Pregnancy is a time filled with both joy and fear regarding bodily and life changes. No one wants to see their body change drastically, but pregnancy is accompanied by a 90% of possibility of developing stretch marks. The following information will help clarify about stretch marks and make you feel more at ease about this interesting phase in your life.

Stretch marks are essentially depressed streaks or tears in the skin that form when your skin experiences rapid expansion. They occur along with changes in the elastic support tissues under the skin. Many women and teenagers are prone to getting stretch marks on their breasts, arms and thighs even when they're not pregnant. Any type of weight gain or loss can lead to stretch marks, making pregnancy stretch marks on the abdomens symptomatic of the later stages of pregnancies, when the skin expands more quickly.

Stopping Stretch Marks Before They Start

A healthy diet is the first piece of the puzzle. Choosing wholesome foods will lead to healthy skin and bodily functions. Eating moderate portions will help you to avoid the rapid weight gains, which make you prone to developing stretch marks.

Vitamins intake will also improve your health in general. Some vitamins like the B's, Vitamin A and D, are particularly important for skin flexibility and hydration processes. And remember that the more healthy you are, the more healthy your baby will be.

Following through with a regular exercise routine will also help you to avoid gaining weight too fast. You should run any exercise routine by your doctor or nurse practitioner - and don't over do it!

You should also plan on moisturizing you skin on a daily basis with a quality natural skin care treatment. Remember that skin flexibility is essential to avoiding stretch marks.

Try massaging the high-risk parts of your body, like the stomach, sides, hips, upper legs, buttocks and breast. The massaging actions flexes the skin naturally, helping it to prepare for future changes.

There are so many moisturizing creams out there that claim to help with stretch marks, but none of them are guaranteed to work. Stretch marks are hard to diminish once they've occurred; it is therefore particularly important to try and prevent stretch marks by moisturizing your belly on a daily basis during pregnancy.