Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Bringing life into the world and helping mold and influence the outcome of that life is pretty amazing stuff. What’s not so great about pregnancy though are stretch marks. We know, it pales in importance to giving birth to another human but wouldn’t it be nice to just not get them at all?

The skin is normally quite pliable and elastic but extreme stretching of the skin due to your expanding belly can cause your skin’s inner layers to tear. When the body expands as it does during pregnancy the fibers on you dermis stretch out to accommodate the expansion. Sometimes when the fibers are stretched too thin, they can break. This breakage is what results to stretch marks.

Benefits Of Using Stretch Mark Creams

Stretch marks can be quite difficult to treat. With the more effective laser treatments costing you upwards of $1000 per session with multiple sessions needed for best results. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to prevent stretch marks from happening? The good news is—you can.

One of the biggest benefits of using stretch mark creams is that they have the potential to lessen your chances of getting stretch marks. Below we will discuss exactly how.

Improves Skin Elasticity

Your skin’s elasticity is one of the major determinants of your chances of getting stretch marks. If you inherited tight elastic skin, then you are one of the lucky ones. Otherwise it is advisable to provide your skin some nourishment and support by using stretch marks creams.

Stretch mark creams typically contain compounds that are known to improve elasticity. Among these is the molecule, elastin. Normally occurring in the body, this protein is largely responsible for your skin’s ability to stretch and retain its form. Some other vitamins and minerals to look out for are selenium, zinc, Vit. A and Vit. C.

Improve Rejuvination Of The Skin

To improve skin rejuvenation it is crucial to optimize cell function and skin cell renewal. Believe it or not, most stretch mark creams (even the drug store brands) are formulated to have an abundance of these components. For skin rejuvenation it is advisable to look for formulations rich in Vitamin B-complex, Vitamins A, C & E, iron and copper.

An even better way to promote skin rejuvenation is through a healthy diet that is rich in all the nutrients mentioned above. Not only will your skin look great you will feel great too.

Improves Flexibility Of The Skin

Most components of stretch mark creams, encourage both skin elasticity AND skin flexibility. It is not uncommon for vitamins and minerals to do a sort of double action on your skin and provide not only elasticity but also flexibility. Maintaining the flexibility of your skin is a sure fire way to avoid developing stretch marks.

Enhances Blood Circulation

Proper blood circulation promotes proper wound healing, cell recovery and nutrition. It is therefore crucial to maintain proper blood circulation if you want your skin to be able to withstand the rapid stretching that happens all throughout your pregnancy. Sometimes stretch mark cream manufacturers include plant extracts like caffeine to help improve blood circulation on your skin.

Helps Reduce Inflammation

It is no secret that pregnancy can get quite uncomfortable sometimes. Most stretch mark cream brands seem to understand this that is why they often include soothing ingredients that relieve both itching and inflammation.

Prevents Sagging Of The Skin

All in all because it improves skin elasticity and flexibility stretch mark creams have the potential to prevent sagging of the skin. It is normal for skin to take a while to return to its former shape and tautness especially after undergoing such a huge change in your body as pregnancy. However, using a stretch mark cream throughout your pregnancy could help support your skin and hasten the process.

Stretch marks creams are a good way to treat stretch marks but they are even better at preventing them. Since you are pregnant however it is important to note that Vitamin A can be toxic to you at high levels and that its derivatives, retinol and tretinoin, are teratogenic. To be sure, consult your physician before using a cream that contains Vitamin A or any of its derivatives.