Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful times of a woman’s life. Along with the joy of carrying a baby, also can come the disheartenment of seeing her body after baby. Stretch marks lined on the skin are not a very attractive look for those women who are looking to get there body back to normal after pregnancy. There are methods to helping prevent the occurrence of severe stretch marks, and using pregnancy stretch mark cream is an example of one possible solution.

Here is a bit of background on stretch marks, and the kind of pregnancy stretch mark cream that could be used to reduce their appearance.

Background on Stretch Marks

Known as striae gravidarum, stretch marks are basically a stretching of the skin after excessive weight gain due to pregnancy or other reasons. Collagen and elastin, the two components of skin tissue that holds the skin together, tear apart, thus creating marks on the skin. Stretch marks occur with 90 per cent of pregnant women, and the severity of the stretch marks depends upon how much weight was gained, and how stretchy the woman’s skin is.

Although there is no true prevention for stretch marks, most doctors will advise pregnant women not to gain more than 35 pounds during pregnancy, as the more weight gained, then the more the skin will stretch.

Treatment for Stretch Marks

Physicians agree that stretch marks will fade at least a year after giving birth, and will continue to be less noticeable as time goes on. But for those women who really want to get rid of the stretch marks, or have severe stretching of the skin, choosing a pregnancy stretch mark cream may be the best way to treat them.

For severe stretch marks, doctors will prescribe Tretinoin, a potent topical cream that will repair the torn collagen, thus greatly reducing the appearance of severe stretch marks. The only stipulation for this type of pregnancy stretch mark cream, is that the patient has to start using is right after the birth of her baby. Also, she cannot use it during pregnancy, or if she is breastfeeding.

Another type of pregnancy stretch mark cream that may work is cocoa butter and vitamin E. Although believed by physicians to be just common thought, for generations women have sworn by cocoa butter as a way to soften the skin and reduce stretch marks. This is safe, and can be used by women during pregnancy.

In the end, it is up to the woman for what kind of pregnancy stretch mark cream she wants to use. Whether you are proud to show off your stretch marks as a work of art, or want them to go away as fast as possible, the type of treatment you decide upon is entirely up to you.

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