There are many pregnant women who develop stretch marks due to rapid skin growth and weight gain. Pregnant women are at risk of stretch marks because during pregnancy around seventy five to ninety percent acquire them. Because of this many doctors recommend women who are pregnant to stay within twenty to forty pounds of the average weight during this time period.
For these women the stretching normally occurs on the lower abdomen region. This is where the skin develops the most growth and epidermis cells stretch and tear. In addition, women can also get them on their breasts, buttocks, thighs, and lower arms and upper arms. They occur the most often where there are large amounts of stored fat.
They appear off colored in tone normally reddish or can take on a purplish color. They run parallel to another on the outer layers of the skin. They can range in sizes from a few to several centimeters long and normally one to ten millimeters wide.
For pregnant women there are two main reasons why they experience stretched skin.
Firstly, they are undergoing extreme hormonal changes late in the trimesters of the pregnancy. These hormones influence the bodies ability to maintain its structural integrity through collagen and elasticity. Hormones play a major role in skins flexibility.
The second reason that women develop torn skin with unsightly lines is because of the rapid skin growth their body is undergoing from weight gain. The stomach is stretched and you put in extra weight associated with the baby.
