Many products are on the market today that offer promising solutions to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. What should mothers know about stretch mark creams?
One of the common results of rapid pregnancy weight gain is stretch marks. Officially known as striae gravidarum, stretch marks occur in about 50-90% of women in the second half of pregnancy. Stretch marks do fade over time but they do not completely go away. For that reason, it is no surprise that expectant mothers are motivated to try to prevent stretch marks during their pregnancies when possible.
Stretch Marks During Pregnancy is More Likely to Occur with A Family History
If female relatives on the mother’s side had stretch marks during pregnancy, it is more likely that the expectant mother will also get them. In addition to a having a family history, striae gravidarum is more likely to occur with any of the following risk factors:
* younger mothers
* having multiples
* having a larger baby
* corticosteroid use
Treatment for Stretch Marks Includes Daily Massage with Topical Ointment
When experts have researched treatment options for stretch marks, they have found mixed results. It is possible that having a daily massage may be helpful in the prevention of stretch marks, but it is not clear which ingredient in various brands of stretch mark creams or lotions seems to do the trick.
As compared to the group of women who did not massage with stretch mark cream, fewer women in both research studies who used a topical ointment or cream developed stretch marks. One stretch mark cream used in a study contained the following ingredients: centella asiatica extract, alpha tocopherol and collagen-elastin hydrolysates. In the other study, participants used an ointment that contained tocopherol, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, elastin and menthol.
Researchers were not able to conclude which ingredient in the two types of creams helped to prevent stretch marks. Perhaps it is not the specific ointment or ingredient used, but the act of having a daily massage that helps to moisturize the skin and prevent stretch marks.
What Consumers Should Know About Stretch Mark Creams
Remember that while there is no harm in using various lotions or creams designed to prevent stretch marks, there is no proven product available on the market today that contains ingredients known to actually prevent stretch marks. In addition, there is no testing on products to remove stretch marks, so be wary of dropping large quantities of money on products that may not be effective.
It may be just as effective to have a daily massage with a good quality skin lotion in the last half of pregnancy rather than buying a specific stretch mark cream. If expectant mothers are interested in preventing stretch marks, they should look for lotions or creams that contain some of the ingredients (listed in italics above) that have been tested and found helpful to prevent or reduce stretch marks.
It is important to remember that, regardless of the product advertising, no stretch mark creams are available on the market today that are guaranteed to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.