How to Prevent Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks are like scars on the skin, which are caused by the dermis. The main causes of stretch marks are rapid weight changes, puberty, body building or other hormonal changes. In this article, we will tell you different ways to prevent stretch marks. Stretch marks may diminish over time, but they will not disappear completely. They are most likely to appear in places where a large amount of fat is stored like abdomen, upper arms, underarms, back and thighs. Our skin is very flexible, but due to rapid shifts in weight, our skin tends to leave some scars on our body, which later becomes stretch marks.

Causes of Stretch Marks:

• Many women suffer from stretch marks during pregnancy. The skin stretches in many ways to make room for the baby, which causes stretch marks.
• Stretch marks can also appear when a person rapidly gains or lose weight.  Many teenagers suffer stretch marks due to sudden growth.
• Corticosteroid lotion and pills decrease our skin’s ability to stretch resulting in stretch marks.

Best Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks

The best way to prevent stretch marks in to keep the skin healthy and hydrated. But there are some certain tips that you can take to decrease the chances of stretch marks.

1.) Coconut Oil to Prevent Stretch Marks

Coconut oil is most popular for its moisturizing properties. It is one of the best natural ways to keep the skin moisturized. The only thing you need is coconut oil. Rub some of the coconut oil on the skin and massage the area so that the skin could absorb the moisture. Repeat this process 2-3 times a day to get the best results. If you are running short of coconut oil, then you can use olive oil, avocado oil or just the baby oil.

2.) Maintain a Balanced Diet to Stop Stretch Marks

A balanced diet includes zinc, Vitamin E and Vitamin C, silica, and other nutrients. Eating a balanced diet will not only help your overall health, but it will also help you in preventing stretch marks. Having a  balanced diet with all the nutrients will help your skin to stay nourished. Including a variety of food such as blueberry, spinach, carrot, nuts, and beans to your diet will keep you and your skin fit.

3.) Castor Oil to Fade Stretch Marks

Pregnant ladies are often advised to use castor oil to prevent stretch marks. Castor oil prevents the skin from losing its moisture. This technique has been used by many people to prevent or cure many skin problems like wrinkles, fine lines, or spots. Take a small amount of castor oil and apply a thick layer on your skin. Cover the area where you have applied castor oil with plastic wrap and apply some heat with a heating pad for about 20 minutes. Repeat this process daily to get prevent stretch marks. You can mix one spoon of castor oil with two spoons of almond oil if you don’t want your oil to be thick.

4.) Water to Prevent Stretch Marks

The best way to avoid any skin problem is to stay as much hydrated as possible. And the best way to stay hydrated is to drink as much water as possible. This will keep your skin flexible and maintain its elasticity. You should drink at least two liters of water per day to stay hydrated. This is the simplest way to prevent stretch marks because the only thing you have to do is drink plenty of water.

5.) Vitamin E to Avoid Stretch Marks

Vitamin E is a very strong antioxidant that prevents the free radicals from damaging the collagen fibers present in our skin. This increases skin elasticity by keeping the collagen fibers strong. You should eat foods like almonds, spinach, pumpkins, olives and avocados as a large amount of vitamin E is present in them. If you want, you can even take vitamin E supplements as well.

6.) Dry Brush to Prevent Stretch Marks

Dry brushing makes the skin very healthy and removes all the toxins present in our skin. It removes all the dead skin cells and dirt and opens the skin pores, which helps the skin to absorb moisture from oils and lotion in an effective way. To complete this process, you’ll need a dry brush which has a long handle so that it can be used in areas which are hard to reach. You should brush your bare skin on your thigh, arms, buttocks and abdomen for about 5 minutes. Do this process daily to get better results and avoid brushing areas with delicate skin. Your skin should be completely dry and not wet.

7.) Control Weight Shift to Avoid Stretch Marks

One of the main causes of stretch marks is a rapid change in weight. Rapid change in weight makes the skin to change shape rapidly, which leaves stretch marks on the skin. If you are working out to lose some weight, it is advised not to lose weight too quickly as it can cause stretch marks. The same goes for weight gain as it can also cause stretch marks. You should control your exercise to prevent stretch marks.

8.) Limit the Use of  Corticosteroids to Prevent Stretch Marks

Many ointments and creams contain a corticosteroid, which decreases our skin’s ability to stretch and ultimately resulting in stretch marks. Frequent use of these ointments or pills can result in permanent stretch marks as these creams can make our skin thin. So, avoid frequent use of creams or lotions containing corticosteroid to prevent stretch marks. So if you don’t want your skin to have different scars on it, then you should consider avoiding lotions or creams, which contains corticosteroids.

9.) Regular Exercise to Avoid Stretch Marks

Exercising regularly will help your skin to stay nourished as exercise increases the blood circulation. It will make you fit and active and increases the elasticity of skin and gives a good shape to our muscles. Daily exercise causes our skin to sweat, which removes all the toxins from our body and it also helps in regulating hormones. This method has helped many people in two ways as it helps your skin from preventing stretch marks and also makes you very much fit and active.

10.) Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter Stop Stretch Marks

Shea butter and cocoa butter are well known for having the quality of softening and making the skin smooth. They are called best to keep the skin well nourished and moisturized. These are completely natural butter to prevent stretch marks. The nut of the karate tree is the main ingredient of Shea butter and cocoa butter is made from the cocoa beans. Just apply any of these on your skin and the result will be outstanding. They will nourish your skin and will keep it smooth for a long time. This is one of the most effective and easy methods to prevent stretch marks.