How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks After Pregnancy
Pregnancy can bring many beautiful things, but stretch marks aren't necessarily one of them. Up to 90% of women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. It seems like one of the inevitable sacrifices a mother has to make along the journey to holding her new bundle of joy. But what can you do after your beautiful baby arrives? Many women think stretch marks are just something they'll now have to live with, which can affect a woman's self-esteem and confidence. But, this simple remedy could actually help you rid stretch marks for good.
In this article:-
What are Stretch Marks?
A stretch mark is a type of scar that appears when a person's skin stretches or shrinks too quickly. Although pregnancy commonly causes stretch marks, it's not the only culprit. Stretch marks can affect nearly anyone. Growth spurts that happen in puberty and rapid weight gain or weight loss are also common causes.
Skin is remarkable. The skin is the body's largest organ. It's very strong and elastic-like, and it can expand and contract when needed. However, if the skin expands rapidly, its supporting tissues can be damaged, causing stretch marks.
Essentially, when your body goes through a period of rapid growth, what can happen is the skin's connective tissue is overextended. The collagen fibers are stretched too far, causing them to break and leave a gap. The body then fills that gap with scar tissue.
Initially, when these rippled streaky lines are first created, they may appear red, pink, purple, or dark-brown. This is because once the collagen fibers are broken, the underlying blood vessels can now show through. Over time, the scar tissue will have a more white or silver appearance. Early stretch marks may also be slightly raised and can feel itchy. But, after time, the mark will sink, and the appearance is the only thing you'll likely notice.
Although stretch marks don't cause physical harm, they can damage a person's self-esteem and confidence. Many people try to treat stretch marks with all kinds of different stretch mark creams, lotions, oils, over-the-counter medications, and therapies. For example, shea butter, cocoa butter, self-tanner, and even laser therapy are common treatments suggested to help fade or prevent stretch marks. However, many people are also discouraged when they find that these products don't do much to actually prevent or reduce the appearance of their stretch marks.
My home remedy is different, and it really works.
Causes of stretch marks other than pregnancy:
Growth spurts
Rapid weight gain or weight loss
Breast implant surgery
Bodybuilding
Cushing's syndrome
Marfan syndrome
A woman's body goes through a lot of changes before she has a baby. Of course, it has to make room for a baby, so the skin stretches. It may not just be your tummy though, any body part that grows during pregnancy may develop stretch marks. On top of that, hormones are also surging when a woman is pregnant, which may weaken collagen and add to the risk of stretch marks.
How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks
1. Coffee Grounds
Why it works:
Chlorogenic acid is a natural compound found in coffee beans. It's the main antioxidant linked to coffee's powerful benefits. Antioxidants are critical because they inhibit oxidation that causes inflammation and many other issues. Reducing inflammation in the skin may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
Arabinogalactan is also a natural chemical in coffee. It works to protect the skin from hypoxic stress. Your skin cells need a lot of oxygen to work. Hypoxic stress happens when the skin does not get enough oxygen. Hypoxic stress affects the skin's ability to heal, renew, and affects fibroblasts, which keep the skin firm.
Mixing coffee grounds with olive oil enhances the skincare benefits—helping prevent and fade stretch marks. Olive oil has vitamin E and phytonutrients that are essential for healthy skin and fading pregnancy stretch marks. Olive oil also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Just be sure to use organic extra virgin olive oil.
How to use:
Mix together 2 heaping tablespoons of organic coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil.
Apply to the stretch marks
Rub in gently for 5 minutes (until slightly red)
Leave the mixture on the skin for 20 minutes
Wipe the mixture off and shower
2. Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting
Why it works:
Healthy keto and intermittent fasting help to reduce inflammation in the body, which promotes healthy skin. Like mentioned before, decreasing inflammation can do many things, one of which is helping to prevent and fade stretch marks.
Healthy keto is my unique healthier version of the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, medium protein, high-fat diet. Contrary to what you may think, healthy fats are also incredible for promoting healthy skin. The high-quality meats, healthy fats, and cruciferous vegetables that you consume on healthy keto are all full of antioxidants and collagen-building proteins that protect and enhance your skin's health. Intermittent fasting also helps restore your skin by not only helping to reduce inflammation but also by promoting autophagy.
Essentially, while the coffee grounds mixture works on your skin from the outside in, healthy keto and intermittent fasting work from the inside out.
3. Egg Yolks and Kale Shakes
Why it works:
Along with the keto diet, you should also be sure to include plenty of egg yolks, and kale shakes in your diet—which are both keto-friendly. Both egg yolks and kale are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins that help restore the skin. Eggs can help keep your skin soft, firm, and hydrated. Both kale and egg yolks contain vitamin A which is essential to restore the skin, and it gives it a nice healthy glow. You can mix kale in salads, or hide it in certain dishes. But, if you find it really difficult to eat kale, you might want to try my delicious kale shake.
Conclusion
Stretch marks can make an appearance on anyone, male or female, but they most commonly happen to pregnant women. Stretch marks are essentially scars, and it can be frustrating when nothing seems to work to help them fade.
Don't get discouraged. My simple home remedy does wonders for the skin. The antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamins in the topical coffee grounds mixture work together to promote healing and restore skin leaving it glowing. This mixture combined with the benefits of healthy keto and intermittent fasting will help you rid stretch marks in no time. Don't forget to include plenty of egg yolks and kale shakes in your diet too, to enhance the process.
If you have stubborn stretch marks from pregnancy, give this a try and let me know how it works for you.
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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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