Stretch marks in pregnancy are medically called striae gravidarum. Very obviously, this is related to the stretching of the abdominal skin, to accommodate the growing uterus. Quite a few studies have been done in this domain. But, till date, there is no evidence to say that any product has a remarkable benefit in preventing the stretch marks in pregnancy. In that case, we simply end up settling for products which demonstrated a benefit, even if that was a very small one.
Let’s look at the stretch mark creams that made it. Bitter almond oil (different from the usual sweet almond oil), showed a marginal efficacy in reducing stretch marks. This was also the case with oils containing extracts from the Centella plant species. While we definitely want something more than marginal efficacy, given the lack of options, these agents would probably be worth a try.
Another agent with a little more stronger action in preventing pregnancy stretch marks, is hyaluronic acid. This seems to be slightly more effective in preventing stretch marks, when used from the 12th week of pregnancy. While retinoid creams are definitely more effective, their use in pregnancy is generally not advisable. Retinoid creams are basically vitamin A creams, and they definitely have a role in anything to do with scars and stretch marks.
Massage seems to increase the effectiveness of these agents, and could potentially have benefits as a safe, stand alone treatment option. But care must be taken to avoid rough or deep massages in pregnancy, for obvious reasons!
Lastly, let’s take a look at the stuff that didn’t make it – olive oil and cocoa butter were shown to be no better than placebo in preventing stretch marks. While they may have an independent use for the dry skin that is common during pregnancy, they don’t seem to work for stretch mark prevention.
For a detailed discussion of stretch marks in general, and not just during pregnancy, head over to this detailed post in Medium. To catch Dr Renita Rajan’s live discussion on stretch marks, reach us on Instagram @drrenitarajan
