You know what they say—prevention is better than cure. The same rule applies to stretch marks as much as anything else, and if you want to stand the best possible chance of keeping the dreaded scars at bay it’s important to take action before they even appear. If you’re planning on getting pregnant any time soon (or if you’ve just been given the happy news) you should start taking precautions straight away, and a few simple changes could be all it takes to ensure you stay stretch mark-free throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
The first thing you need to do is take a look at your diet. It’s tempting to throw caution to the wind during pregnancy but that can be a big mistake—not only will eating unhealthily mean you put on far too much weight (rapid weight gain of course being the reason stretch marks develop) but unless you get the right nutrients your skin won’t thank you for it. If you want to stand the best possible chance of preventing stretch marks you need to include foods rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc and essential fatty acids, and in doing so you’re far more likely to keep your skin happy and stretch mark-free.
Then you need to keep hydrated. Ensuring you’re properly hydrated will boost your skin’s elasticity so drinking plenty of water is essential, but you can attack the issue externally as well—keeping your skin properly moisturised should be at the top of the agenda, because the more hydrated your skin is the more easily it’ll be able to cope with such an extreme amount of stretching. Make sure to look for moisturisers that are as rich and as penetrating as possible to ensure maximum results, perhaps going for moisture-packed stretch mark creams or going back to basics with things like shea butter, cocoa butter or even olive oil.
By keeping your diet in check, watching your weight and keeping your skin properly hydrated throughout your pregnancy you could easily minimise your chances of getting stretch marks, so always remember that prevention is better than cure and you never know—you could come through your pregnancy stretch mark-free.