Reality of Stretch Marks
Skin, as you know it, is largest sensory organ that our body has. But does it play only that role? I don’t think so. Today it has as much to do with appearance as its bodily functions. Who doesn’t like to look good? Everybody wants to look perfect with shiny skin, especially women. But the perfection of look is lost by women while being pregnant. Women are not comfortable especially at beaches once they have been pregnant. The cause of discomfort is nothing else than Striae or you can call it stretch marks.
Stretch marks are the grooves and lines on the surface of the skin which can vary in color depending on the skin tone. Usually asymptomatic but is itchy in some cases. To cut it short they are scars and lesions on your skin.
What did I do to deserve this?
You did nothing because pregnancy is not the only cause of stretch marks. They occur also due to obesity, sudden gain or loss of weight, growth, puberty, etc. The main reason for stretch marks is elasticity of skin. Consider a rubber band, there is a point to which you can pull it after which it snaps. The same things happened to different layers of your skin. Due to stretching beyond the tensile of the skin there is breaking in different layers of the skin which results in the appearance of Striae. Hormonal changes during pregnancy also contribute to it.
Will I ever look the same?
That’s the main concern isn’t it? Who cares what it is? We just want the treatment so we can look our best. The common places where stretch marks occur are
- Abdomen,
- Breasts,
- Hips,
- Flank,
- Buttocks and
- Thighs
No matter which outfit you prefer whether it is Indian Saree or a Western dress, some part of the skin (of the above) is always exposed which cause most women discomfort. Treatment then becomes necessity.
Treatment of stretch mark is tricky. Variety of options are propagated and available, most of which can be self-employed. But these treatments prove to have none to least effect on such scars in most cases due to lack of consultation on your skin type, its elasticity, extent of scars, etc. with a Dermatologist. Getting yourself treated with advertised ointments might only result in heavy strain on your pockets without consultation.
Available options for treatments include:
- Light and laser therapies
- Radiofrequency emitting high frequnecy alternating electric current.
- Microdermabrasion
- Galvanopuncture
- Micro-needling
- Pulsed magnetic field
- Ultrasound device
- Over the counter cosmeceuticals
- Silicone gels
- Tretinoin cream, not prescribed during pregnancy.
- Platelet rick plasma Therapy
- Fractional CO2 Laser
The results of each treatment depend on your skin. Either of these treatments should be taken only after consultation.
How do I keep this from happening?
Since it is result of stretching of skin due to rapid gain or loss of weight, during pregnancy you can completely prevent it. You are bound to gain weight on abdominal segment which is good sign of growing baby. But we can make an effort to curb the extent of stretch marks and its visibility.
Things to do to rejuvenate your skin and reduce the extent of stretch marks are:
- Start moisturizing your skin in all the likely places of stretch marks.
- Massaging your skin will increase the strength of your skin and its elasticity.
- Maintaining your weight not by dieting but by balanced diet that is best for the baby
The main effort in all these preventive measure is to keep skin supple and healthy to help it maintain its elasticity.
Consult well and get yourself a guide. Lack of proper care gets you a lifelong scar on your body that won’t leave easily, if it does.
