How to Prevent Stretch Marks

In the simplest form possible, the way to prevent stretch marks is to keep your skin healthy. I know this sounds very ambiguous, but it really is not rocket science. There are many tips and rules to follow if you wish to keep your skin the healthiest and hopefully stretch mark free:

Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily. You may need to increase this amount depending on how big you are, how much caffeine you consume, how active you are, etc. Make sure to consistently drink this amount throughout the day. Make sure to drink the 64 ounces little by little throughout the day. Drinking all of the water at once will not help you later in the day. Your body will eventually remove the excess water.

The reason you should consistently drink water is that water will help keep your skin more elastic. If your skin is more elastic, when it does stretch it will more easily return back to its original form without tearing. Another reason to drink water is that it will also help you maintain weight as it helps control hunger and aid in healthy digestion.

This is going to sound pretty obvious, but a lot of people don't do it. Eat foods that promote healthy skin. Look on food labels and see if they contain plenty of protein and vitamins A, C, D or zinc.

Always eat in moderation. Not only eat healthy, but don't eat too much. Consistency is the key to avoiding excessive stretching of the skin. Think about your skin like a rubber band. If you slowly pull the rubber band to its limits, it is much more likely to hold up than if you very rapidly pull it to its limits.

If you are pregnant, try your best to stay within the recommended healthy weight gain limits of 25-35 pounds. Obviously this will depend on where you are in your pregnancy and the size of your child. If you end up being heavier than the weight gain limits, try to gradually reach this weight. The growing child will dictate this to a great degree, but try your best not to gorge yourself. Even though your pregnant you still don't need to eat much differently than when you weren't. Eat what you will, but continue to eat in moderation (only eat until you are no longer hungry). Your body will let you know when you are hungry and when you aren't. If you have questions, ask your doctor.

Exercise keeps your body healthy. When your body is healthy, your skin is healthy. As a recommendation be careful with weight lifting exercise as muscle building too quickly may lead to stretch marks.

Don't scratch the areas where you are likely to get stretch marks. These areas most commonly are the hips and inner thighs, stomach area, arm pit area and around the chest area. If your skin does feel itchy you should apply and massage in oils and creams. To find the best creams or oils, ask your doctor what he would recommend for your skin. Massaging will not only prevent pulling and stretching the outer and middle layers of the skin, but it will also help promote new skin growth and positive blood circulation.

Use a stretch mark cream or ointment more than once daily in the areas you are likely to develop stretch marks. This applies especially to pregnant women as approximately 75-90% of pregnant women incur some kind of stretch marks related to their pregnancy. Some creams have ingredients which can help improve the condition of you skin. This in turn decreases you chance of developing stretch marks in the near future. Once again, to find the best creams and oils, please consult your doctor.

Unfortunately, according to everything I've read and tried, there is no way to remove stretch marks completely. You can, however, reduce the appearance of stretch marks and other scars. If you want to know a quick and easy way to reduce the appearance of your scars, Click Here.

Remember, most people have stretch marks or some kind of scars and they are nothing to be ashamed of. Don't let stretch marks rule your life and dictate what you do or don't do. Live your life the way you want, everyone has there flaws, don't let them hold you back.

Remember that stretch marks hate repetition. Develop a stretch mark prevention routine every day and do your best not to stray from that routine. If you do this along with a healthy diet and exercise program you should hopefully not ever have to worry about getting stretch marks.