Stretch marks are a common occurrence in a twin pregnancy. Unfortunately having those two little ones living inside your belly tend to stretch your skin to it’s absolute limits and most of us are left with less than perfect bellies.
Luckily, there are several treatments available and research has shown that after some time they generally fade to almost invisible.
Our bodies can only stretch so far to accommodate our babies. There are some things you can do while pregnant to help, and other treatments available for after your babies arrive.
What exactly are Stretch marks?
They are defined in dermatology as a scar formation on the skin with a silvery white or almost bluish hue. When they first appear on the skin they may be reddish or purple in color but as time passes they gradually fade to a pale white color and the skin in that area is very soft to touch.
Why do they occur?
The human skin includes the outer epidermal layer, the inner dermis layer and the subcutaneous stratum. The dermis is the layer that helps the skin retain its shape and the marks appear on the dermis as a result of excessive stretching and sudden weight gain. Pregnancy stretch marks may occur on your breasts, belly, thighs, upper arms and anywhere where fat tends to accumulate or there has been a sudden change in size.
These marks are caused when there is a break in the collagen layer below the skin. The collagen tissue is made up of water and is soft. Due to rapid stretching of the skin caused by sudden weight loss or gain, the tissue breaks.
What stretch mark treatments are available ?
Various treatments are available for prevention and removal like ointments, the most popular of which is cocoa butter. You may also use Vitamin E creams. If the marks are really severe and these treatments do not help, consult your health care specialist, as there are laser treatments, dermabrasion, tretenoin, isotretenoin, adepalin and many new methods are being discovered all the time.
Does it happen to all twin moms?
– The more elastic your skin is the less prone you are to getting them.
– Genetics plays an important part so if your mother got stretch marks it is likely that you would too.
-with twins, the chances of stretched skin is higher as the your belly usually grows larger than other women.
– If you developed stretch marks on your breasts during puberty you are more likely to develop them during your pregnancy.
-If this is your second pregnancy and you experienced stretch marks the first time, it is very likely you’ll develop them again
– If you drink lots of water and eat a nutritious diet you are more likely to avoid serious marks.
These marks on your skin from your twin pregnancy should be viewed as your badge of honor – your bodies ability to bear children. After the twins are born and some time has passed, they tend to disappear or may appear almost seem to fade away.
If you are really unhappy with them and choose to apply ointments like Tretinoin cream it is better to do it after delivery and NOT while pregnant, as it may affect your unborn babies. If you are breast-feeding, please consult your doctor before using stretch mark treatments because some treatments may be harmful to the breast milk or may affect the milk supply. Do your research before trying any prescription or over the counter remedies.
In our world obsessed with youth and beauty, many pregnant women look for the best treatments to try to get back their old body after pregnancy. While they are not an indicator of anything serious, they do look unattractive. Many twin mommies feel a loss of self-esteem and even depressed over their pregnant and post-partum bodies owing to stretch marks and loose skin around their bellies. Please remember that your body has been through a lot carrying twins and it will take some time to return to anything close to it’s pre-pregnancy state. Be patient with yourself.
There has not been any one perfect treatment for getting rid of stretch marks. All treatments have different results for different women. The crucial factor that decides how well the treatments work, is the time the treatment regimen was started – the earlier you start ,the better the results will be .
Prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy can be accomplished through a healthy diet, lots of water and massaging your belly with creams containing vitamin E and cocoa butter. They also help with the itchiness of pregnancy bellies.
The latest in the treatment of stretch marks is laser treatment. The effectiveness of laser treatments for scar removal is still debatable, but it is true that it can minimize the marks when all other remedies fail. Only a qualified physician should do these treatments through laser.
Purely physical , these are reminders of your beautiful babies. Research treatments and decide how important it is to you. For me, my bikini days are probably over, but I can live with the marks – I’ve earned them . And so have you.
