What do you think of when someone says the word “clothing” to you? Probably something to wear that will cover you up and reflect your sense of style.
Well we’ve got news for you – things have changed, big time!
Nowadays smart textiles, developed with new technologies, have changed the way we view fabric. What makes smart fabrics revolutionary is that they can do many things that traditional fabrics can’t, such as communicate, transform, conduct energy and even grow.
Now that’s where Secret Saviours comes in. Most smart textiles are either performance enhancing (for example they can regulate body temperature or control wind resistance) or aesthetic (think of fabrics that light up or change colour). Here at Secret Saviours, we’ve gone one step further - we stop your skin ripping!
Our textile technology is a world first. Invented by doctors at University College Hospital, London, Secret Saviours Dermal Support Technology™ changes the way your skin reacts when it’s being stretched (beyond belief) as your baby grows in your womb.
The result – an innovative Stretch Mark Prevention Band that can stop stretch marks.
But what you’ll be asking now is “how did anyone come up with the idea of fabric to stop stretch marks?”.
First our inventors needed to understand how pregnancy stretch marks form
You’d have thought this was common knowledge, but actually very little research had ever been done to really understand how and why skin tears when it’s stretched.
Our inventors Dr Stephen Barker, a vascular surgeon and Dr Robert Brown, a skin tissue engineer, discovered that during pregnancy hormones soften fibres in your skin in preparation for labour, making it more susceptible to tears as the skin stretches.
They realised stretch marks start as tiny micro-tears that develop in the dermis. These can be seen as little red dots and they often itch. Because the skin is already weakened these micro-tears will eventually tear straight downwards, at right angles to the body’s natural skin lines. It’s a bit like when a windscreen gets hit by a passing stone. Firstly a small crack appears, but very often this slowly spreads downwards across the glass.
Clever textile technology
Our inventors realised that the only way to prevent stretch marks was to attack the problem on two fronts. Firstly, something needed to be done to relieve the pressure on skin as it stretched – this would stop the micro-tears forming. And secondly, if any micro-tears did appear they needed to be stopped from ripping in a straight line downwards.
Now this was no mean feat. They spent years looking at how this ripping process could be stopped. And do you know what they used to test their theories – balloons!
They quickly realised that no cream, gel or oil was going to work. And this was corroborated by many other medical bodies, such as the British Association of Dermatologists.They simply can’t equalise the pressure of stretching skin.
So, after months of research our clever doctors invented a fabric that worked as a mechanical support across the bump. By creating raised pads that gently grip the skin they were able to take away those “hotspots” where too much pressure created micro-tears.
Although their invention prevented most micro-tears forming, sometimes nothing could be done to stop the odd few appearing. Something had to be done to stop these little red dots from ripping into fully blown stretch marks.
That’s where the clever pattern of the pads comes in. Our inventors realised that if the stretch marks couldn’t find a straight route downwards then they’d be halted in their tracks. Take a look at the pattern close up – you can’t trace a straight line through the pads can you?
Whoever thought fabric could be so clever?
Secret Saviours Stretch Mark Prevention System
Our Dermal Support Technology™ is available in Bump Bands and Full-Briefs and should be worn daily throughout pregnancy. Our underwear is super soft and comfy, with the added bonus of supporting your bump and back. Accompanied by our Day Gel, which helps the pads grip the skin, and our Night Cream which keeps the skin supple and nourished, this 3-step system has an 82% success rate.
Find out more here - we’re sure you’ll find our 3-step system your very best insurance against pregnancy stretch marks.
