Stretch marks are a common problem for many pregnant women. Apart from aesthetic problems, stretch marks also lead to psychological problems for some women, including low self-esteem. Many women feel depressed at the prominent stretch marks on their body. Before you try any home remedy for stretch marks, you should know there is no magic cure for them. Even modern medicine has not been able to find a method of making stretch marks vanish completely.
Home Remedies for Stretch Marks
The first thing to do is to prevent stretch marks from appearing or when they are just beginning to be visible. You can follow several simple steps at home. Starting from the beginning of your pregnancy, remember to drink lots of water. The adequate amount of water that one should consume differs from person to person. Check the color of your urine to know whether your fluid intake is enough. Urine should be close to colorless.
You diet should also contain good amounts of vitamin C to maintain the water content of the body. This can be obtained from fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables, which must be taken in a minimum cooked form. This is one of the best home remedies for stretch marks.
To prevent unsightly stretch marks due to pregnancy, apply a mixture of turmeric and malai or turmeric and curd to your stomach and waist before going for a bath. Leave it on for fifteen minutes, and wash off.
Shea butter is a relative newcomer to the stretch mark home remedy field. Natural shea butter is an excellent source of Vitamins A and E which are essential for good skin health. Try rubbing shea butter on your stretch marks 2 to 3 times a day to help with the healing process.
Massage everyday with oil (contains vitamin E and vitamin C) is effective treatment to get rid of stretch marks. It has soothing effect and helps it retain the original suppleness.
Adequate intake of Vitamins A, E, C and zinc also provide nutrition for your skin. Foods that are rich in these vitamins and minerals include fruits and vegetables, fish liver oils, almonds and other nuts, leafy greens, eggs, beans, and fish. A balanced diet which includes these essential foods can keep your skin healthy and help prevent and heal stretch marks.
Include foods that contain sufficient amount of vitamin E such as carrots, tomatoes, hazelnut, soybeans, pollards, corn, asparagus and oatmeal. It is also present in several oils such as olive oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, walnut oil and peanut oil. These are the effective home remedies for stretch marks.
