Rapid stretching of the skin through growth spurts, weight gain, or pregnancy causes these red or purple marks that are most commonly found on the abdomen, hips, and chest. More than 90 percent of women develop stretch marks during the sixth or seventh months of pregnancy.
“Keeping up good oils in your body, like fish oils, helps keep the skin lubricated and gives those cells that are stretching the integrity to stay healthy,” says Jennifer Johnson, a naturopathic physician in Connecticut who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. She recommends pharmaceutical-grade fish oils uncontaminated by heavy metals, such as those made by Nordic Naturals and Carlson. Johnson also suggests rigorously rubbing a moisturizer containing cocoa butter, like Jason Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion, on the afflicted area at least once a day, both to intensively moisturize and to improve circulation.
Stretch marks won’t disappear overnight, but they can fade over time. To temporarily hide them, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a sunless tanning product. You can also rub vitamin E directly on the stretch marks to help them heal faster and reduce the scars.
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