jgreene, Author at StretchMarks.org

Women Take to the Internet in Hordes to Show Off Stretch Marks

Posted on December 5, 2018

Tired of being ashamed of their bodies, many women have recently been showing off their stretch marks on various social media sites. The message these women are trying to promote is that you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body.

You have children. You created those children and carried them for nine months. You fed them from your breasts and barely slept for several months after they were born. Yes, you may have developed stretch marks while you were pregnant, but so did millions of other women. You don’t need to be ashamed of your stretch marks; they are a perfectly normal part of being a mother.

Australian Blogger Olivia White

House of White blogger Olivia White posted a photo of herself to Instagram wearing nothing but underwear in order to show the world what a postpartum body really looks like. White writes: “Puffy face, droopy milk filled boobs, wider hips and belly full of stretch marks!! That’s my post baby reality, no ‘bouncing back’ here!”

Reality Star Kendra Wilkinson

For Mother’s Day 2016, reality star Kendra Wilkinson took to Instagram with a selfie showing the stretch marks and stretched skin on her stomach caused by her two pregnancies. Wilkinson captioned the image “Look what my two babies did… They made me happy.”

#loveyourlines

The #loveyourlines Instagram account and hashtag campaign is a global initiative for women to show off their stretch marks to promote positive self-image of their postpartum bodies. The Instagram account features artistic black and white photos of women with their stretch marks in full view and has promoted the use of the hashtag on Twitter for other women who want to celebrate their post-pregnancy bodies.

Robyn Lawley

Sports Illustrated model Robyn Lawley uploaded a photo of her stretch marks to Facebook in response to the publication of an article that claimed she considered having an abortion to avoid getting stretch marks. Lawley refers to her stretch marks as her “#tigerstripes” and writes “And to anyone who feels bad about your body especially after a baby, you are a warrior, you created a life inside of you, that’s no easy feat.”

#stretchmarks

Another hashtag campaign designed to make men and women both feel more confident about their stretch marks, #stretchmarks on Instagram is used for highlighting images of people with stretch marks and promoting inspirational quotes about living with stretch marks.

Getting Rid of Stretch Marks

While the recent movement to celebrate stretch marks proves that they’re nothing to be ashamed of, you don’t have to live with stretch marks. It’s not necessary to go through dangerous and expensive plastic surgery to get rid of your stretch marks; many lotions and creams are available that may reduce the visibility of your scars or get rid of them altogether. Check out our catalog of stretch mark removal products to find one that is right for you.

Pregnancy Week 3: You’re Finally Pregnant!

Posted on December 2, 2018

If you’re pregnant, it’s probable that you conceived during the third week of your pregnancy. The reason for this is that your due date is calculated based on your last period, so the first two weeks of your pregnancy likely occur before you’ve actually conceived. In the third week of your menstrual cycle, your body is fertile and ovulating, so it’s likely that the third week of your pregnancy is the week where your baby was conceived.

Your Baby at Week 3 of Pregnancy

Once a single sperm fertilizes an egg produced by your body during ovulation, you’re pregnant. Your baby starts as a single cell but quickly divides into hundreds of cells that become the embryo and placenta. Your baby at this stage is smaller than a grain of salt, and though you won’t know its gender for many more weeks, its gender has already been determined.

Your Body During the Third Week of Pregnancy

Once you conceive, your body starts producing a hormone called hCG that prevents your uterus from shedding its lining. Since your body will not shed its uterine lining again after you conceive, you will not have another period until after your baby is born.

It’s possible that you can test positive with an early detection pregnancy test in the third week of your pregnancy, though you’ll get more certain results if you wait a week or two more. If you take a pregnancy test in your third week of pregnancy and it comes back negative, don’t be discouraged. Wait another week and test again for more accurate results.

Preparing for Your Baby in Week 3

Whether you’ve determined that you are in fact pregnant or you’re trying to get pregnant and hoping you are, there are several things you can do now to start preparing for your baby:

Buy a Pregnancy Guide: Being a new parent is terrifying, and a pregnancy guide will help alleviate your fears by educating you on the ins and outs of pregnancy. Reading about pregnancy ahead of time can teach you what to expect during your pregnancy, what to worry about while you’re pregnant, and what not to worry about because it’s perfectly normal.
Give Up Alcohol: If you haven’t already stopped drinking, this is the time to do it. If you’re the type of person who has a glass of wine after work to relive stress or before bed to relax, start looking into other methods of unwinding. Taking a hot bath, meditating, or drinking a warm glass of milk may be good substitutes while you’re expecting.
Start Using a Stretch Mark Prevention Product: More than 50% of women get stretch marks while pregnant, and you’re more likely to get them if your mother got them while pregnant with you. However, there are things you can do to avoid getting stretch marks. An easy way to prevent stretch mark scarring is to use a stretch mark prevention lotion twice a day while you’re pregnant. Find a stretch mark prevention product.

5 Inexpensive Stretch Mark Remedies You Should Consider Trying

Posted on November 30, 2018

While there are a lot of treatments doctors can perform to get rid of stretch marks—microdermabrasion, chemical peels, laser therapy, and microneedling—these treatments take months, aren’t always effective, and are very expensive. For example, laser treatment for stretch marks can cost as much as $10,000. Since most people can’t afford to spend that much on a cosmetic issue, we’ve compiled five cost-effective things to consider trying in order to fade or eliminate stretch marks:

Exfoliating Skin

Exfoliating skin removes dead skin cells on the surface of the skin and encourages skin regrowth and regeneration. While exfoliation will not impact the middle layer of skin where stretch marks form, encouraging skin growth on the surface of the skin may reduce the visibility of your stretch marks. You can use an over-the-counter body exfoliation product to exfoliate the skin over your stretch marks, or you can combine sugar with olive oil to create your own natural exfoliate.

Applying Lemon Juice

The citric acid in lemon juice can help expedite the lightening of dark stretch marks to reduce their visibility. Soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and apply it to stretch marks before bed at night. In the morning, wash it off. After some time, you may notice that the color of your stretch marks has faded. If the lemon juice irritates your skin, mix it with some aloe vera to reduce the concentration of acid you’re applying to your body.

Eating Foods That Promote Collagen Development

Collagen is a protein found naturally in the body that strengthens skin, makes it more elastic, and promotes skin healing and regrowth. Eating the right foods can encourage your body’s natural production of collagen and promote healing of skin around stretch marks, fading their color and reducing their appearance. Some foods that promote collagen development that you should include in your daily diet include lean proteins like fish and tofu, vegetables like red peppers, brussel sprouts, and carrots, and fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

Applying Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can help fade and shrink stretch marks by reducing the inflammation of skin surrounding stretch marks and encouraging healing. Tea tree oil is usually available for purchase at health food stores. Massage the oil into the skin around your stretch marks before bed at night, and then wash the oil off in the morning with soap and water. You may want to try out the product on a patch of your skin first to ensure it doesn’t irritate your skin. If irritation occurs, you can dilute the product with an equal amount of olive oil.

Using a Stretch Mark Removal Cream

Many over the counter products are available that can fade or eliminate stretch marks at costs significantly lower than what you’d pay for a physician-performed treatment. When applied daily, these products may reduce the appearance of stretch marks over time or eliminate their visibility entirely. View our list of popular stretch mark removal products.

How Australian Model Elyse Knowles Banished Her Stretch Marks

Posted on November 28, 2018

Early this month, Australian swimsuit model Elyse Knowles took to her website’s blog to tell the story about her battle with stretch marks and how she has significantly reduced the appearance of her stretch marks with laser therapy. Knowles tells the story of how she developed stretch marks as a teenager during puberty; as her body grew swiftly, stretch marks formed on her buttocks in response.

While the stretch marks did not prevent the model from a high-profile swimsuit modeling career, she made the decision recently to have them removed with laser treatment at a local clinic in Australia. Knowles takes the time to mention that she feels there is nothing wrong with stretch marks and comments that she knows many other models that have them as well, but even so she admits feeling somewhat insecure about her stretch marks—even though she knows that they’re normal.

Knowles received three treatments over the course of six months and posted pictures on her website to show the before and after results. While she admits in the comments that the stretch marks she had were very deep and did not go away completely, she says that her skin looks significantly better and that the visibility of the stretch marks diminished quite a bit.

What Is Laser Therapy?

Laser therapy is the process of using pulsating lasers to stimulate production of collagen and elastin and encourage new skin growth. When stretch marks form, it is because skin does not have enough elasticity to handle rapid changes in the shape of the body. In Knowles’ case, these rapid body changes were caused by puberty, but other common causes include weight gain, quick muscle development, and pregnancy.

Collagen and elastin development that occurs as a result of laser therapy encourage skin to repair itself by encouraging new skin growth in areas damaged by stretch marks. Stretch marks occur in the middle layer of skin—known as the dermis—so the best way to get rid of them or reduce their visibility is through use of a stretch mark removal cream or treatment—like laser therapy or a chemical peel—that encourages new skin to grow over top of the damaged layer of skin with visible stretch marks.

A number of different lasers can be used as part of laser therapy that work better for different types of stretch marks. For example, for deep red stretch marks, lasers can reduce the color and inflammation of those damaged skin areas. For white stretch marks, a Fraxel® laser may be more effective. The Fraxel® laser works by damaging skin in order to stimulate regrowth around areas where stretch marks have formed. According to Knowles, the procedure is only mildly painful—no worse than getting a wax.

Doctors Nearby and Treatment Costs

To find doctors in your area that can perform laser therapy to minimize the appearance of or get rid of your stretch marks—and to get a quote on the cost of the treatment—use our stretch mark treatment cost calculator.

Pregnancy Week 2: Things You Need to Do to Prepare for Your Baby

Posted on November 25, 2018

During the second week of your pregnancy, your body is ovulating. Very soon, likely in the third week of your pregnancy, you will conceive.

But wait—if it’s the second week of your pregnancy, shouldn’t you already be pregnant?

There’s really no way to identify the exact moment when you conceived, so doctors calculate your due date using the first day of your last period. This means your first four weeks of pregnancy happen before you even know you’re pregnant—they are the four weeks between the last day of your last period and the first day of your first missed period.

So in the second week of your typical menstrual cycle, you’re probably not pregnant yet. However, your body is preparing itself in hopes of conception—your uterus is forming a special tissue lining in order to support conception, and your ovaries are producing eggs. By the end of the second week of your pregnancy, you will ovulate. In the third week of pregnancy, ovulation will be the catalyst for conception.

Even though it is extremely unlikely that you will know you’re pregnant in the second week of your pregnancy, if you’re trying to conceive, there are some things you can do now to prepare for your baby. If you followed our tips for week one of your pregnancy, you’ve already started exercising, you’ve given up coffee and cigarettes, and you’ve started taking a vitamin daily.

Here are some other things you can do now to start preparing for your pregnancy.

Start Researching ObGyns

While you’re pregnant, you will feel like your ObGyn is a new best friend you recently made and can’t stop hanging out with. You will spend a lot of time with your doctor—over the course of your pregnancy, you’ll likely have 15 or more appointments with your ObGyn. Because of this, you’ll want to do your research early. Find a doctor you trust: one that uses hospitals you trust, that uses methods you trust, and that has a proven track record of successful deliveries. But also make sure to find a doctor you get along with on a personal level.

Start Thinking About Baby Names

As soon as you start announcing to your friends and family that you’re pregnant, they’re going to ask if you have any names in mind. Everyone will have suggestions of their own, so it will save you from having to tell people you really dislike their suggestions if you already have names of your own in mind.

Prevent Stretch Marks

It may not seem like a serious concern at the moment because you’re not yet pregnant and are certainly not growing around the waist, but the sooner you start using a stretch mark prevention product, the less likely you’ll be to develop stretch marks during your pregnancy. Stretch mark prevention lotions will strengthen your skin and make it more flexible and less prone to tearing. Find a list of products here.

4 Things to Seriously Consider Before Starting the Paleo Diet

Posted on November 23, 2018

Though Loren Cordain, Ph.D., published his first paper on the Paleo Diet in 1999, it wasn’t until 2011 that his caveman diet plan started to catch on. The Paleo Diet recommends eating like our ancestors—only consuming foods that would have been readily available in Paleolithic times through hunting and gathering. Individuals on the Paleo Diet are encouraged to eat meats, fruits, and vegetables and avoid grains and dairy.

The Paleo Diet has become popular in recent years because individuals on the diet tend to lose weight quickly by cutting things like milk and bread out of their diets. While quick weight loss may sound like a dream come true, there are a few things you should seriously consider before starting the Paleo Diet.

You May Not Be Eating Like a Caveman

Our ancestors didn’t follow a diet; they ate whatever was available to them. The Paleo Diet recommends a significant amount of protein consumption, but it’s likely that our prehistoric ancestors consumed more plants than animals. Fruits and vegetables were more readily available and easier to harvest—no hunting was required.

Your Weight Loss May Not Be Sustainable

The best diets to start are those that can be maintained over a lifetime. While losing weight may be your primary goal, you won’t be satisfied if you gain it all back shortly after ending your diet. Because the Paleo Diet is so limiting in what you can consume, it’s not realistic to imagine that it’s a diet you can stay on long-term. Before you embark on the Paleo Diet journey, consider how you will maintain your weight loss when you add dairy and grain back to your meals.

You May Not Be Getting the Nutrients You Need

Calcium is important for bone strength, so with the removal of dairy from your diet, you’ll need to take a calcium supplement to avoid conditions like osteoporosis. Eating high amounts of meat can increase your cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease. Additionally, carbohydrate deficiency over a long period of time can cause ketosis—a condition where your body is forced to burn fat for energy. While some fat burning is good, ketosis can cause side effects like dehydration and nausea and can be dangerous for people with diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Losing Weight Quickly Can Cause Stretch Marks

Your reason for starting the Paleo Diet is unique—it could be for improved health, more energy, or to fit back into those pants you’ve been hanging on to—but more than likely looking good is a factor in your weight loss plan. If your goal is to look your best, you’ll want to avoid stretch marks that can develop as a result of losing weight quickly. To prevent stretch marks, you’ll need to apply a stretch mark prevention lotion or cream daily throughout your diet. Search our catalog of stretch mark prevention products to find one that’s right for you.

Now You Can Tattoo Your Stretch Marks Away

Posted on November 21, 2018

A Brazilian tattoo artist has been getting a lot of attention lately for his work in diminishing the appearance of his client’s stretch marks. Rodolpho Torres uses a blending effect when tattooing away stretch marks to make skin appear to be more evenly toned. While tattoos won’t eliminate the uneven feel of stretch-marked skin, its power to diminish the appearance of stretch marks is evident from the images Torres posts to his Instagram account.

Unfortunately, if you’re not currently living in Brazil or planning a visit there anytime soon, this doesn’t do you much good. But if the process continues to garner attention, you may see more tattoo artists attempt to reproduce the process around the world.

If you’re interested in reducing the appearance of your stretch marks but aren’t interested in tattooing them away or don’t know a talented tattoo artist like Torres, there are other ways to diminish their appearance.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment for stretch marks is the process of using lasers to damage the skin over and around stretch marks in order to stimulate skin regrowth in those areas. Laser treatments can be performed by plastic surgeons and dermatologists and is one of the more effective treatment options for reducing the appearance of stretch marks. However, multiple treatment sessions may be necessary before results are visible, and the process can be very expensive—as much as $10,000.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is less expensive than laser treatment, but it is also less effective. Microdermabrasion is the process of exfoliating skin to improve its appearance. Because microdermabrasion removes dead skin cells and encourages skin regeneration, it can have some effect of reducing the visibility of stretch marks. However, microdermabrasion is incapable of affecting the middle layer of skin where stretch marks form, so the process is not effective for getting rid of stretch marks completely.

Chemical Peels

A deep chemical peel is the process of applying a chemical solvent to skin in order to damage skin and promote skin regeneration over areas with stretch marks. Deep chemical peels can have an effect on the middle layer of skin, making it more effective for reducing the appearance of stretch marks than microdermabrasion. However, a deep chemical peel will leave skin raw, red, and sore for several weeks—or longer—after treatment, and costs for the procedure can be as much as $6,000.

Stretch Mark Cream

A cost-effective approach to reducing the appearance of stretch marks is using a stretch mark removal cream. Stretch mark removal creams do not require you to seek medical treatment or visit a tattoo artist for results; it’s possible to improve the appearance and evenness of skin simply by applying a removal cream once or twice a day.

If you’re interested in improving the appearance of your stretch marks but not ready to go all-in for tattoos or high-costs treatments, using a stretch mark removal cream may be a good initial approach to getting rid of your stretch marks for good. Explore our catalog of stretch marks prevention and removal products.

35 Foods That Help Prevent Stretch Marks

Posted on November 18, 2018

When people think about stretch marks, pregnancy, weight gain, bodybuilding, and puberty usually come to mind because these are all times when the body changes shape rapidly. When the shape of your body changes rapidly, stretch marks can form. However, while these changes can contribute to your likelihood of developing stretch marks, the actual cause of stretch marks is brittle skin that is prone to tearing when stretched. Hormones, aging, and sun damage can all contribute to skin becoming more brittle. These factors all reduce the amount of collagen in your skin.

Collagen is a protein produced naturally by the body that helps keep skin soft, healthy, and flexible. It works to regenerate new skin when skin is damaged and makes it less likely for skin damage to be permanent. However, as we get older our body produces collagen in lesser amounts. This is a prime cause of wrinkles, but it can also make you more likely to develop stretch marks when your body changes shape. Sun exposure without sunblock and hormone fluctuations caused by pregnancy can also reduce the amount of collagen your body produces.

In good news, there are several foods you can eat that will promote your body to increase collagen production.

Collagen-Boosting Foods

Making sure your diet contains these collagen-boosting foods is a good way to prevent stretch marks during high-risk periods. As a bonus, they may also help reduce signs of aging.

Lean Proteins: Tuna, Salmon, Egg Whites, and Turkey
Citrus Fruits: Grapefruits, Oranges, Lemons, and Limes
Berries: Blackberries, Raspberries, Cherries, and Strawberries
Green Vegetables: Spinach, Olives, Brussel Sprouts, and Cabbage
Orange Vegetables: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and Pumpkin
Red Vegetables: Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Red Onions, and Radishes
Soy Products: Tofu, Edamame, and Soy Milk
Beans: Green Beans, Hummus, Black Beans, and Pinto Beans
Nuts: Peanuts, Walnuts, and Flaxseeds
Favorites: Garlic and Avocados

Other Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks

While making sure you’re eating plenty of collagen-boosting foods is a good way to prevent stretch marks, there are many other things you can do in conjunction with altering your diet to lower your risk.

The first is to avoid sun damage. Don’t go to the tanning bed. If you need or want to appear tanned, opt for using a sunless tanner instead—either a spray tan or sunless tanning lotion. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, make sure to wear sunblock so you can prevent your skin from being damaged by harmful UV rays.

Another way to prevent stretch marks is through frequent application of a stretch mark prevention lotion or cream. Stretch mark prevention creams are specially formulated to make skin soft, supple, and less prone to damage when stretched, and it may help prevent developing stretch marks at high-risk times. Apply a stretch marks cream all over your body once or twice a day for the best results.

Pregnancy Week 1: Prepare Your Body for Your Baby

Posted on November 16, 2018

It’s impossible to know that you’re pregnant during your first week of pregnancy. Your pregnancy can’t be confirmed until you miss your first period, so most women don’t discover they’re pregnant until a few weeks to a month after conceiving. However, if you’re trying to get pregnant, there are some things you can do now to promote a happy and healthy baby from the very first week of your conception. To prepare your body for your baby, follow these tips while you’re trying to conceive:

Start Exercising

Unless specifically told not to exercise by your doctor due to complications during your pregnancy, exercising while expecting will be good for your body and your baby. Regular exercise will help you avoid gaining excess weight, will help you lose your baby weight more quickly after delivery, and will help you avoid developing stretch marks or varicose veins while you’re pregnant. If you get into the habit of exercising before you conceive, it will be easier to continue your exercise plan while you’re pregnant.

Give Up Coffee and Sodas

Your doctor will tell you that drinking caffeine is unhealthy for your baby, so you’ll need to take some time off of coffee and caffeinated sodas while you’re pregnant. Your first trimester may be difficult in and of itself if you suffer from morning sickness, so giving up caffeine before you conceive will lessen your discomfort by not adding caffeine headaches to the mix of first trimester ailments.

Stop Smoking

If you’re a smoker, it’s best to put down cigarettes during or before your first week of pregnancy so that you and your baby are both nicotine free. Smoking while pregnant may cause premature birth and may increase the likelihood that your child will become a smoker later in life, so the sooner you kick the habit, the better.

Start Taking Vitamins

You’ll need to take prenatal vitamins during your pregnancy, so it’s best to get in the habit early. You can go ahead and start taking prenatal vitamins while you’re trying to conceive, or you can simply take women’s vitamins. Getting in the habit of taking them every day is the most important thing.

Start Using Anti-Stretch Mark Lotions

Because your body expands rapidly during pregnancy, expecting mothers have a high risk of developing stretch marks while they’re pregnant. Stretch marks are caused when brittle skin tears and scars due to stretching, and if you develop stretch marks during your pregnancy, you may have them for the rest of your life. Because of this, it’s best to take preventative measures over the course of your entire pregnancy in order to avoid stretch marks.

Many lotions and creams are available that will strengthen your skin and make it more elastic during your pregnancy, reducing the likelihood that your skin will stretch, tear, and scar as your body grows to support your developing fetus. Applying a stretch mark cream or lotion every day during your pregnancy—from the first week of conception to delivery—will drastically reduce the likelihood that you will get stretch marks.

Stretch Marks Explained: Causes, Prevention, and Treatments

Posted on November 14, 2018

Striae—more commonly known as stretch marks—are scars that form in the middle layer of skin. They appear initially as red or purple lines that may feel indented depending on the severity of the scarring, but they often fade and become lighter over time. Common places on the body where stretch marks form include abdomens, arms and armpits, breasts, thighs, and buttocks, but they are not exclusive to these areas and can develop anywhere on the body. Stretch marks can form on both women and men.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks generally form when the body changes shape rapidly, forcing skin to expand or contract. Pregnancy and weight gain are common causes of stretch marks, but stretch marks also frequently form after starting a new bodybuilding or weightlifting routine, during rapid weight loss, and during puberty when an adolescent has a growth spurt.

While rapid stretching or contraction of the skin is generally the catalyst for stretch mark development, it’s not the direct cause. The direct cause of stretch marks is diminished skin elasticity, usually as a result of inefficient collagen production in the body. Collagen is a protein produced naturally in the body. When collagen production is diminished, skin becomes more brittle and likely to tear and scar if combined with rapid changes in the shape of the body.

Preventing Stretch Marks

While some inescapable factors come into play in your likelihood of developing stretch marks—genetics, for example—there are ways to reduce your chances of stretch mark scarring:

Harmful UV rays can diminish the body’s production of collagen, so wearing sunblock and avoiding tanning beds can assist in preventing stretch marks.
Drinking the recommended amount of water each day can keep skin hydrated and less likely to tear when stretched.
Eating certain foods like berries, green vegetables, and lean meats can encourage collagen production in the body and reduce your likelihood of developing stretch marks.
Gaining or losing weight gradually rather than rapidly will reduce your chances of stretch marks forming by giving skin time to prepare for changes in shape.
Frequent application of a stretch mark cream or lotion can reduce your chances of developing stretch marks by softening skin and increasing skin elasticity.

Stretch Mark Treatments

Sometimes even the best efforts in prevention go unrewarded, and you end up with stretch marks anyway. Unfortunately, stretch marks will not go away on their own; while they may fade in time, getting rid of stretch marks completely requires treatment. There are a number of ways to treat stretch marks:

Microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser treatment are common ways to treat stretch marks and can be performed by a qualified doctor. However, these treatments can be expensive and time consuming.
In extreme cases when stretch marks scarring on the abdomen is combined with excess skin due to weight loss, a tummy tuck can be performed to remove excess skin and stretch marks.
Over the counter stretch mark removal products can be effective in reducing the appearance of stretch marks or eliminating them altogether. These products are less expensive alternatives to physician treatments and much safer than surgery.