Patient's question:
Doctor:Hello! I heard that all women get stretch marks after pregnancy. If you use Johnson's moisturizer every day during pregnancy, you won't get them—is that true?
If not, what are some better methods? Thank you!
Doctor's answer:
Hello, 80% of pregnant women, starting from the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy, may develop some pale red, line-like, streaky marks on their lower abdomen, buttocks, chest, inner and outer thighs, etc. We call these stretch marks. These skin streaks are not only unattractive, but the biggest problem is that if stretch marks appear and then you try to fix them, it's too late, and they become lifelong marks.Causes of Stretch Marks
The correct name for these streaks is "line atrophic dermatosis," which occurs when the collagen fibers in the dermis of the skin shrink or break due to certain reasons, resulting in red, line-like streaks under the skin and blood vessels. During pregnancy, as the fetus grows, the skin tissue loses elasticity due to the rupture of elastic fibers, leaving behind stretch marks. If a pregnant woman's weight and body shape continue to increase, the spread of stretch marks will also become more extensive.
Prevention
Understanding how stretch marks appear, pregnant women should know that the most important way to prevent them is to control their weight, as being excessively overweight inevitably tears the skin tissue, causing stretch marks. However, pregnant women may feel anxious—since a bulging abdomen is unavoidable, how can stretch marks be prevented on the lower abdomen?
Solutions
1. After taking a bath every day, apply high-quality, moisturizing skincare oil (preferably olive oil) to keep the skin elastic, making it less prone to tearing. Perform gentle massage to promote metabolism.
2. Use commercially available stretch mark prevention creams or gels. However, these products are most effective when used before stretch marks appear, achieving a prevention rate of up to 90%. But