6 tips to minimise stretch marks

All women hate stretch marks, unfortunately if you are genetically prone to it, sometimes there is very little you can do to prevent it. However these are some steps to try to minimise how bad the stretchmarks will be.

Detect those marks early! The first step to removing or minimizing these stretch marks is to detect them as soon as you can. When fresh, it is easier to deal with them. However, as they grow older and begin to fade, they may begin to settle in your skin and it will be harder for you to then get rid of them.

Take your favorite moisturizer (any mild one will do) and use it to massage the areas where stretch marks have begun to appear. Massage the area several times a day. Though some people believe that cocoa butter is an important ingredient that will help to reduce stretchmarks it’s interesting to note that no studies till date has proven so. Although studies have proven that creams containing gotu kola (also known as Luei Gong Gen/ Vallaria) extracts, vitamin e and collagen hydrolysates are associated with less stretchmarks.

Exfoliate your skin regularly. Do so with a gentle exfoliate. There are many ready made exfoliates in the market. NTUC has tons and you can pick one that suits your skin type the next time you go shopping for groceries. You can also make your own exfoliate using dried and powdered orange peel and yoghurt.

Take your supplements. Vitamin E helps repair and replenish collagen. A daily dose of Vitamin E or a massage with Vitamin E oils can help you reduce the appearance of these stretch marks. Wheat germ oil, cosmetic products that contain peptides, and retinoids are some of the other products that may work on your skin. However, their efficacy is not known.

Drink lots of water. This way, you will keep your skin hydrated and it will remain relatively free from scars and stretch marks.

Exercise regularly when you are pregnant. A lot of women avoid any kind of exercise and take long periods of rest. This could be detrimental to your overall health as well as the health of your skin. Take a stroll for a few minutes everyday. If you want, you can even enroll yourself in a special yoga class for pregnant women.

Here some sentiments from our Mummy readers:
Kate Moreau: Just remember: “Your body is not ruined. You’re a goddamn tiger who’s earned her stripes!!”

Norfitri Shah: Stretchmark shld be proud of as we had ever conceived a human in our tummy… Thats what i think of lovely stretchmarks… for every conceiving mummy.:-)

Sheena Teresa Ong: It depends on your skin’s elasticity and genes as well. Not all moms are “bound” to have it.

Reynilda Permana: I prevent the stretchmark by putting cream everyday after bathing. I got 3 children and no stretchmark at all..

Cyn Su: I seldom use the cream n I dun hv any.