What to Do with Stretch Marks from Pregnancy?  Learning about the causes and recommended stretch mark removal cream products for prevention

During the pregnancy until the delivery of a new life, as the baby inside the mom’s tummy grows larger, the stretch marks are also emerging as well. In addition to going through the hardship of pregnancy and delivery, moms have to deal with the annoyance of stretch marks surrounding the belly area.  

Stretch marks are the vestige of moms going through the hard work of giving birth. Is there a way to prevent or eliminate stretch marks? Does it make sense to frequently apply stretch mark creams? I am sure many moms would like to know the answers to all these questions. In the following sections, we will discuss about the causes of stretch marks and how to care for this issue so that moms can get rid of this problem and be confident about their bodies.

What are stretch marks? A stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly.

Stretch marks can occur during growth spurts or rapid weight gain in addition to during pregnancy when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly.

The main reason for stretch marks is as the pregnancy is progressing along, a mom’s body needs to expand to accommodate the baby’s growing body The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. As the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.

Where are stretch marks likely to occur? Understanding the progression from red marks to white marks. 

Stretch marks often occur around abdominal area, inner thigh, buttock, or area around breasts. In general, the abdominal stretch marks are particularly noticeable. When stretch marks first appear, they tend to be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown, or dark brown, depending on your skin color, in irregular patterns. Early stretch marks may feel slightly raised and can be itchy. The stretch marks during this phase are considered transient and called “Red Marks”.

In time, after the skin repairs itself, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath your skin. If you run your finger over a mature stretch mark, you often feel a slight depression. The stretch marks are now considered permanent scars and called “White Marks”.

Above is the progression of stretch marks going from “Red Marks” to “White Marks”. If you want to prevent stretch marks from occurring or effectively minimize stretch marks, it is recommended to start treatments quickly during the “Red Marks” phase.  It would become more difficult to eliminate the stretch marks when getting into the “White Marks” phase.  

What are the causes for stretch marks?  3 Main Reasons

In reality, not all the mothers would have stretch marks after pregnancies. The amount of marks occurring would also depend on the person. Let’s understand the 3 main causes for stretch marks:

1. Congenital Factors

Having stretch marks is often related to congenital factors such as genetics or race. If a mom has family members who have stretch marks during pregnancies, she would have high likelihood of having stretch marks as well.

2. Physical Factors

Factors such as daily diets and body constitution may determine the amount of stretch marks as well. For mothers who are younger or overweight, or consuming alcohol or drinking less water during pregnancies, it would increase the likelihood of having stretch marks.   

3. Overweight Babies

If the baby is overweight, or having a larger body or late delivery, it would cause the mother’s abdomen to expand significantly and in turn increase the likelihood of having stretch marks. It’s important to pay attention to the weight gain after 20 weeks of pregnancy. During this period, it’s recommended to apply stretch mark creams or stretch mark oil frequently to prevent stretch marks from occurring.

Worrying about having stretch marks during pregnancy? 4 ways for prevention and skincare. 

Knowing about the causes for stretch marks, mothers should consume more collagen and foods rich in vitamin C. In addition to adjusting daily diets and getting good nutrition, below are 4 ways to prevent stretch marks from happening:

1. Regularly Massaging

Pregnant moms can massage the areas prone to stretch marks with lotion or creams after waking up in the morning or showering (when the body is more inflated). It can not only nourish the skin but also help prevent stretch marks.

2. Exercise

Keeping a habit of exercising regularly can reduce discomfort during pregnancy. Also, body stretching can help reduce stretch marks as well. Thus, it’s recommended to start regular exercising after 3 months of pregnancy because it’s beneficial for the health of the mother and the development of the baby.

3. Weight Control

During pregnancy when the baby is growing inside the body, the mother’s weight would start to increase as well. Thus, in addition to balanced diet and good nutrition, it’s important to watch the weight gain. The weight gain should be gradual, not too rapid.  That way the stretch marks can be reduced significantly. 

4. Using Stretch Mark Cream and Moisturize Skin

The best way to deal with the headaches of stretch marks is prevention than treating them afterward. Mothers should utilize skincare products such as lotion, stretch mark creams or stretch mark oil to moisturize the skin and improve the water content in order to minimize the scars left from the stretch marks.   

How to Choose Stretch Mark Cream? Recommending Cyan Reishi Advanced Repair Gel

We recommend choosing mild stretch mark cream products with no artificial essence or chemical ingredients. If possible, it would be even better to try out personally in order to decide if it is the right product for one’s skin.

From pregnancy to delivery, the enduring 10-month journey is a challenge experience for a new mom. To eliminate the troubles caused by stretch marks, we are recommending a remarkable skin barrier repair product: Cyan Reishi Advanced Repair Gel.

Incorporating premium and mild herbal ingredients along with extract from GMI essence, Sheng Yuan Herbs’ Cyan Reishi Advanced Repair Gel is developed for universal high-quality skin care. 

In particular, after applying this gel on the skin, your skin would feel very refreshing and invigorating because the all-natural Cyan Reishi Advanced Repair Gel is water-based and easy to absorb. During the whole pregnancy period, we recommend applying this gel around the area prone to stretch marks. After the gel is absorbed by the skin, then applying body lotion or cream for deep level skin care and your skin would be restored to its original bouncy and shiny condition.

In summary, you should understand more about the causes and prevention methods for stretch marks.  For mothers to be or new moms, do not panic about the marks on the belly.  As long as you massage regularly, exercise periodically and watch your weight carefully, you can minimize the chance of stretch marks happening!