Stretch marks can indeed pop up in the most strange of all places. Most commonly, they are located on the stomach during pregnancy, but they can make an appearance in a number of other places, as well, in addition. The thought of stretch marks do occur a great deal for pregnant women, but they usually believe they will just get them on their bellies, and anywhere else. However, they do tend to show up anywhere, where fat is sitting and gathering up.
Can pregnancy stretch marks be inherited?
There has always been an existing theory that stretch marks can indeed by something that can be passed down the family line. Something translated that simply does mean this, and that is, if your mother or sister did have them during their pregnancies. Then the chance is probably very strong that you will also have them present with your very own pregnancy. Are stretch marks at all inherited? The answer is a definitive yes, and what makes this sad is, no matter how many preventive steps to lessen their chance that you do. You will still end up getting them anyhow, simply because, they are something that is already a part of your genes to be determined to get at the end of the day.
What are some of the things that do cause them during pregnancy?
Stretch marks happen during pregnancy for various reasons. However the biggest of all reasons is that they are a result of, the tearing of the middle layer of the skin, and this is caused by rapid extension of the skin, due to the presence of the growing fetus inside of the woman. Gaining weight rapidly in this manner is what causes stretch marks to make an unwelcome entrance suddenly into the life of a woman who is expecting a baby blessing. Being pregnant is the biggest thing that causes these stretch marks. This is because the belly is subject to expand rather quickly with the growth of the fetus through the pregnancy stages. As the baby grows, the stomach grows along with it and stretches out the adjacent skin. Rapid weight gain is also responsible for it too.
What are some of the odd locations that they can pop up with pregnancy?
Most commonly, stretch marks do appear on the bellies of pregnant women, but they have also been known to show up in other places too, which does defy the norm on the average. Some of these other places do include the breasts, thighs and legs, upper arms, hips, back, and also up underneath any pubic hair you may have. This means that stretch marks can go anywhere and everywhere.
You can see the reason for formation of stretch marks on different parts of your body below:
- Stretch marks on breasts – are the result of fast changes in the size of the breasts. Pregnant women gain weight during pregnancy, and naturally the breasts’ size increases too. Along with the increase in the size, the breast’s skin increases too which leads to the formation of stretch marks.
- Stretch mark on thighs and legs – inside of woman’s thigh is another place where stretch marks can appear because women easily gain weight in that area. Some parts of our bodies expand faster than other parts. Stretch marks can also appear on legs, around your knees. That happens because in pregnancy your legs get swollen and expand their size. Stretch marks are just result of that process.
- Stretch marks on upper arms – they usually show up on the inside of the upper arms. The appearance of stretch marks in this area is because they are more likely to appear on fatty areas of your body. That is why you will rarely get stretch marks on your lower arm area between the elbow and your hand. However, the stretch marks in this area will be noticeable (a little bit) when they show up, later, they will be almost invisible because your arms are more exposed to the air than thighs or breasts.
- Stretch marks on hips – along with the growth of your belly, the hip grows too. It’s only natural to assume that the expansion of the hips’ skin will result in the formation of stretch marks. Your body is growing, and skin is unable to keep up.
- Stretch marks on back – they are placed in the lower back area, close to your bottom. It is because that area is relatively close to your hips. When your body is expanding, the tissue on the lower back area is growing as well.
- Stretch marks on pubic hair – more precisely, they are situated under pubic hair, and that area is called mons pubis. Naturally, that area expands too with the growth of your baby. Sometimes the stretch marks can start on your belly and move all the way to that area, and sometimes it is vice versa. The stretch marks can occur under pubic hair and then later lead to the stomach area.
What can pregnant women do to deal with them effectively?
There are lots of things that pregnant women can do to deal with existing stretch marks. However, don’t go choosing treatments that can demand a whole lot of time, as well as your money. You should try to use only those forms of treatment that are non-surgical in nature, being that you are carrying a baby and do need to refrain from such courses of action until the infant is born. Pregnant women can use stretch mark creams or lotions that do work, very well, where their stretch marks are concerned. This is because they help to keep them moisturized properly and prevent them from drying out.
Even though stretch marks can’t be avoided, it’s the usual process of the body adapting to pregnancy, there are some things a women can do to deal with them. For example, regular massage is helpful. It is recommended for pregnant women to massage their bodies with massage gloves, or hand massage and to use moisturizer every day. Massage improves the circulation that stimulates new tissues to grow. Moisturizers should contain vitamins E and A while creams should be rich with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). These creams are made of plant extracts that are beneficial for one’s skin. Also, don’t be fooled by ads and manufacturer’s promises. There are no creams that can completely make stretch marks disappear like in a magic trick. That is not going to happen. Lotions and moisturizers hydrate the skin that can lead to reduced number of stretch marks. It should be noted that hydration isn’t only for treating stretch marks. Hydration should be the habit for every mom-to-be to take care of her skin properly.
Other steps of minimizing stretch marks during pregnancy include not putting on too much weight. While it is normal for pregnant women to gain weight, you should still pay attention to the amount of food you eat. Eating for two is a mistake and the diet shouldn’t include junk or fast foods, processed food, but it should be based on vegetables, fruit, and other healthy ingredients that will have positive benefits for mother and the baby too. Also avoid the intake of too much salt because it retains the water. Water retention causes more weight, and more weight leads to more stretch marks. To avoid stretch marks caused due to water retention you can go for water retention treatments. When it comes to weight can it is normal to gain 1 or 2 kg during first 12 weeks, after that it is normal to gain 300 to 400 g per week until the 28th week. Later, from 28 to week 400 it is normal to gain between 1 and 3 kg per month.
Like it was mentioned above, stretch marks are meant to appear, all you can do is to be careful about the weight, hydrate normally and minimize their number.
Do this pregnancy stretch marks ever go away or what?
Stretch marks go through different stages of color from beginning to end. They start out as either a light pinkish color to reddish to purplish. As they mature, they turn white, silver, or even a dark brown depending on one’s skin tone. Though they do fade away a great deal, but in actuality, they don’t ever go way. This is the answer, as to what happens to them, but there is no cure for them. We just deal with them, pregnant or not.
This is a guest post by Ella James who writes for Consumer Health Digest, especially on topics related to motherhood and general lifestyle for women.
