Tuesday, January 20, 2009

What You Need To Know About Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are scientifically known as are a form of scarring. They start appears during puberty, or as the result of excessive weight gain, such as during pregnancy.
Stretch marks are the result of skin being stretched beyond its natural elasticity. This stretching causes a disruption of the body’s collagen production. Collagen is a special protein that helps keep the skin elastic and, therefore, able to stretch when we gain weight. When this collagen production is disrupted, the skin loses its elasticity, which makes it more prone to stretch marks.
Stretch mark are usually found in a series as small, indented streaks. They are generally rough and uneven. In women with light skin, they are usually a pink or reddish-brown color. They might sometimes almost look purple. For darker skinned women, stretch marks are usually brown.
Genetics plays a larger role in stretch marks developing. So, if our mom or sister have stretch marks we possible will be more likely to get them as well.
To help avoid getting stretch marks, it is important to monitor weight gain closely. Pregnant women need to put on weight as a natural part of the childbearing process. They should be careful to not gain more weight than what is recommended by the doctor. Watch the diets and put pregnancy weight on slowly. This gives the skin more time to gradually stretch to accommodate for the growing baby inside.
The last trimester of a pregnancy is when women generally put on the most weight. This is because this is when the baby is doing most of its growing. To help avoid stretch marks during this time of the pregnancy, and at any other time, be sure to regularly apply rich body creams, cocoa butter, olive oil or shea butter on your skin. Make sure to consult with a doctor first because some ingredients found in certain creams can be harmful to unborn babies.
Body cream helps decrease the likelihood of developing stretch marks because it helps keep the skin flexible. Likewise, drinking plenty of water helps maintain the skin’s elasticity. This is especially true if you are pregnant.
Fortunately, stretch marks generally fade after weight lost. For women who gain stretch marks during pregnancy, stretch marks usually fade to a slightly lighter color than the surrounding skin, though the etching will always remain.
For women who are bodybuilders (even people who engage in body building can get stretch marks), it is important to put on muscle mass slowly. Quickly adding on muscle mass will force the skin to stretch beyond its ability. Therefore, a bodybuilding program should be designed to slowly add on bulk.
For women who are not pregnant and who are not bodybuilders, the best way to avoid stretch marks is to simply monitor our diet and maintain a healthy body weight.
If we still develop stretch marks, there is little that can be done to get rid of them. Although there are many lotions and creams on the market claiming to be able to get rid of stretch marks, there is no proof that they work. There are also surgeries available to help with lessening the visibility of stretch marks, but they can’t get rid of stretch marks completely. Instead, the best option is to cover up the stretch marks. Many women used over-the-counter sunless tanning lotions to do this, or they get a sunless tanning treatment from a salon. These lotions help even out the skin color, since the pigmentation of stretch marks is lighter than the rest of the skin.

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