Discovering that you're pregnant is incredibly exciting. But if you’re asking yourself, “when do stretch marks start in pregnancy”, chances are you’re not looking forward to all of the changes coming your way.
Did you know that 8 out of 10 women will get stretch marks during pregnancy? And unfortunately, even though they will fade over time, they’re permanent scars that won’t disappear after giving birth. Some women embrace these scars as proof of the amazing life they are growing inside. However, many spend the rest of their lives hiding their stretch marks because they're embarrassed, self-conscious, or prefer not to show them off.
Luckily, for those of you worrying about stretch marks, there is now a product that can genuinely prevent them. Centred around the most amazing textile technology Secret Saviours Stretch Mark Prevention Kit has shown incredible results, with 8 out of 10 women who use our 3-step system coming out of pregnancy with no stretch marks at all.
You might want to understand more about stretch marks before making your choice about stretch mark prevention. That’s why we're explaining everything you need to know about these permanent scars below. We’ll answer the question `when do stretch marks start in pregnancy’, explain how they form, and share what you can do to prevent them.
What are stretch marks?
Stretch marks appear as parallel lines on the skin.
They’re caused when skin stretches, mainly during periods of growth. This means that they are likely to form during pregnancy as your tummy expands to make room for your growing baby. They can also form on the breasts in pregnancy and on the arm, bottom and legs during puberty or after extensive body building.
Stretch marks are a different colour and texture to normal skin. If you run your fingers down them, they'll feel like an indentation on the skin.
They change colour as time goes on, starting as a deep pink or purple, eventually fading to a silvery grey. When they are starting to form they often feel itchy, although this feeling doesn’t last.
When do stretch marks start in pregnancy?
Unless treatment is applied to prevent stretch marks from appearing, as many as 80% of pregnant women will experience them.
If you’re wondering when stretch marks start in pregnancy, this can be any time from when your bump starts to show.
So the best time to start on your stretch mark prevention routine is as soon as your tummy changes shape – usually around 3 months.
Why do stretch marks appear when the skin is stretched?
So, we know that stretch marks can appear when the skin gets stretched but why does this happen?
During pregnancy, hormones cause collagen bundles to separate in the skin making it more susceptible to tears as the skin stretches. This causes small red dots, known as micro-tears, to appear in the dermis and then, already weakened, these tiny tears will eventually rip in a straight line downwards, at right angles to the body’s natural skin lines, known as Langer's lines.
Think of a windscreen splitting downwards after a small crack appears from a flyaway stone. Stretch marks form in a similar way.
Check out this video – it’s a really simple way to understand the science behind how stretch marks form:
Will stretch marks disappear after I give birth?
In most cases, stretch marks fade with time, but they will always be there no matter how much you spend on treatments.
The only real hope to significantly reduce them is laser treatment – this is time-consuming and expensive and although not 100% successful, it can improve the appearance of stretch marks after a series of appointments.
What you should be considering is a plan to stop stretch marks forming in the first place.
Is there anything that I can do to prevent stretch marks?
Lots of independent research has been done about the use of creams, gels and oils to prevent stretch marks. Time and time again this has shown that although they moisturise your skin (which may make it more supple) this isn’t enough to prevent micro-tears forming and the skin eventually ripping downwards to form these permanent scars.
The world renowned Cochrane Report explains this in more detail, if you’d like to understand more.
Secret Saviours Stretch Mark Prevention System
This is where Secret Saviours, with our patented Stretch Mark Prevention Kit, comes in!
We’re the only skincare system in the world clinically proven to prevent stretch marks.
Key to Secret Saviours success is the clever textile technology found in the Bump Band/Full Briefs. Specially arranged pads printed into the fabric have been created with Secret Saviours Dermal Support Technology™, which allows them to gently grip the skin, equalising tension across the tummy as the collagen bundles separate and the skin stretches.
This prevents micro-tears forming. However, if any do appear they’re prevented from ripping into fully fledged stretch marks by the clever pads which are deliberately arranged in an irregular pattern to block a straight path downwards.
The Day Gel and Night Cream play essential roles in the 3-step system too. Once rubbed into your tummy the Day Gel allows the pads printed into the Band/Full Briefs to grip the skin. Without this tacky Day Gel the pads won’t be able to grip firmly enough to diffuse skin tension. And the Night Cream helps your skin remain supple and moisturised after wearing a Band/Full Briefs all day long.
Our underwear is incredibly comfortable to wear, and completely safe for you and your baby. As an added bonus, it also offers under bump and back support - with many mums telling us that the Day Gel prevents itching too.
If you are pregnant and worried about stretch marks, our product is exactly what you need.
Independent consumer trials have shown that 82% of women who have used our 3-step system have entered motherhood with the same smooth, stretch mark free skin they had before pregnancy.
So now you know that most mums-to-be get these pesky scars. When stretch marks first start in pregnancy differs from woman-to-woman, but they can begin to form as soon as your bump starts to show. Once formed, they may fade but they will never go away.
If stretch mark free skin is what you’re after, then find out more about our amazing technology here.
