The truth about stretch marks during pregnancy

This is an automatically translated article.

A pregnant woman's body has many obvious changes, from hormones, physique, daily activities, rest time... Along with those changes, the mother will see a lot of changes. physical condition, especially the appearance of stretch marks.

1. Stretch marks in women after giving birth

For many women after giving birth, stretch marks appear as obvious as part of childbirth as diapering and feeding. Stretch marks occur when the body grows faster than the skin can keep up. This causes the elastic fibers just below the surface of the skin to break, leading to stretch marks.
Stretch marks occur because pregnancy hormones affect the middle layer of the skin, which means it doesn't bond too well with the other layers. You may experience stretch marks on your abdomen, lower back, thighs, and chest. Like scars, they will fade, but they won't go away completely

During 9 months of pregnancy, the mother can gain about 14 kg. When the body grows so quickly that it can cause you to stretch, most often on the abdomen and chest, stretch marks can also appear on the thighs, buttocks and upper arms. The marks usually start out red or purple, but after pregnancy they gradually turn white or gray.
Whether pregnant for the first time or for the second time, stretch marks still occur. The mother will feel the skin of her abdomen very itchy and tight during pregnancy. They also noticed very clear lines as the belly grew.
Experts say that pregnant women with a healthy weight should gain between 11kg and 15kg. In other words, when it comes to stretch marks, more or less appearance depends on how much weight you gain.

Stretch marks, appearing most often in pregnant women. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 90% of women will notice stretch marks after the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy
However, genetic stretch marks also play an important role, meaning if If your mother has stretch marks, you are likely to get stretch marks too. The color of stretch marks depends on each person's skin tone. Women with a lighter skin tend to develop pink stretch marks. Women with darker skin tend to have stretch marks that are lighter than their original skin color.

2. Measures to take care of stretch marks

The reality is that there is no way to prevent stretch marks, no matter what lotion or moisturizer you use.
However, women can completely take care of their skin during pregnancy to limit stretch marks as low as possible by keeping the skin always with the necessary moisture with lotions or moisturizers. , oil into the stretch marks will not make the marks disappear. However, using them will make your skin smoother and firmer. We don't need to use expensive creams or oils. Vitamin A-based lotions, such as tretinoin (Retin-A), may have a minor effect on stretch marks.
Over the years, stretch marks will fade into fine lines closer to your skin tone. You may not like the look of your stretch marks now, but they will look a lot better in about a year.
Breastfeeding moms can try doing active exercises, gymnastics on areas with stretch marks of the body. While these activities won't make the stretch marks disappear completely, it will help brighten the skin in the stretch marks area.
When you have a healthy diet combined with exercise, your body and skin will definitely become better and firmer.
Note, mothers should not buy any medicated creams online without being recommended by a doctor, because it may contain tretinoin. When the exact ingredients and effects of these creams are unknown, they can be dangerous to the body and skin of mothers, especially for pregnant women. Tretinoin is known to cause birth defects in babies. Until your stretch marks fade, you can use makeup to hide the stretch marks on your skin.

Another option for moms with more conditions is cosmetic surgery, such as laser heating therapy. This procedure promotes collagen growth and shrinks dilated blood vessels. Pregnant women should consult their doctor before choosing a cosmetic surgery method. Doctors and experts can suggest other safe, effective ways to help you feel better for your skin and body.
To help the mother stay healthy during pregnancy and the fetus to develop comprehensively, it is very important to take care of herself from the first days of pregnancy. However, for those who are first-time mothers or have experienced pregnancy but do not feel confident about how to take care of themselves, choosing a package maternity care program will be the solution. resolve the concerns and worries of the mother.
At Vinmec, the maternity care package program also gives mothers useful knowledge through antenatal classes, pregnant women can completely ask questions to get answers from doctors. Beauty knowledge during pregnancy or nutrition for a healthy fetus but the mother does not gain too much weight.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference sources: Webmd.com and Babycentre.co.uk