Stretch marks
The formation of stretch marks is mainly due to hormonal effects during pregnancy. The expansion of the abdomen causes the elastic fibers and collagen fibers in the skin to be damaged or broken to varying degrees by external forces, making the skin thinner and finer. Pink or purplish red wavy patterns will appear on the abdominal skin. After delivery, these patterns gradually disappear, leaving white or silver-white glossy scar lines, namely stretch marks. Stretch marks are mainly located on the abdominal wall, but they may also appear on the inner and outer sides of the thighs, buttocks, chest, lower back, shoulders, and arms, with first-time mothers being the most obvious. Once they appear, they do not fade over time, leading to loose and wrinkled skin, breast sagging, abdominal fat accumulation, seriously affecting the postpartum body shape and physical and mental health of women.
Causes of stretch marks
Root factors
The human abdomen has many layers from outside to inside: skin, elastic fibers of the skin, subcutaneous fat layer, rectus abdominis muscle composed of muscle fiber bundles and tendons, pre-peritoneal fat layer, and peritoneum. Normally, the elastic fibers of the skin and the rectus abdominis muscle maintain a certain elasticity and can freely stretch within a certain limit. When women are more than 3 months pregnant, the enlarged uterus protrudes out of the pelvis and develops towards the abdominal cavity, causing the abdomen to start expanding. Affected by the enlarged uterus, the elastic fibers of the skin and the abdominal muscles begin to stretch. This is especially noticeable after 6 months of pregnancy. When the limit is exceeded, the elastic fibers break, and the rectus abdominis tendon also separates to varying degrees. Thus, irregular longitudinal cracks of pink or purplish red appear on the abdominal skin. After delivery, although the broken elastic fibers gradually repair, it is difficult for them to return to their previous state, and the original skin cracks gradually fade, eventually turning silvery white, which are stretch marks.
Other factors
In addition, adolescents in puberty may develop stretch marks due to dehydration, drinking strong tea habits, and other reasons that inhibit cell division, resulting in fewer skin cells in the main elongation areas such as the thighs, filled by other types of cells, making the skin look uneven, appearing as stretch mark skin. Stretch marks are also called expansion marks.
How to prevent stretch marks
1. Control weight gain: During pregnancy, the monthly increase in weight should not exceed 2 kilograms, and the entire pregnancy process should be controlled between 11-14 kilograms.
2. Balanced diet: During pregnancy, rich vitamins and minerals should be supplemented. Since collagen fibers themselves are made up of proteins, foods rich in protein can be consumed more. Avoid eating too oily, sweet, or salty foods.
3. Use of support bands: These can bear the gravitational load of the abdomen, reducing excessive stretching and pulling of the skin.
4. Use professional anti-stretch mark products: This is the most effective method for preventing and reducing stretch marks. Expectant mothers who have the means can purchase suitable anti-stretch mark products for themselves. Anti-stretch mark products can effectively repair abdominal skin, increasing its elasticity and effectively preventing stretch marks.
5. From early pregnancy, choose moisturizers, olive oil, or massage cream products suitable for your constitution, and frequently massage and apply them on parts of the body prone to stretch marks (thighs, stomach, buttocks) to increase the elasticity of the skin and muscles and promote smooth blood flow. Maintaining skin elasticity plays an obvious role in later muscle adaptation to weight gain.
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