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Why do stretch marks appear?
In this article we will talk about such a problem as stretch marks, what remedies for stretch marks can be used at home.
Stretch marks are the colloquial name for stretch marks, microscopic tears in the dermis.
Source Wikipedia
They are small scars that are white, red, and sometimes purple. They are not dangerous to health, but represent a purely cosmetic defect.
Any woman probably faces problems with stretch marks. The main reasons for their appearance are:
- Pregnancy . Stretch marks appear in the abdomen, thighs, chest, buttocks due to fetal development;
- Hormonal disbalance . Stretch marks appear due to problems with the thyroid gland;
- Hereditary predisposition . Some people have thin skin and, if not taken care of, stretch marks appear on their own;
- Change in body weight . This problem occurs in people who suddenly lose weight or, conversely, gain excess weight. With rapid weight gain, the skin does not have time to quickly stretch, in certain places it becomes thinner and stretch marks appear. When you lose weight, stretch marks appear due to a deterioration in the blood supply to the epidermis;
- Long-term use of medications such as prednisolone, dexamethasone;
- High physical activity . In athletes who play sports and take special sports nutrition, muscle growth can cause stretch marks;
- Sedentary lifestyle . Due to decreased muscle and skin tone and insufficient blood supply, stretch marks may appear.
Recommendation 5: Do not wear tight clothes and shoes
In the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman's silhouette changes slightly. Because of this, many pregnant women continue to wear tight-fitting clothes to highlight their figure. However, even in the early stages of pregnancy, it is better to choose loose clothing that does not compress soft tissues, the abdominal area, and mammary glands. Wearing tight clothes can impair blood circulation, lead to lymph stagnation, cause fatigue, and increase the unpleasant symptoms of toxicosis.
What kind of shoes should pregnant women wear? Choose comfortable shoes with solid soles. During pregnancy, the center of gravity gradually changes, and when wearing shoes with heels, the load on the lumbosacral region increases.
If we talk about the cold season, it is better to replace shoes and boots that are very tight on the calf muscles or feet with looser shoes. As with clothing, this will help avoid poor circulation and lymph stagnation.
Remedy for stretch marks during pregnancy
To prevent the appearance of stretch marks or make them less noticeable, it is better to purchase an anti-stretch mark cream for pregnant women, which will moisturize the skin, and as a result, the risk of stretch marks will be significantly lower. Most stretch mark creams consist of vitamins, glycerin, natural oils, silicone and many other chemical ingredients.
But at the same time, you need to understand that not a single cream will give a 100% guarantee that stretch marks will not appear.
The best remedy for stretch marks during pregnancy is their prevention.
Throughout pregnancy, you should use oil- or lanolin-based moisturizers for stretch marks. This will reduce the stress on collagen fibers caused by excessive stretching of the skin.
To prevent the appearance of stretch marks, you should moisturize your skin from the inside - drink enough water during the day (1.5 - 2 liters per day) and choose a good moisturizer for stretch marks. Then the number and size of stretch marks will decrease significantly.
Every evening, especially in the last months of pregnancy, it is worth using a regenerating cream for stretch marks during pregnancy, which restores collagen in the skin. The main components of this cream are hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, vitamins A, E, C, B5. At night, new collagen is produced, which restores skin thickness. And these skin properties help prevent the appearance of stretch marks.
Prevention
Ideally, of course, you should avoid stretch marks. To do this, follow simple recommendations:
- You can do special exercises aimed at stretching the muscles. Walk more, do light exercise, even 10 minutes a day will be enough;
- Adjust your diet. Make sure your diet has enough protein, acids and vitamin E. Eat fruits and vegetables;
- Drink enough water per day (about 2.5 liters), if possible, take a shower without gels and soap;
- During pregnancy, wear a bandage and special bras;
- Use natural scrubs and during massage use only natural-based creams;
- Don't overdry your skin.
However, prevention does not always help. If stretch marks have already appeared, then you have several options for solving the problem, both in the salon and at home. The salon may offer you laser resurfacing, radiofrequency therapy, chemical peeling, microdermabrasion or mesotherapy. It all depends on your specific needs and wishes. But usually this applies to already old stretch marks. If stretch marks have recently formed, they can be reduced using home remedies for stretch marks. The main thing to remember is that the process can take a couple of months, and don’t give up!
At home, you can fight stretch marks in several ways:
- Self-massage. Massage the abdomen clockwise in a circular motion, massage the buttocks horizontally from the center to the edges of the hips, massage the waist and thighs from bottom to top vertically. You can use oils to moisturize or special creams for stretch marks. Use a natural brush;
- Cold and hot shower. This improves blood flow and keeps the skin toned;
- Scrubs. This way you get rid of dead skin particles;
- Physiotherapy. You can buy a home massager, simple and reliable.
You can use home remedies for stretch marks on your skin. They are made quite simply, most often from simple components.
Folk remedies for stretch marks after childbirth
There are different ways to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth using folk remedies. But you shouldn't hope for quick results. You will have to be patient and follow the necessary recommendations.
Most anti-stretch mark recipes contain essential oils.
Here are some of the recipes for massage:
- Mix 2 drops of citrus oil, the same amount of lavender and neroli oil with 50 ml of wheat germ oil. Rub the resulting mixture into problem areas of the skin.
- Mix 100 ml of jojoba oil, 20 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of rosemary, jasmine, orange, and lemon oils. Pour it into the bottle, close it and put it in a dark place for a day.
It is better to massage with essential oils after taking a bath. When taking a bath, you should rub your skin with a washcloth intended for massage procedures.
You can remove stretch marks using wraps and scrubs.
The scrub can be prepared in different ways:
- Combine ground coffee beans, sea salt and sea buckthorn oil and mix to form a thick mass. Rub it into problem areas with massage movements for 10 minutes. After this, rinse off with warm water. We repeat the procedure 3 times a week
- Take salt, honey and glycerin in equal proportions, mix and rub into problem areas for 5 minutes. After this, rinse with warm water. The scrub is gentle, so you can do this scrub in the morning and evening.
Egg whites are useful for skin rejuvenation. Take 2 egg whites, beat them and apply to clean areas of problem skin. When the mixture dries, a feeling of tightness will appear. Wash off the mixture with warm water. We repeat the procedure every day for 2 weeks.
You can use aloe juice to eliminate stretch marks. Cut the plant leaf in half and squeeze the juice onto problem areas. Let it soak in. Wash off with warm water after 2 hours.
How to remove postpartum stretch marks on the stomach - folk remedies
You can do water procedures by directing the stream in a circular motion on the thighs and abdomen. After this, rub the skin with a terry towel until it turns red and apply anti-stretch mark cream.
When taking a shower, you can massage using products that are easily found in every home. Take a glass of salt and the same amount of sugar, add half a glass of vegetable oil. Stir. After the massage, rinse the mixture with warm water and apply body cream. To obtain the desired result, this massage should be done for a month.
To eliminate stretch marks at home, you can prepare a cream based on aloe and dandelions. We will need: 75 g of olive oil, several aloe leaves, 100 g of dandelion leaves. They can be prepared for future use in the summer by drying or freezing in the freezer. Combine all ingredients and beat with a blender until smooth. Gradually add oatmeal until the mixture reaches the consistency of cream.
Apply the resulting mass evenly to the areas where there are stretch marks and leave for 15 minutes. After this, rinse off with warm water. Store the cream in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
One of the ways to get rid of stretch marks at home is self-massage, which should be done regularly. Using massaging movements clockwise from bottom to top, you need to massage your thighs and abdomen. The use of essential oils makes the skin elastic.
Physical exercise
You can make stretch marks less noticeable with the help of properly selected exercises that will increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the problem area. The skin tightens and stretch marks become less noticeable.
The most effective exercises:
- Crunches . The exercise is performed lying on your back. Legs are bent at the knees, feet are on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and raise your shoulders. Try to pull yourself up to your knees, tensing your abdominal muscles. Repeat 15 times for 3 sets. Exercise makes stretch marks on the abdomen less noticeable;
- Push ups . Lie on your stomach, lean on your palms and raise yourself up. Lift one hand off the floor, turn your body, raise your arm up. Return to the starting position. Repeat the same with the other hand. Perform 15 exercises in 2 approaches. This exercise makes stretch marks on the chest less noticeable:
- Leg raises . Makes stretch marks on the buttocks and thighs less noticeable. You can perform the exercise while sitting on a chair, lying on your stomach or back. Raise your legs as high as possible, tensing the muscles of your thighs and buttocks. Repeat 15 times for 3 approaches.
How to get rid of stretch marks using folk remedies
To get rid of stretch marks, there are many external remedies - creams, emulsions, ointments, masks. You can make them less noticeable with the help of wraps, peelings, compresses, and massage. For this purpose: vegetable oil, honey, wax, bodyaga are used. But it is unlikely that stretch marks will be completely removed; to do this, you will have to resort to laser or surgical removal.
The oil is used to moisturize and soften the skin. Together with massage, it is a preventive measure to combat stretch marks. The oil contains vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fatty acids. It is well absorbed, penetrates deeply into the skin and helps keep the skin firm and elastic.
The following oils can be used to reduce stretch marks:
- Olive;
- Coconut;
- Almond;
- Citrus oil;
- From wheat sprouts;
- Rosemary;
- Black cumin.
How to Avoid Stretch Marks
To avoid having to deal with stretch marks, you need to take care of their prevention.
What is needed for that?
- Regularly care for your skin, paying special attention to the areas of greatest stretching of the skin;
- Use moisturizing creams, gels, vitaminized and nourishing masks, products with hyaluronic acid and collagen complex;
- Take a contrast shower;
- Use mechanical peeling, vacuum massage, and carry out restorative procedures in beauty salons.
Mandatory components of effective prevention of skin stretching are proper nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, and physical activity. To maintain elasticity, it is necessary to adhere to the water regime, drink at least 1.5 - 2 liters of water per day.
Recommendation 8: Accept your pregnancy and your new role as “I am a mother”
In the first trimester of pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in the female body, which affects the functioning of the nervous system. In this regard, a pregnant woman may experience conditions and emotions such as tearfulness, anxiety, and excessive sensitivity. And some pregnant women even feel guilty before others for their whims over trifles, frequent emotional breakdowns.
Feelings of guilt are a negative attitude that must be gotten rid of. After all, such an emotion will cause you psychological discomfort.
Irritability in the early stages of pregnancy is nothing more than an attempt by the female psyche to fully realize and accept the fact of motherhood. And the sooner you accept your pregnancy and your new role as a mother, the sooner your calmness, good mood will return, and you will stop feeling guilty before others.
