Will stretch marks become more and more common once they appear?

During pregnancy, there will always be many unacceptable phenomena on the pregnant woman's body. For example, stretch marks are a problem for many pregnant women. Because the existence of stretch marks will affect the smoothness of women's skin, and severe stretch marks may spread to the thighs, which is undoubtedly a huge blow to women who love beauty. But once stretch marks form, will they become more and more?

Will stretch marks grow longer?

The time when stretch marks are most likely to appear is one month before delivery. This is because the fetus develops rapidly in the last month of pregnancy and the fetal weight also increases rapidly, which causes the pressure on the pregnant woman's abdomen to increase rapidly and cause stretch marks. Sudden weight gain in a short period of time can also occur in the second trimester of pregnancy, but most of the time it occurs close to the due date. Pregnant women don't need to worry too much. There is a chance that the disease can be eliminated by paying more attention to massage and health care.

The abdominal wall tissues of the human body from outside to inside are skin, skin elastic fibers, subcutaneous fat layer, rectus abdominis muscle composed of muscle fiber groups and tendons, preperitoneal fat layer and peritoneum. Under normal circumstances, the elastic fibers of the skin and the rectus abdominis muscle maintain a certain elasticity and can stretch and contract freely within a certain limit. When a woman is pregnant for more than 3 months, the enlarged uterus protrudes from the pelvic cavity and develops into the abdominal cavity. The abdomen begins to swell, and the elastic fibers in the skin and abdominal muscles begin to stretch.

It becomes more obvious after 6 months of pregnancy, when the elastic fibers in the skin gradually break and irregular pink or purple longitudinal cracks slowly appear on the surface of the abdominal skin. After production, the broken elastic fibers are gradually repaired, but it is difficult to restore them to their previous state. The original cracks on the skin will gradually fade and finally turn into silvery white stretch marks.

How to prevent stretch marks

The formation of stretch marks is due to one's own physical constitution, prenatal care, and genetic reasons. Experts suggest that avoiding stretch marks starts with daily maintenance, paying attention to health care before and after pregnancy. Although 70% to 90% of pregnant women will develop stretch marks, if you strengthen your prenatal care, you can greatly reduce the chance of developing stretch marks, or at least minimize the impact of stretch marks.

Specifically, you can start from the following aspects: (1) Balanced diet: During pregnancy, you should supplement with rich vitamins and minerals. Since collagen fibers themselves are made of protein, you can consume more protein-rich foods. Avoid foods that are too oily, sweet, or salty. (2) Weight gain: The amount of weight gain during pregnancy should not exceed 2 kg per month and should be controlled within 11 to 14 kg throughout the pregnancy. (3) Using a belly support belt can bear the gravity burden of the abdomen and reduce excessive stretching and pulling of the skin. (4) Pay attention to physical exercise and insist on cold water baths to enhance skin elasticity.

Before pregnancy, pay attention to physical exercise and eat more protein-rich foods to enhance skin elasticity. After pregnancy, maintain moderate exercise and balanced nutrition to avoid excessive weight gain. The water temperature should not be too high when showering. You can use water that is slightly cooler than body temperature to rinse the abdomen and gently massage the abdominal skin to enhance skin elasticity.