How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy: Effective Techniques and Skincare Tips

It’s common to hear moms of every generation lament the changes they saw in their bodies after giving birth. And while every body responds to pregnancy differently, one of the most common lamentations you’ll hear is stretch marks.

A staggering 90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. The skin condition is so common it’s even earned its own name—striae gravidarum (SG)—due to the specific causal combination of an expanding belly and the hormonal changes that tend to exaggerate the marks

While the marketplace is full of lotions and potions that profess to beat stretch marks once and for all, there’s no foolproof method for how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. But with a little more insight into why they happen and how to treat your skin gorgeously nevertheless, you may learn to adore your stretch marks for all they represent about who you’re becoming as a parent.

Striae Gravidarum (Pregnancy Stretch Marks): Causes and Onset

In non-pregnant people, the cause of stretch marks (striae distensae) is usually related to weight gain, which can cause the skin to stretch.

But for a pregnant woman, it’s suspected that hormonal factors have a greater role to play in stretch mark formation. Experts suggest that estrogen, relaxin, and other reproductive hormones help break down collagen fibers, making it even easier for the skin to accommodate a growing belly and baby. These actions can also diminish elasticity, which may contribute to skin sagging in some women.

Interestingly, studies show no correlation between how much a surface area expands and the severity of stretch marks localized there. In other words, you may notice your thighs have more exaggerated stretch marks than your belly does

Striae gravidarum most commonly appears around week 24 of the second trimester. You’re most likely to notice them on your:

• Stomach
• Breasts
• Buttocks
• Hips
• Upper legs

Research suggests that stretch mark formation may also have a basis in genetics. If your mother or relatives experienced them, you could be more likely to get them too.

Will stretch marks go away on their own?

In most cases, no. While stretch marks may fade and become less apparent over time, it’s not possible to completely remove stretch marks.

Understandably, this can feel distressing for many women. But whether you’re preoccupied with existing stretch marks or concerned about getting them, it can be helpful to remember that up to the vast majority of women acquire them during pregnancy.

While it can be difficult to adjust to the numerous changes—temporary and permanent—you’re going through, remember: stretch marks pose no harm to you or your baby. Learning to love your own skin for the miracle it contains is a foundational first step in taking care of it.

Perinatal Skincare Tips for Stretch Marks

As a general rule, topical products marketed to pregnant women hoping to cure stretch marks are largely ineffective. While many contain ingredients that may improve the skin’s appearance, there’s no evidence to suggest they can rehabilitate it to its original stretch mark-free condition.

During pregnancy, the best thing you can do for your skin and mental health is to focus on nourishing yourself holistically. To help you reframe, you might try treating skincare as self-care with the following glow-from-within practices.

Moisturize Liberally

Stretch marks are commonly associated with drier, rougher skin. And while adding moisture won’t necessarily curb the stretch mark formation, one of the best things you can do for your complexion is to keep it hydrated.

Moreover, dry skin is one of the most prevalent skin complaints among pregnant women. Some of the best ingredients to combat it include:

• Cocoa butter – While this ingredient isn’t the stretch mark miracle worker it’s professed to be, it is nevertheless incredibly nourishing to the skin. It’s also usually tolerated well by even sensitive skin types.
• Coconut oil – Coconut oil is a natural ingredient with a high density of medium-chain fatty acids. Not only is it incredibly moisturizing, but it also possesses antimicrobial properties which may help repair damaged skin.
• Peptides – A type of amino acid that may help improve skin tone, barrier integrity, and skin elasticity.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is highly effective at retaining moisture by virtue of its chemical structure. It’s also considered safe to use during pregnancy and can be an excellent ingredient to use in moisturizers or a serum beneath them.

Try Self-Massage with Almond Oil

Almond oil is one of the very few ingredients whose ability to allay any pregnancy stretch marks has some scientific substantiation behind it. While the sample size was small, one study from Turkey reported a “statistically significant difference” in observable striae gravidarum between women who self-massaged with bitter almond oil and those who didn’t.

The scientists reported that the key here was likely to be a 15-minute self-massage, rather than the almond oil itself. That said, there’s no harm in indulging in this form of self-care to see if it makes a difference!

Avoid Supplements or Invasive Procedures

Reckoning with skin issues during pregnancy can be frustrating, especially if you’re eager to throw everything but the kitchen sink at your skin to help it look and feel its best. But unless your doctor gives you the green light, pregnancy and nursing are considered risky times to try:

• Cosmetic procedures – Many popular skin interventions that are normally considered low-risk could potentially be hazardous to your baby. These include:
  • Chemical peels
  • Fillers
  • Botox
  • Microdermabrasion
  • High amounts of salicylic acid

Certain chemicals may be noxious if they enter the bloodstream. Similarly, procedures

like rigorous exfoliation could make your skin susceptible to infection. For now, it’s best to avoid intensive skin treatments and wait to treat yourself to a skin procedure once your baby has arrived.

• Supplements – Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, and some ingredients or preservatives could put your baby in harm’s way. For instance, since stretch marks are associated with collagen breakdown, some pregnant women contemplate taking supplements or powders to restore what they’ve lost.

Generally, it’s best to save these correctives for after your baby is born and stopped drinking your breastmilk. If you’re struggling to wait, the golden rule is to run any supplements you’re considering (including their dosages) by your doctor before you take them.

Postpartum Skincare Tips for Stretch Marks

If your stretch marks are bothering you after pregnancy, there are three cosmetic treatments that help some women feel more confident about their skin’s appearance.

Retinoids

Retinoids refer to a class of substances derived from vitamin A, which many people use to treat skin complaints like:

• Lack of skin elasticity
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven skin tone
• Acne

Topical retinoids like tretinoin may also be used to combat pregnancy stretch marks by encouraging collagen production in the skin. However, they are not universally considered safe to be used during pregnancy or while nursing. Retinol can make its way into the bloodstream, elevating the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women and developmental abnormalities in children who are nursing.

If you’re interested in using retinoids for stretch marks—including related derivatives like retinol and retinoic acid—you can do so safely once you’ve weaned your baby. By the same token, be sure to check the labels of new skincare products you introduce to ensure your routine stays free and clear of retinoids during a healthy pregnancy.

Microneedling

Microneedling or collagen induction therapy is another procedure used to promote collagen and elastin production in the skin. Technicians use small needles to prick the skin’s surface, encouraging the skin’s natural healing process to make it look smoother.

Microneedling may be used to contend with stretch marks, though it usually requires multiple appointments to get optimal results. It’s best to save the procedure for after pregnancy, since puncturing skin can increase your vulnerability to infection.

Laser treatment

Laser treatments and light therapies like laser skin resurfacing can also stimulate collagen content in the skin. They’re used to treat multiple skin concerns, including:

• Photodamage (sun damage)
• Scarring
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven skin texture
• Hyperpigmentation
• Scarring
• Stretch marks

A pregnant woman should avoid light therapies, particularly in their first trimester, to prevent a heightened risk of miscarriage. However, there’s no harm in seeking laser treatments after your baby is born, even if you’re still nursing.

Find Your Pregnancy Glow With SneakPeek

Pregnancy is no picnic. Whether it’s the stretch marks, the morning (or all day) nausea, or simply the awareness of change all around you, it’s completely normal for daily ups and downs to throw expecting moms for a loop.

Developing a more conscious approach to the changes on the horizon is one of the most compassionate ways to meet these challenges, even when your feelings are in flux. To help you get through this phase, we’ve got resources available about how long morning sickness lasts, solutions for pregnancy insomnia, tips for traveling while pregnant, and more.

What’s more, with SneakPeek’s Early Gender DNA Test, you can learn your future little one’s gender as soon as 6 weeks into your pregnancy. You’ll take your gender blood test sample from home, send it to SneakPeek labs, and we’ll triple-review your sample to deliver DNA-based, over 99% clinically proven results.¹ We’ll even send them back to you on the same day we receive your sample.

With complete privacy protection, SneakPeek is trusted by 1 million and remains OBGYN’s #1 recommended at-home early gender test. Start your pregnancy consciously by finding out more at SneakPeek today.

Sources:

1. National Institutes of Health. Stretch marks during pregnancy: a review of topical prevention. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25255817/
2. National Institutes of Health. Risk factors for the development of striae gravidarum.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1913631/
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