The Truth About Stretchmarks
photo / AmysFun
I’m 34 weeks along and completely covered in stretch marks, so I can’t imagine what I’m up against in these last 6-or-so weeks. By completely I don’t just mean above my belly button and on my thighs, but hello evil red welts on my ass crack!!
Some people like to tell me that I don’t oil up enough, but that’s just not true. Since I found out I was pregnant I’ve been saturating my skin in olive oil and natural body balms. After spending much too much on fancy oils and balms showing no promise, I decided to do some research of why my body is so stretch-mark-prone, and which oils and vitamins will actually help me through this last “stretch” of pregnancy. As I wait for my shipment of oils & vitamins to come in from Swanson’s, here’s the research I compiled that I sure in the hell wish I had 6 months ago:
So, Why the hell do you get stretchmarks?
The skin and underlying tissue stretch beyond their ability to give, and the collagen deposits located deep in the tissues break apart– the skin actually rips and tears. The tiny tears heal, resulting in scar tissue. Then you’re left with red, pink, purple or brown depressed streaks in the skin. Stretch marks often appear as small, red, pink, purple or dark brown depressed streaks in the skin.
Genetics play a major role in whether or not you will get stretch marks, and if your mom or sis got them during pregnancy, you probably will too. Supposedly a sensible diet helps skin to stretch better, which would explain all mine, and why my health-nut friend has NONE. Dry skin tends to be less elastic than well nourished skin, thus why you should slather on the oil. Ina May Gaskin’s Spiritual Midwifery claims that women who are “uptight” are more likely to get stretchmarks too, so it’s important to practice stress management and rub out any tension you have in your belly… and although I like to think that I’m down-to-earth, my dad says I may be one of the most uptight girls he’s ever met. I don’t know if Ina May actually meant it to be that literal.
So what can you do?
- Eat well: foods high in vitamins C and E, zinc and silica will help your skin to stretch better and also help your skin to bounce back quicker after giving birth. Supposedly, eating an ayurvedic diet is said to help keep scar tissue from forming (wish I knew about Ayurveda before I was pregnant!) Taking your prenatal vitamins are also critical for beautiful skin and a healthy baby.
- Stay Hydrated: drink 2-3 quarts (8-12 cups) of water each day! From the very beginning!! Keep your skin healthy from the inside!
- Moisten your skin: oil that contains ingredients such as vitamin E, vitamin A, shea butter, & wheat germ oil. Calendula also helps promote healthy healing of skin tissue. Certainly moisturizing helps to improve the skin’s elasticity, however, the effectiveness of just plain oil in preventing stretch marks have been shown to be rather limited.
- After pregnancy: continue applying oils. Rosehip seed oil is known to mend scar tissue, but should be avoided during pregnancy (and perhaps if you’re still breastfeeding! Ask your midwife). Also, although rare and ridiculously expensive, helichrysum oil is said to be extremely effective in mending both physical and emotional scarring! Ooolala!
Now, any creams or lotions for stretchmarks should be totally avoided during pregnancy and after. A Much Better Way‘s article on 10 Safest Products for Pregnancy explains. Stick to body oils! Or make your own and save yourself tons of money (since most oils are just drops of the effective stuff in a carrier oil like Almond or Olive oil).
