Nurturing Your Skin Post-Pregnancy: Dealing with Stretch Marks

“Don’t hide your scars, your stretch marks,
your laugh lines, your calloused hands.
They are your life story.
They tell the story of your one
amazing, awful, beautiful life
written in the curves and lines of
extraordinary, miraculous, beautiful you.
— A poem by L.R. Knost

As mothers, it’s natural to have mixed emotions about the physical reminders of our journey into motherhood. This poem serves as a reminder to love your body in all its forms, to never touch your body with shame or embarrassment.

It’s understandable to desire to regain your pre-pregnancy body. It might take you a little while to truly see the beauty and miracle your body is capable of and love it for it, but you will get there sooner or later.
Before we begin let’s make one thing clear, we’re not here to give you quick fixes and leave you with empty promises. Instead we hope reading this small piece will bring you just a little closer to how your body deserves to be loved.

What Are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are a type of scar that develop when your body grows faster than your skin can keep up with. This results in small tears in the elastic fibers just underneath the skin, resulting in stretch marks.
Stretch marks can appear as pink, purple, red, or brown streaks or lines across the skin. And due to the rapid weight gain during pregnancy, nearly 9 in every 10 women will get pregnancy stretch marks on their belly, breasts, buttocks, hips, or thighs.

Can You Get Stretch Marks Even after Pregnancy?

Yes, while stretch marks are incredibly common during pregnancy, they can also appear after pregnancy. For instance, when your mammary glands start producing breastmilk the skin on the breasts stretches to accommodate the enlarged milk ducts which can sometimes create stretch marks on the breasts.
Natural hormonal changes that follow childbirth can also increase your risk of developing stretch marks.

Stretch Marks can Sometimes be Itchy as They Heal

While the itchiness of the stretch marks can be mild and easily bearable, any severe itchiness and discomfort should be discussed with your doctor. Even though it’s rare, it could be a rash that forms on stretch marks.

Do Stretch Marks Go Away?

Since stretch marks are scars, like any scar, they are permanent.
We have some good news too – most people find that their stretch marks do fade away naturally and become less noticeable over time. While you may not be able to get rid of them completely, there are certain things you can do to improve the appearance of stretch marks on your skin.

Here’s how to fade the appearance of stretch marks after pregnancy

It’s easier to treat at their early stage than when they are older, so, try to start your treatment early after childbirth if you can. Of course, with your doctor’s approval.
Here are a few options that answer the question “How to reduce stretch marks after delivery?”

Moisturize Your Skin

There are many self-titled best stretch marks removal cream after delivery – be wary of them as there’s no scientific evidence that these stretch marks cream after delivery work.

You might also get suggestions to use lemon juice, castor oil, aloe vera, or egg whites to treat stretch marks. However, these too are not guaranteed to work. People think they work only because stretch marks become less visible and fade away naturally on their own over time – even without any outside help.

However, according to some recent studies, stretch marks removal cream with hyaluronic acid and tretinoin may help improve the appearance of early stretch marks. But tretinoin isn’t typically safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so do speak with your doctor before using any stretch marks removal cream.

With that said, keeping your skin moisturized may be one of your best bets to lighten your stretch marks! Keep yourself well hydrated and use moisturizer daily for weeks after childbirth and massage the product into the stretch marks for the best benefits. Moisturizing your skin may also help improve any itching you may feel.

Laser Therapy

Numerous studies have suggested that laser therapy might be one of the most effective treatments for the removal of stretch marks. Laser therapy works by using light to reach deep into your skin’s layers to repair and regenerate skin cells, resulting in smoother skin with improved color and texture similar to the surrounding skin.

Micro-Needling

Micro needling uses fine needles to puncture the skin with an aim of repairing the skin as they heal. Combining it with laser therapy can improve the texture of your skin by thickening your skin’s layers and making the stretch marks less noticeable.

While it may take a while, stretch marks do fade over time – even though it may take years in some cases, but they do. But if you’re unhappy with your appearance and would like a permanent or quick solution, talk with your doctor and they can refer you to a dermatologist.

But in your journey called motherhood, how can we help you? There’s a very important way that we can – by making a better diaper for your baby so that you can have more time for yourself. Teddyy baby diapers are one of the best newborn diapers for sensitive skin, and your child’s best friend when it comes to diapers.

If you want to ask us questions about motherhood, looking after your child or just need someone who listens, we’re here for you and our comments section is all yours.