Can stretch marks be removed after childbirth?

An immensely happy and at the same time difficult period for any woman is the bearing of a child. The female body and all its systems are being rebuilt in order to cope with the new and significant mission as efficiently as possible - to bring out and give birth to a healthy child without various problems.

During all 9 months of pregnancy, the load on the woman’s body will certainly increase, and after the baby is born safely, the mother often discovers that undesirable effects have affected not only her figure, but also the skin on which the stretch marks appeared.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of women who bear offspring have to face such an unpleasant problem. It is hard enough to prevent the occurrence of such flaws, and it is even more difficult subsequently to successfully get rid of them. However, one should not be upset, because the key to success will be the right approach and following certain recommendations.

Pregnancy is a major factor in stretch marks

Stretch marks (or striae) are thin strips that are on a slight elevation relative to the skin, or, on the contrary, as if pulled inward. Their color tone can be different - from light-bodied to bright crimson, bluish, sometimes brown.

For the most part, this is due to the specificity and color of the skin of a woman, but stretch marks acquire the greatest brightness immediately after occurrence. Then, when the death of small blood vessels occurs, the striae acquire a more invisible whitish hue. And at this stage it becomes very difficult to get rid of them using only folk methods.

In simple words, striae are neoplasms that appear on the skin when the connective tissue breaks during pregnancy. They can appear for various reasons, and it is the bearing of the child that most often leads to the formation of stretch marks.

Main reasons:

1. During pregnancy, the female body undergoes tremendous changes in the hormonal system. Such changes affect the functioning of all systems in the body: excessive progesterone production results in a high sensitivity of the skin, and a lack of elastin together with collagen leads to the fact that the skin loses its elasticity, tone, and the ability to stretch is reduced.
2. Throughout pregnancy, the baby grows, its weight increases, therefore, the total weight of the woman also rises. When weight gain is a slow process, devoid of sudden jumps, the skin manages to adjust to this state, and provided proper care is provided, tears will be minimized. But when a pregnant girl gains weight abruptly and quickly, then, most likely, this will result in stretch marks after childbirth.
3. If a woman carries several children at the same time - twins or triplets, the risk of stretch marks increases (this is also true for one child with a high weight), since the skin and collagen fibers have a limited elastic limit.
4. In addition, by nature, women's skin may also not be very elastic or prone to the appearance of stretch marks.
   Striae can also arise from the fact that the female body lacks vitamins and minerals and trace elements.

Such substances are necessary in order for collagen to be synthesized in the right quantities, since in the process of bearing a child the female body spends the accumulated useful elements to ensure the development of the fetus.

As you can see, it’s quite difficult at times to eliminate some of the causes of striae, but, nevertheless, if it is unlikely to get rid of the hereditary factor, then it is quite possible to influence the causes depending on the woman. Following a comprehensive approach, including preventive measures, the girl can extremely reduce the likelihood of stretch marks even on skin that does not differ in natural elasticity.

How to get rid of stretch marks on the skin after childbirth yourself?

This question torments almost every woman who has recently given birth and noticed small strips resembling scars in the abdomen (and sometimes on the hips and buttocks).

Experts are of the opinion that it is necessary to make every effort to get rid of striae, when they are still fresh - they really can be eliminated at home, without going to a doctor. There are a considerable number of methods that will help make stretch marks invisible, and sometimes completely cope with them.

Physical exercises and exercises

You can restore the beauty of the stomach and restore the former tone to muscles and skin integument by doing physical exercises. However, it should be understood that you should not start occupation immediately after the birth of the child.

It is necessary to get advice from a doctor who must give permission for physical activity and exercise. As usual, doctors allow you to start light exercises a couple of months after the birth of the child, but in order to play sports intensively, you will need to wait about six months.

It is worth starting with light loads. Alternatively, you can start with exercises that develop the respiratory muscles. To do this, you can slowly draw in the stomach during inspiration and inflate it like a ball at the time of exhalation. The duration of the exercise should not exceed 10-15 minutes. You can achieve uterine contractions soon if you master the correct technique for performing this exercise.

Then you can begin to warm up. Before the main loads, it should be understood that initially it is necessary to warm up the muscles, it is also important to develop joints. You can develop an individual set of classes, thanks to which it will be possible to achieve maximum effectiveness and excellent results.

A great way to get rid of sagging skin on the abdomen and stria is considered a plank. Compared with conventional exercises for the abs, the bar allows you to achieve a high load on muscle volume, and after giving birth, it is often undesirable to engage in exercises that develop groups of abs muscles. The classic bar is performed as follows: the body is parallel to the floor surface, standing on outstretched legs and arms, you can also stand in this position from the elbow position.

Then it is necessary to freeze, tighten the abdominal muscles, and tighten the buttocks slightly. You can try various variations of the exercise, for example, using a side position. You can complicate the exercise if you cross your arms. At first, the duration of the exercise may not exceed 10-20 seconds, but over time, the duration of classes can be increased to several minutes.

One of the effective exercises is considered a boat. This is a combination of plank and abdominal breathing exercises. To do this, lie down on your back, slightly raise the lower limbs and body, forming a kind of boat. Then you need to breathe vigorously with your stomach. At first, the duration of the exercise will not exceed 10-15 seconds, but over time, the woman will be able to stay longer.

Over time, the complex of exercises can be diluted with various activities. They are designed to restore the shape of the chest, buttocks, arms and legs, hips and back. You can use a hoop, do swimming and yoga. However, it is important to understand that physical activity should increase smoothly, and good performance can only be achieved through stable performance of classes.

Massage treatments and contrast shower

In addition to physical activity, it is important to pay attention to massage. You can perform it in a variety of ways: while bathing in the bathroom, or rubbing the skin after a shower. You can use a massage brush having a natural bristle. You can rub the skin in a circle. You can alternate hot and cold water to increase the tone of the skin and help it recover quickly.

You can add oils from natural ingredients or massage cream. The peeling procedure and wrapping will help to achieve effectiveness. Using these procedures, you can restore the beauty of the skin, restore its tone, increase blood circulation.

The intake of essential vitamins and the right diet

When a woman is breastfeeding, it’s hard enough to fix her diet, which can cope with stretch marks. In any case, an attempt to achieve this is possible. It is much easier to do this if the mother is no longer feeding the baby.

What can be done for this:

1. Drink the required amount of water - green and white tea, juice, compote.
2. Eat more often, but in small portions so as not to feel hungry.
3. Follow all the recommendations that helped you while carrying your baby.
4. It is important to balance the diet, fill it with trace elements, vitamins and minerals.
5. You can consult a doctor so that a specialist prescribes a vitamin complex.

What cosmetics are there to get rid of stretch marks?

Currently, there are a huge number of different tools to help care for the skin after childbirth. Due to them, it is possible to achieve the elasticity of the epidermis, restore tone to it, and prevent the formation of microcracks.

Such remedies include lotions, tonic agents, ointments and natural oils, creams and balms. It is also permissible to use various mixtures that a woman can cook at home. Pay attention to the instructions for their use and composition of the product.

Cosmetic procedures to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth

You can resort to these procedures if the methods used at home do not bring the proper result. There are a number of effective methods that allow you to get rid of unpleasant striae:

1. Laser correction. This method is widely in demand, since it is possible to remove stretch marks with a laser quite simply, quickly and without unpleasant sensations. However, you will need to wait a few months before deciding on the procedure.
2. Mesotherapy The essence of the procedure is that therapeutic substances are injected under the skin. In a specific case, with stretch marks, the substances of elastin and collagen are introduced.
3. Ozone Therapy According to the principle of action, this option is similar to the previous one, but an ozone-oxygen mixture is injected. The method allows you to positively affect the dermis, collagen production is activated, connective tissue begins to absorb faster.
4. Biorevitalization. It is also among the effective methods to get rid of striae. Correction of the skin is performed, stretch marks are eliminated. The procedure may be followed by injections or using a laser.

The most cardinal way is plastic surgery. Experts are of the opinion that this option is the most extreme measure.At a minimum, it will be necessary to lay out a lot of funds to achieve the result, moreover, being an operative measure, the procedure threatens with some complications.

Video: postpartum recovery