The bottle Pregnancy Oil stands in front of a beige background decorated with wheat stalks.

November 4, 2020

Stretch marks - formation, prevention and care

by Leonie Poppe

So, today I would like to bring up another topic that probably affects a lot of us and is sometimes more and sometimes less of a concern. The good old stretch marks!

Many of us are familiar with them. During puberty or when gaining a lot of weight, the often initially reddish cracks that become paler over time can appear in the subcutaneous tissue, for example on the thighs, upper arms or back. During pregnancy, stretch marks appear on the stomach, bottom, hips or breasts in 70 to 90 percent of women.

As almost all of us probably have these stretch marks in one place or another, today I would like to explain how they develop and, above all, give you tips on how you can best prevent them and Moisturize .

A look under the skin - connective tissue and dermis
When the skin tears - where do you get stretch marks?
Can I prevent stretch marks - 6 tips
Which oil is best for stretch marks?
Stretch mark care - can I get rid of them?
Say yes to yourself and your individual beauty

Although stretch marks are harmless, let's be honest - we are usually not really happy about them. Especially not when we are affected by them ourselves. Because what we hardly notice on others and certainly don't perceive as negative, can really bother us on our own skin. And so many people try to conceal their stretch marks.

Swimsuit instead of bikini, long pants instead of shorts, camouflage to cover up - who knows? But hey: the stripes are a part of you. And even if you don't have to love them dearly right away, you might be able to make friends with them one day. Because actually, stretch marks only show that we are alive and what a miracle the body is. What it can put up with and what we have experienced with it.
There are various reasons for the appearance of stretch marks:

a weakness of the connective tissue
Physical changes during pregnancy
Growth spurts during puberty
Rapid weight gain
extreme muscle building
the intake of certain medications
Diseases such as Cushing's syndrome

1. a look under the skin - connective tissue and dermis

Stretch marks appear where the skin is stretched as a result of physical changes. They are usually visible on the stomach, chest, bottom, thighs, hips or even on the back or upper arms. Women are predominantly affected by stretch marks, but men can also get stretch marks.

But why do they appear on these parts of the body and why are some people more susceptible than others? To understand what stretch marks are and how they form, we need to take a closer look at the skin.

To repeat: roughly speaking, the skin consists of 3 layers. The epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The hypodermis is the lowest of the three skin layers. It consists mainly of loose connective tissue and fatty tissue and is permeated with nerves and blood vessels. Collagen fibers connect it with the dermis above it and the structures below it in the body.

The second layer is the dermis. This layer of skin contains blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. The dermis supplies the vascularized epidermis with nutrients via the many small blood vessels. The layer of the dermis adjacent to the subcutis forms a network of taut collagen and flexible elastin fibers. This network of fibers ensures the firmness and, as the name suggests, the elasticity of the skin. The fibrous framework makes the dermis solid and stable on the one hand, but also deformable at the same time.

2. when the skin tears - where do you get stretch marks?

If the skin is severely stretched within a short period of time, the connective tissue in the dermis can tear. These tears reveal the subcutaneous tissue, which is well supplied with blood. Fresh stretch marks therefore usually shimmer reddish or purple through the skin. Over time, the marks fade as the torn areas in the connective tissue scar. For this reason, particularly pronounced stretch marks can sometimes be palpable.

Bodybuilders often develop stretch marks in areas where a lot of muscle mass is built up particularly quickly, such as the biceps or chest. Rapid weight gain or when teenagers literally shoot up in a rush can also lead to tears in the connective tissue. A genetically determined weakness of the connective tissue favors the development of striae.

During pregnancy in particular, most women find that their skin tears under the strain. While the belly expands many times over in parallel with the life growing inside it, the skin shows its enormous stretching capacity. And also reaches its limits in the connective tissue of the dermis. Stretch marks appear, also known as stretch marks at this time. And not necessarily just on the stomach. The whole body does an incredible job and stretch marks can also appear on the hips, legs or breasts.

3. can I prevent stretch marks?

As already mentioned, several factors play a role in the development of stretch marks, such as predisposition and rapid changes. Unfortunately, there is no 100 percent protection against tears in the connective tissue. But you can support your skin and tighten the connective tissue with healthy rituals.

6 tips for firm connective tissue:

Make sure you drink enough. Still water or unsweetened tea is ideal. It's okay to drink two to three liters throughout the day. Drinking plenty not only keeps your mind fit, your skin's elasticity also benefits from healthy refreshment.
Exercise and sport strengthen the muscles and stimulate blood circulation. The skin is better supplied with oxygen and nutrients and metabolic products are removed more quickly. Gentle pregnancy gymnastics and relaxed yoga exercises also support your body and tighten the connective tissue.
A bra - especially during sport - can support stretch marks on the breasts due to its supportive effect. breasts prevent.
Alternating showers also promote blood circulation. They can tighten the connective tissue and prevent stretch marks. Make sure you end the contrast shower with cold water.
A healthy and balanced diet provides your cells with important nutrients and prevents obesity. This is not only good for your health, it can also minimize or even prevent stretch marks caused by weight gain.
Circulation-promoting massages such as gentle plucking massages, dry brush massages or relaxing oil massages ensure better blood circulation in the skin. Regular care with special products such as our Pregnancy Oil has a positive effect on the condition and appearance of the skin.

4 Which oil is best for stretch marks?

Skin care with gentle cosmetic products, on the other hand, is harmless. Stretch marks on the stomach or other parts of the body cannot simply be creamed away, as even the best stretch marks cream or serums and oils cannot renew the subcutis. However, targeted care can help to make the skin more supple, elastic and resistant to external influences and thus prevent the appearance of new stretch marks.

If you haven't landed on this blog because you're looking for specific tips on how to care for and prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, our product recommendation may sound a little macabre. For your stretch marks, no matter where they come from, I would like to recommend the Pregnancy Oil to your heart. It contains valuable and well thought-out ingredients to give your skin exactly what it needs. Namely a pampering, nourishing and protective care product that you can use without hesitation.

The Pregnancy Oil is rich in oleic and linoleic acid and improves the skin's elasticity and natural protective barrier thanks to valuable Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, wheat germ oil and evening primrose oil from controlled organic cultivation. The natural antioxidant vitamin E also protects the skin from free radicals and thus from damage.

To the product

5. care of stretch marks - can I get rid of them?

Prescription retinoids, chemical peels that go deep into the lower skin layer or laser treatments can alleviate stretch marks. However, these expensive treatments, which are not free of side effects, are not suitable for pregnant women. Even if you are breastfeeding, the treatment of stretch marks with one of the options mentioned should always be approved by a doctor beforehand.

The simpler method is to care for the skin in order to specifically strengthen the connective tissue. Prevention can make a significant difference. However, if the stretch marks have already spread across your skin, I advise you to treat them with just as much attention Moisturize as if you were trying to prevent them. Even if it may seem very difficult at first, try to accept your stretch marks because they are completely normal and no matter what the cause, they show what your body is capable of.

For a wonderfully soothing massage to care for stretch marks, pour a few drops of the pregnancy oil into the palms of your hands, warm it up a little and then massage it into the skin using gentle circular movements. Pay special attention to the areas of skin that are particularly stretched. Always make sure not to apply any pressure. This also works wonderfully for pampering the skin after pregnancy.

Only outside of pregnancy and breastfeeding (or after consulting your doctor) can you use retinal products to treat your stretch marks Moisturize. Retinal is a vitamin that is known in cosmetics for boosting cell regeneration and at the same time slowing down the natural breakdown of collagen with age. This strengthens the connective tissue, the skin becomes firmer and also regains flexibility. If you use the Retinal Sebsitiv serum for the care of stretch marks, you can either use it on its own apply, with a little body lotion or with our Squalane. Squalane is a very light oil extracted from olives (not to be confused with olive oil) and acts as a carrier. This means that Squalane absorbs the nutrients and Actives even deeper into the skin. Our body lotion also contains Squalane to leave your skin velvety soft and deeply nourished.

6. say yes to yourself and your individual beauty

Whether it's stretch marks, stretch marks or growth marks - the fact is that our skin protects us even with small tears in the connective tissue and does a great job.

Whether due to weight gain, strenuous exercise in the gym, growth spurts, because a teenager quickly outgrows their skin and can now look at their parents' heads, or because a new life miraculously emerges - the stripes on the skin are just as individual as the backgrounds.

Yes, we can prevent stretch marks and stretch marks as much as possible, tighten our connective tissue, pamper our skin with stretch mark care and thus somewhat reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

And of course, in such special phases of life as pregnancy, the skin wants very special care that is tailored to its needs. And we can also say yes: to ourselves and all our rough edges. After all, it is precisely this uniqueness that makes us special - and lovable.

Maybe one day you'll really come to love your stretch marks. Through careful and loving care and a new perspective on them. After all, stretch marks, like scars, are very individual lifelines that tell a story. Your story.

Take care