Does an itchy belly mean you're getting stretch marks?

Many women may find that their belly is itchy after they become pregnant. At this time, people will become more worried because they are worried that the itchy belly is a precursor to stretch marks. Women can’t avoid stretch marks as much as possible. After all, once they appear, they are difficult to remove and greatly affect their image and mood. Does an itchy belly mean you'll get stretch marks? People can learn more about this issue and perhaps use the right methods to prevent stretch marks before they occur.

What causes itchy belly during pregnancy?

1. Pregnancy skin disease: More than 15% of pregnant women may encounter this skin disease. The whole body may itch, usually occurring during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. There are no changes in the skin other than itching, and no blisters appear. The cause of the disease is generally believed to be related to the increase in estrogen during pregnancy and has no effect on the fetus.

2. Pregnancy rash: About 2% of pregnant women may suffer from this disease, which usually occurs between the 4th and 9th months of pregnancy. Small red rashes appear on the skin, most often on the extremities, and look like insect bites. Some pregnant women think that the problem is caused by lice or fleas on their pets, but in fact it is caused by the pregnancy itself and has no effect on the fetus.

3. Toxic skin rash during pregnancy: The prevalence rate is about 1%, mostly occurring in short and obese pregnant women, and most often occurs when stretch marks appear. It is currently believed that it may be related to hormonal imbalance. The comforting thing is that this skin itching will not harm the fetus.

4. Papular dermatitis of pregnancy: The incidence is very low and the disease may occur in any part of the body. When the disease occurs, rashes will appear on the skin all over the body. The cause of this disease is still unclear, but it may cause miscarriage or stillbirth, so you must be especially careful.

Stretch marks on pregnant belly

Stretch marks are a type of linear scar-like skin lesions that appear on the abdomen of pregnant women after giving birth. Stretch marks are mainly caused by the influence of hormones during pregnancy. The swelling of the abdomen causes the elastic fibers and collagen fibers of the skin to be damaged or broken to varying degrees due to external force. In the early stages, they are often dark red or purple-red. After stabilization, the stretch marks appear as white or light white skin damage, making the originally very beautiful abdomen appear like pine bark.