How to Prevent Stretch Marks

Pregnancy is an exciting but slightly anxious time for most women. You want to do what’s best for yourself and your baby, but there’s a lot of conflicting advice out there!

Take stretch marks, for example. Can they be avoided? Do expensive anti-stretch mark creams work better than cheaper alternatives? Every woman’s experience is different, so if you ask your friends you will get a lot of different answers.

Stretch marks are exactly that: scar-like lines that form when skin is stretched to its limits. They are caused by tiny tears in the fibres of the middle layer of skin. They are most often associated with pregnancy, but can occur in anyone who has a sudden weight gain.

Over 70% of pregnant women get some stretch marks. They usually appear after the sixth month, mostly on the abdomen, although they can also occur on the thighs, buttocks and breasts. It is thought that one reason why some women seem to develop stretch marks more easily than others is connected to hormone changes. An increase in a hormone called cortisol reduces the amount of collagen in the skin. Collagen is the protein that gives skin its elasticity.

There is no guaranteed way of completely preventing stretch marks if you are prone to them, but there are things you can do to minimise them. Beginning in the early weeks of your pregnancy you should:

· try to gain weight gradually
· drink plenty of water to keep skin hydrated
· massage your skin with pure, unrefined Shea Butter

Why Unrefined Shea Butter?

· Because it is a completely natural, organic product obtained from the seeds of a tree that grows in the dry Savannah regions of Africa.
· Because it naturally contains all the ingredients needed to keep skin healthy, deeply moisturised and supple.
· Because it is rich in natural vitamin E, the essential skincare vitamin.
· Because it has been proven to stimulate skin cell regeneration and improve the skin’s elasticity.
· Because it is produced using traditional methods that do not involve the use of chemicals.
· Because it contains no artificial perfumes or colours.

Continue using Unrefined Shea Butter after your baby is born to help your skin regain its firmness. If you do have a few stretch marks they will fade naturally over time, but Shea Butter can help to speed up the process. It also works on old stretch marks and other scars and skin blemishes.