condition not only from the outside, but also from the inside. For this, vitamins E, A and C, as well as a large amount of pure water, must be present in the diet of a pregnant woman.
Any type of massage improves blood circulation, even if it is just light circular movements using oil. It should be done regularly before childbirth and after. During massage, blood saturates cells better with microelements, as a result of which collagen and elastin molecules are produced in sufficient quantities and the skin becomes toned, supple and elastic.
For lovers of physical exertion, gymnastics is suitable as a prevention of stretch marks. You need to do it constantly, before and after childbirth. Do not be zealous, in this case you need regularity, not high loads. Muscle stretching exercises are best. It is also worth consulting with your doctor if exercise during pregnancy is contraindicated.
Ways to remove stretch marks after childbirth
Of course, it happens that even when using all methods of prevention, striae still appear. Do not be upset about this, because There are many ways to treat stretch marks after childbirth.
Here are the main ones:
- Microdermabrasion. This method is the removal of small particles of keratinized skin using abrasive products. This procedure is not contraindicated for nursing mothers. The only restriction will be a ban on tanning for several months. As a result, the skin is renewed, and stretch marks become less noticeable and disappear.
- Chemical peeling. This procedure is carried out using acids that remove the stratum corneum of the skin, which contributes to renewal. This method is not recommended for breastfeeding.
- Laser correction. When using a laser, a kind of “burning” of the affected area on the body occurs, and then new skin layers are formed. This procedure can be done six months after birth. After it, you should avoid sunlight, and therefore it is best to do it in the fall or winter.
- Mesotherapy It is a subcutaneous injection in the form of a cocktail of vitamins and minerals. This procedure is best done after completing breastfeeding.
- Massage with LPG. This procedure appeared not so long ago, but has already managed to prove itself. This device acts with the help of vacuum and rollers, as a result of which it trains muscles and improves microcirculation. You can use this procedure 6 weeks after the birth.
- Abdominoplasty. This method is the removal of stretch marks through surgery. You should agree to it no earlier than six months after the birth or after the termination of breastfeeding. The healing of such removal is quite long and painful.
At the moment, on the question of how to remove stretch marks after childbirth, you can get a large number of answers. But in this case, it is better to take a series of preventive measures and prevent the problem, rather than then deal with acquired stretch marks.
