Stretch marks occur when the lower levels of the skin become damaged and tear causing lines of red or purple marks, which fade as time passes to white scarring . As with all scars, this causes a pockmarked effect on the skin which is quite embarrassing, and most people with stretch marks hide them away far from the light of day. Nobody knows whether or not they will get stretch marks, although the vast majority of women will at some time in their lives suffer from them. Stretch mark prevention is obviously better than cure, but how can you prevent something if you don’t know whether you’re going to suffer from it or not?
Stretch marks tend to occur at times of hormonal imbalance, such as pregnancy. In this case, they usually form around the abdomen where the skin is being put under a lot of pressure by the growing foetus. The hormones that rage throughout the body for the full gestation period also increase the likelihood of skin damage.
There are certain things you can do to increase the possibility of avoiding stretch marks, and most of these class as common sense. The skin is the largest organ in the body and is affected by everything you do and everything you eat and drink. If you do not drink enough water, your skin will suffer and become dry and flaky; a lot of people wonder about how much water they should be drinking. I have found the best way of guarding against dehydration is to keep an eye on the colour of your urine. If urine is colourless or very pale, that’s proof you’re drinking enough; any darker in color than that and you need to drink more.
If your urine is very dark in colour and has a strong smell, then you may be dehydrated and water alone may not be enough to rehydrate you. In this case you should add some of the special rehydration mixture that is produced for athletes, which contains the correct proportions of electrolytes that your body needs. Becoming severely dehydrated is dangerous as it can cause collapse and the shutting down of your internal organs. It is a good idea to always keep water handy and sip regularly throughout the day. Tea and coffee count too, but too much coffee should be avoided as caffeine can cause dehydration and can also add to the dryness of skin.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of lean protein will radically improve the health of your skin and assist you in your quest to prevent stretch marks. You should avoid junk and processed foods, and aim to eat a rainbow of colours in fruit and vegetables every day. This way, your whole body will be nourished and your skin will be healthy, glowing and supple – and you will be much less likely to suffer from stretch marks.
