Getting stretch marks may be just one in a long list of less-than-pleasant pregnancy symptoms. In fact, more than 90 percent of women develop stretch marks — which look like dark streaks on your belly (or other parts of your body that store fat) — though not everyone gets them to the same degree.
“Genetics is at the top of the list of reasons why some women get stretch marks,” says Dr. Nelson Lee Novick, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Other factors include having multiple pregnancies, rapid weight gain or carrying an unusually large baby, says Novick.
There’s no foolproof way of preventing stretch marks, which usually appear toward the end of pregnancy, but the good news is that you can help minimize their effect. Here’s how.
Drink lots of water. Keeping yourself hydrated helps your skin remain soft and pliable.
Eat foods whose nutrients benefit your skin. Vitamins C, E and A are antioxidants that counteract skin damage. Get Vitamin C from citrus fruits, E from nuts and dark leafy greens and A (as beta carotene) from sweet potatoes and carrots. Zinc, found in lean meat, poultry and oysters, is a skin-friendly mineral.
Watch the scale and don’t gain weight too quickly. Stick to a sensible eating plan to gain the recommended 25 to 35 pounds (or fewer if you were overweight at the start of your pregnancy).
Don’t skimp on the moisturizer. It can relieve the itchiness that often comes as your skin stretches. Plus, Dr. Novick says, scratching can make stretch marks more visible.
If you already have stretch marks, don’t worry, it’s not too late; you can still make them better.
Try sunless tanning products. For a quick fix, they can help make the marks better match your skin tone.
Laser therapy can help. It lightens the pigmentation and bring back your skin’s elasticity. Talk to your doctor if you’re interested in this option, but note that insurance companies won’t cover what they consider to be cosmetic procedures.
If nothing else helps, and you're really bothered by your stretch marks, there are some dermatologist-prescribed options that have shown promise, but most are not advisable during pregnancy or nursing.
Keep in mind that one way or another, stretch marks do tend to fade over time on their own. And if they don't, well, maybe you can shift your thinking about them: They're a a badge of honor proving that you carried a child!