One of the reasons why some women fear getting pregnant and going through a full-blown pregnancy is the thought of developing stretch marks. In today's world where people are more conscious than ever about the way they look, having pregnancy stretch marks can mean torture for many women who want to flaunt their body, specifically the tummy area, after giving birth. This obsession with beauty, which is taken to mean perfect everything - including skin, leads women to research about stretch marks and how to cure them.

Stretch marks are basically depressed streaks in the skin that form when your skin experiences rapid expansion. They can be small or big, short or long, depending on how much and how fast your skin has expanded; they can also start out purple, dark brown, reddish brown, or pink, depending on the color of your skin. The changes in the elastic supportive tissue underneath your skin cause these stretch marks. Many women get stretch marks on their breasts, arms, and thighs even when they're not pregnant and are only gaining weight, but most of the time, women do get pregnancy stretch marks on their abdomens typically during the later stages of their pregnancy, when skin expansion happens more quickly.

While there are many advertisements claiming the effectiveness of certain products to cure pregnancy stretch marks, the truth is that there is no tried and tested way to cure these depressed skin streaks for good. However, although there isn't anything you can do to make stretch marks totally disappear, you can make them appear lighter and less noticeable.

Prevention is better than cure, so they say. One of the most recommended ways to avoid pregnancy stretch marks is to moisturize your growing belly so you won't experience itchiness. Itchiness causes potential stretch marks to become more pronounced, and many women have reported to stay away from stretch marks by helping their skin become more elastic through moisturizing. You can find several creams and lotions that claim to cure stretch marks. However, some ingredients, like Retin-A, can be harmful to your baby. It's best to use a gentle moisturizer or oil when you're still pregnant.

Six to twelve months after you give birth, your pregnancy stretch marks will become significantly less noticeable. Doing regular exercise to help you shed off the baby weight can help hasten the process. Try staying away from junk and fatty foods, too. If you plan to breastfeed your baby, don't focus on changing your diet to a slimming one. However, do try to take in only healthy foods to keep you from gaining more weight.

You can use topical medications after you give birth. Retin-A should, however, still be avoided if you're breastfeeding. Ointments that contain glycolic acid and lotion with cocoa butter have proven to be effective in lightening stretch marks. Improving the appearance of stretch marks can also be done through cosmetic procedure, but the cost for this is naturally higher. You'll find that in time, your pregnancy stretch marks will blend with your skin, leaving you as the only person who can spot the difference.