What are stretch marks?
They are scars that usually appear on abdomen, buttocks, breasts, hips, legs and thighs. They occur because elastic fibers break, due to rapid growth or weight gain. Although they are not painful, skin stretching may cause tingling or rash.
At first, stretch marks go through an inflammatory stage and show reddish color. This means that they are still receiving blood flow and we have a time window to treat and reverse them. Once they acquire a more whitish color, it is very difficult to remove them.
There are daily actions that women can take to help prevent stretch marks and take care of skin health in general.
Tips to prevent stretch marks
- Maintain good hydration; drinking a minimum of two liters of water as daily recommended.
- Maintain a stable weight, according to age and gender (stretch marks are not indicative of overweight).
- Keep a balanced and appropriate diet, including foods with vitamins C, B, and E and minerals such as zinc and copper (whole grain cereals, cocoa or chocolate, potatoes, mushrooms, liver, kidney, seafood, all legumes, walnuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, prunes) and silica, which stimulate collagen production (chickpeas, squash, yeast and integral bread).
- Moisturizing your skin with creams or emulsions containing vitamin A, E and Allantoin, to increase skin elasticity and contribute mainly regenerative properties. Apply them after your bath, when pores are open and better absorb cream nutrients, with circular ascending movements on the areas more prone to their appearance: abdomen, breasts, thighs, hips and lumbar area.
- Practice moderate, low intensity physical exercise, without excessive weight or high impact (swimming, yoga, bike, walking).
- Maintain adequate and controlled sun exposure to prevent skin dryness and aging. Use adequate sun protection.
- Wear appropriate bras with the correct suspension force.
- Exfoliate your skin daily during the bath, with a vegetable sponge using a circular massage to renew epidermal cells.
- An early medical consultation with a specialist will provide patient-specific information, minimizing undesirable effects.
- Do not consume anabolic steroids or similar supplements intended for muscle mass gaining.
- In any case, do not forget to ask your doctor since he/she is who best knows your specific case.
