How to Care for Stretch Marks after Weight Loss or Gain

How can I prevent stretch marks when gaining weight?

The best way to prevent stretch marks when you gain weight actually starts before or during the weight gain. Granted, this is not always possible as weight gain is not always anticipated. But, if you know that you will gain weight, for example due to pregnancy, bodybuilding or as a side effect of a medical treatment such as steroids, you should start caring for your skin to prevent stretch marks now! Here are some of the ways you can prevent weight gain stretch marks on your stomach, thighs and other areas.

A balanced diet and exercise

You can support your skin by eating a balanced diet and regular exercise. Try to include ingredients for a healthy skin, such as vitamins E and C as well as zinc, and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated^[4]. Regular exercise will not only keep you fit, but also improve your circulation and skin elasticity. When stretch marks are still recent they usually appear as red or pink to purplish-blue streaks. Over time they become more scar-like: thinner, paler, and rather indented.

Topical skin care

To directly care for your skin, you should apply heavy moisturizers, cosmetic oils or topical stretch mark creams in order to keep it plump and hydrated. Skin that is well hydrated and supple has more elasticity and can respond better to the stresses which potentially cause stretch marks. In case of pregnancy, you should of course make sure that the products are compatible with your condition.

How can I prevent stretch marks when losing weight?

No matter if you want to chisel your body, wish to reclaim your old self, or have to lose weight for other reasons, you probably don’t want stretch marks to be the visible result of your efforts.

Apart from existing stretch marks from weight gain, excess skin after rapid massive weight loss might cause some stretching and tearing^[1]. So, if you want to lose a lot of weight, it helps to lose the weight slowly by healthy eating and regular exercise, as described above. Most importantly, keep your skin hydrated to give it the elasticity to re-contract.

How can I reduce existing stretch marks?

You already lost weight? Good for you! Some stretch marks won’t fade when you lose weight, instead they can become more visible. The remaining stretch marks might make you feel self-conscious or perhaps you are just rather annoyed that your efforts don’t shine through the way you imagined. But don’t worry! You have already shown that you’re a warrior by losing the weight in the first place, so you’ll easily tackle this one.

There are several topical creams and oils on the market. some are available by prescription only, but most can be obtained over the counter.

The most effective are stretch mark products that are formulated to stimulate collagen production by including for example hyaluronic acid or hydrolyzed collagen supplement in addition to soothing and moisturizing components, which helps to improve the appearance of skin texture by tightening and plumping your skin^[5,6]. The effect of such creams may be increased by physical or chemical exfoliation as well as by gentle massage to locally improve circulation.

Find more information on how to care for your stretch marks on our blog.
If these options do not work for you, you should talk to your dermatologist. A dermatologist can discuss more invasive options such as microneedling, laser, radio, and ultrasound therapy with you^[6]. The most drastic procedure is surgery, but this is unnecessary in most cases. To best support your skin’s recovery during these procedures, consider rehydration with topical moisturizers, such as of the Mederma® range.

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