The purpose of a pregnancy stretch mark cream is twofold: to prevent stretch marks forming during pregnancy and to eliminate any that you may already have.
Of course your number one priority when you conceive will be your own well being so as to ensure the future health and well being of your baby, so preventing stretch marks may not initially be foremost on your mind.
Stretch marks, or striae, are not harmful to you or your baby, however, in view of the embarrassment caused, the damage to your self confidence and self image, and the social stigma attached to them, it’s probably something you’ll get round to thinking about before long. And as somewhere between 75% and 90% of women get stretch marks when pregnant it’s a pretty widespread condition, unfortunately there’s a good chance you’re going to get them too.
Help is at hand however in the form of a pregnancy stretch mark cream, which can be used both as a preventative measure and to treat existing marks. Although pregnancy striae normally begin to appear in the third trimester, prevention as they say is better than cure, so it is advisable to begin using your the cream a little before this for best results. This ensures your skin is in tip top condition and better placed to withstand the expansion rigors than are about to occur.
There are a number of good creams available, but a word of warning here. Retin-A (Tretinoin). Although Retin-A has been demonstrated to be beneficial in treatment by improving collagen production, there are concerns over its use while pregnant or breastfeeding.
The Organization of Teratology Services, which studies the effects of various medications and other factors on fetal health considers there is a slightly higher than normal risk of a birth defect with Tretinoin (Retin-A) topical medication. Retin-A belongs to the retinoid family of medications, and when taken orally, as in some acne products for example, there is a high risk of birth defects. And although Retin-A in a pregnancy cream is in topical form, and less than 10% is absorbed into the bloodstream, which reduces the risk considerably, a risk nonetheless remains. There is a 3-5% chance of a birth defect with any pregnancy, so why take the chance of increasing this percentage. Avoid any creams which contain Retin-A if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
It is not necessary to use any cream containing Retin-A, as far better and safer results can be obtained using just natural ingredients. The choice, obviously, is yours, but you should be aware of the potential risks with Retin-A in your pregnancy stretch mark cream.
What happens if you just can’t get rid of those stretch marks? I realize it can be very difficult to shift those little creatures, but when your are set on removing them and reclaiming your appearance not to mention self-confidence then you should check out our article stretch mark.. tazarotene cream
