Pregnancy stretchmarks are very common even though they are dreaded in around 50 to 90 percent of all women. Stretchmarks develop as the skin is stretched quickly or past its limit of elasticity. Once the limit is reached, the middle layer of skin that supports the elasticity of your skin receives small tears. The most common areas of your body for pregnancy stretchmarks include the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and breasts. Whether you develop stretchmarks or not is dependent on many factors, how much weight you gain, how many babies you are carrying, if there is a family history of stretch marks, how elastic your skin is and even the complexion of your skin. Fair complexion women are more prone to stretch marks than darker skin. If your skin is dry, you also have more chances of developing pregnancy stretchmarks.

Now that you know, more than likely you will develop pregnancy stretchmarks somewhere on your body you are probably wondering if you can do anything at all to prevent them. The answer is yes. There are ways you can help; however, none of them are permanent solutions. Let’s first look at preventive measures. Many women swear by Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. Massaging the cocoa butter on areas that are prone to pregnancy stretchmarks can aid your skin in being moisturized, which can help your skin stretch. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeinated drinks that can cause dehydration is another way to help your body help your skin. If you know that pregnancy stretchmarks run in your family, you can talk with your dermatologist beforehand to learn if he or she has any suggestions that might help.

Okay, you tried everything and you still have pregnancy stretchmarks. Once the baby is born, if you are not breastfeeding, your doctor can prescribed an ointment with Retin-A. Retin-A has been proven to fade the appearance of stretchmarks, but they will not permanent disappear.

If you are searching for a more permanent solution for your pregnancy stretchmarks, you may look at a tummy tuck, laser surgery, or blue light therapy. A tummy tuck of course, is surgery, and can be quite expensive and is not for everyone. Tummy tucks are reserved for individuals that have excessive fat and skin that needs to be removed. Laser surgery has been proven to aid in fading pregnancy stretchmarks by creating collagen that fills in the stretchmarks. Blue light therapy is a new technology that uses gel and light to remove pregnancy stretchmarks.

Remember, the severity of stretchmarks varies from woman to woman and the best way to fight pregnancy stretchmarks is before they develop by taking care to hydrate your body with water and using moisturizing creams such as cocoa butter for your skin.