Many of the pregnant women and mothers I look after complain about stretch marks (striae gravidarum). These are the stretch marks in the skin that appear during pregnancy as a slight depression in the skin, ranging from pale pink to bluish-purple. They mainly appear on the stomach, sometimes also on the thighs or breasts.
If you have also discovered stretch marks, you are one of the 50 to 75 per cent of expectant mothers who are affected.
Even though these painless cracks in the skin do not cause any health problems, many women struggle with them. I would like to encourage you at this point: Your body really does an extraordinary job during pregnancy and childbirth. Stretch marks can also testify to this. So be lenient with these physical changes and allow yourself to be proud of the miracle you have achieved with your body.
How do stretch marks develop?
Viewed from the outside in, your skin essentially consists of three layers: the Epidermis (epidermis), the Leather skin (dermis) and the Subcutis (subcutis). As the baby grows steadily in your belly, your skin has to stretch and adapt accordingly. In addition, the hormonal changes during pregnancy cause your connective tissue to loosen and the skin may become brittle. If it can no longer withstand the increasing stretching, tears will appear in the subcutaneous tissue. These tears then allow the underlying blood vessels to show through. This explains the discolouration of the stretch marks. After the birth, the subcutaneous tears fade over time, but remain as a "whitish reminder" of the pregnancy.
Younger pregnant women up to their mid-20s are particularly affected by stretch marks. This is because their skin is simply tighter than that of slightly older women. Stretch marks are also more common in blonde and fair-skinned women. The same applies to pregnant women with weak connective tissue from the outset and women who gain a lot of weight quickly during pregnancy. A genetic component is also being discussed in research, as stretch marks often affect women whose mothers or grandmothers also had stretch marks.
Can stretch marks be prevented?
Unfortunately, no. Just recently, a woman who had recently given birth "complained" to me during aftercare: "I regularly applied cream and massaged my skin - and what good did it do me? Not much at any rate!"
Even science has not yet been able to prove a clear link between certain preventative measures and the actual preventative effect on stretch marks. Nevertheless, there is something you can do that will make your skin and body happy: Care and attention. There are a number of things you can do, especially with regard to your skin, to keep it as soft and elastic as possible and to promote blood circulation. This may help to minimise the appearance of stretch marks - but there is nothing you can do to prevent them completely when they appear.
My tips
Treat yourself to massages: This can be a gentle plucking massage where you massage your skin (oiled if necessary) with your thumb and index finger or "just" a Oil massage. A massage glove or a massage pad can also provide good and beneficial services. Body brush.
Use special care products: In the trade there are Creams, Lotions or Oilsthat have been specially developed for pregnant women. Their ingredients are not only designed to care for your skin, but also to keep it supple.
Try alternating showers: The repeated alternation between warm and cold water promotes blood circulation and stimulates the metabolism, among other things. It also strengthens your immune system.
Keep moving: Regular exercise or moderate sporting activities - preferably in the fresh air - also promote blood circulation in the skin.
Drink a lot: It is important to drink enough during pregnancy. The best way to do this is to drink water. At least two litres a day will also make your skin more elastic.
Eat a healthy diet: A varied and vitamin-rich diet also ensures a balanced acid-base balance and therefore elastic connective tissue. This also helps to counteract rapid and heavy weight gain. You can find out more about healthy nutrition during pregnancy in my blog here .
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Treat stretch marks retrospectively?
As the uterus and the abdominal wall continue to recede after the birth, the tears in the connective tissue also become narrower. They also increasingly fade because the underlying blood vessels no longer show through. However, the tears themselves remain visible as whitish stripes in the skin. This means that they no longer disappear. However, you should continue to care for your skin and keep it supple with creams, moisturising oils or massages (see above).
In addition, there are different Treatment methodsthat now promise relief. What they all have in common is that they are time-consuming and expensive, are not covered by health insurance and do not work miracles. This means that even after an expensive treatment, your stomach or body will not look exactly the same as it did before your pregnancy. Here is a brief introduction to the most common procedures:
Ointments with vitamin A acid are only available on prescription and are intended to stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin. For visible effects, you need to be patient for at least six months. These products must not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
A Peeling with Glycolic or ascorbic acid promotes the formation of new cells and ensures that stretch marks fade.
Micro-needling is another method. Here, a special device perforates the skin with tiny, closely spaced holes. These micro-injuries are intended to activate the skin's self-healing powers and ultimately build up new, firm connective tissue through the formation of collagen and elastin.
Laser treatments against stretch marks are also offered. They are considered effective, but may only be carried out in dermatological practices. This method is also intended to build up new connective tissue and further fade the existing stretch marks.
My opinion
I believe that the main problem lies not in the stretch marks that remain, but in the question of how they are assessed. Not only by the women themselves, but also by their partners. In my experience, affected women often find their stretch marks so "bad" or "ugly" because they are afraid that they will no longer be perceived as attractive by others. But hand on heart: is this really true - or is it just a fear?
I can only advise you: Say goodbye to the supposed ideal of beauty and the "perfect body image". Neither of these exist anyway - and if they do, then only through Photoshop. Don't talk yourself into anything, don't let anyone talk you into anything and don't feel pressurised into anything. You may not have the perfect body image that is often portrayed on social networks. But you do have the perfect body because it did exactly the right thing during pregnancy and birth. I mentioned it earlier: be proud of it! And if you want to follow something on social media, then follow the relatively new body positivity trend. Fortunately, more and more mums are discovering it. That's good!
