For leading a healthy lifestyle to keep diseases at the bay or to maintain weight in healthy range is extremely important. Weight loss, however, does not come without its share of challenges. While some of us may find it very difficult to follow a diet or workout routine in the beginning, gradually our body becomes adaptable. Nevertheless, extra kilos begin to plunge, your body isn’t necessarily immune to prevent stretch marks that tend to appear with gain in weight.
Stretch marks are common both in men & women. While it can appear anywhere on the body, the most common areas are abdomen, breasts, thighs, hips, arms and buttocks. Stretch marks are generally associated with pregnancy, puberty, weight gain or losing tremendous amount of weight. This astonish most people, because skin isn’t stretching when you lose weight it shrinks. However, there are a few reasons why stretch marks form as a result of weight loss:
-Due to weight loss and fat loss, stretching, tearing, and scarring results in stretch marks.
– Sometimes gaining muscles with exercise and gym results in stretch marks.
Skin being the largest organ it reflects a healthy body and any sudden change showcase itself into its appearance in long term. The stretch marks develops when collagen and elastin, two proteins that keep skin healthy, are damaged.
Steps to prevent & treat the stretch marks, during weight loss journey:
There’s no way to prevent stretch marks completely, even if you regularly use lotions and creams. However, keeping your weight in a healthy range by eating well and exercising regularly can help to prevent stretch marks.
1. Eat nutritious foods that are rich in Vitamin C, zinc & protein as they support in collagen remodeling. Collagen is a protein that gives skin, its natural elasticity. So, more collagen your skin produces, there will be lesser probability of developing stretch marks. Exercise, particularly body stretching helps in improving blood circulation as well as skin elasticity. It also helps in skin tightening & muscle strengthening.
2. Hydrate & Moisturize skin- Hydrate your body by consuming at least 10 to 12 glasses of water in a day. In addition to water, intake of coconut water, lemon water, adding cucumber slices, mint to detox or infused water, not only helps to detoxify but nourishes skin. Application of Moisturizer at regular intervals helps skin to look healthier, on appearance. But we need to work simultaneously both on internal and external factors to prevent and manage stretch marks. Exposure to extreme dry hot & cold climate also dehydrates skin, resulting poor skin textures which can be easily prevented by the stated above measures.
3. Home remedies – Use of home remedies like natural oils and seeds such as coconut oil, sesame oil, almond oil and homemade ubtans helps in reducing visibility of scars to an extent. But they really help in smoothening, giving life, removing dead cells, exfoliating and nourishing our skin, the natural way.
4. Medical treatments – Various medical procedures like micro-needling, laser treatment, etc are available in reducing stretch marks. While none of the treatments promises 100% reduction of stretch marks but they surely improve the appearance and texture.
If stretch marks provides stress in your daily life, then the solution lies in consulting an experienced weight loss expert, to provide right guidance, from assessment to solution on losing weight in a healthier way by considering both look good and feel good aspect.