Stretch marks, how to limit their appearance?

During pregnancy, many women are affected by these small white streaks which mark their body and leave a memory of these 9 months of pregnancy on the skin.

Stretch marks are scars located in the dermis and are the result of a breakdown of collagen fibers.

How do they appear?

It is often thought that the main cause is a sudden and rapid stretching of the skin with the growing belly: the tissues are indeed under tension, it is true. But if we look further (because all women gain weight during pregnancy), other factors also come into play! Because yes, not all women are subject to stretch marks, or at least they are but to varying degrees.

There is also a very important factor which is the hormonal factor (as well as the level of acidity of the skin - this is completely linked). During pregnancy, there is an increase in cortisol, which quickly reduces the elasticity of the skin: it will be less supple, the elastic fibers will be weakened, the production of collagen decreases. Cortisol is the hormone called "the stress hormone", and it will of course be secreted in greater quantity if the mother is stressed (hence the interest in practicing relaxation gestures).

Our essentials:

1. First of all, we seek to lower the level of cortisol in the body. Think about meditation, walks in nature, breathing exercises, gentle manual activity, massages and self-massages...
2. We will also seek to Reduce the intensity of the streaks with targeted products . Perform daily massages with a good organic nourishing oil (such as almond or rosehip) to moisturize and nourish the skin deeply. This massage action will also help stimulate microcirculation and allow the skin to stretch gently.
3. Drink water in sufficient quantity to stay hydrated. The skin is composed of 70% water on average! We recommend a minimum of 1.5-2L / day of spring water, green vegetable juice, infusions…
4. Get physical activity or sports to stimulate blood circulation. 3 min per day minimum and alternate your activities to work the body harmoniously without creating too much tension.
5. Finally, you will be able to act on your stretch marks through your diet. In fact, you will have to rebuild your own collagen and strengthen the tissues.
   Bet on a nice contribution in fatty acids (especially omega-3). They will nourish your skin from the inside. Eat small oily fish like sardines and mackerel, nuts, lamb's lettuce, chia and hemp seeds, and sprinkle your raw vegetables with a quality organic, virgin, cold-pressed oil, such as flax, camelina, walnut, rapeseed, etc. You can also take omega-3 supplements in addition, as diet alone is rarely enough to meet our needs.
6. Add foods rich in silica to heal the skin and reduce the color of stretch marks . You will find them in whole grains, seaweed, legumes, garlic, banana, mushrooms, dates, etc.
7. Choose a diet rich in zinc to help skin healing. Found in quantity in fish, seafood, egg yolk, whole grains, seeds and oilseeds, meat in general (if you consume it, choose irreproachable quality and always in small quantities otherwise it will on the contrary acidify and weaken your tissues).
8. You can optimize results by taking every morning 2 capsules of wheat germ oil. This natural supplement is rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that will maintain good skin elasticity.

Here are some tips for maintaining beautiful, supple and healthy skin. And let's not forget the basis : let's prioritize good nights with quality sleep... everything regenerates during the night, the skin too. The calming and relaxation practices mentioned above will also help to promote quality sleep.

Take good care of yourself

Love,

Team Ad CAELIA