How to get rid of pregnancy stretch marks

One day you wake up, and it's just there: a scraggly, jagged line on your skin that runs up the sides of your thighs, hips or belly. And your heart deflates when you realize what it is: The dreaded stretch mark.

Stretch marks (or striae) are just a fact of life, especially when you're pregnant and busy creating life. The lines you see are actual tears in your dermis, usually caused by rapid weight changes.

While you may want to throw in the towel at the first sign of a stretch mark, you will be surprised you still have say in it's final appearance.

Here are our best tips for fading pregnancy stretch marks:

• Early treatment. Since stretch marks eventually become scars, the most effective way to diminish them is by treating them right away. The best time for treatment is when they are new, and red or purple in appearance. When stretch marks become silvery scar tissue, only laser treatments (and lots of prayer) will help.
• Choose toxin-free pregnancy skin care. While pregnant, anything you put on your skin can affect your baby's development. That's why the best products for pregnancy stretch marks should always be toxin-free and made with organic ingredients.
• Follow treatment EVERY DAY. Since you're using gentle, natural skin care, it becomes even more important to establish regularity when treating your stretch marks. We suggest making it part of your daily routine, just like flossing and brushing your teeth!
• Use tamanu oil & vitamin E. The best belly butter for pregnancy stretch mark removal. will include tamanu oil and vitamin E. Both these amazing ingredients have a long history of fading scars and accelerating the production of healthy skin cells.
• Wear sunscreen; become a vampire. Sadly, when you have new pregnancy stretch marks, the sun is no longer your friend. Sun exposure will lead to discoloration of stretch marks, and can cause the tissue to thicken and become harder to treat. Make sure you're slathering on SPF 30+ every day, and avoid unnecessary sun exposure.
• Choose a stretch mark serum. While a tummy butter for stretch marks is great as an every day treatment, we like to apply nightly serums for the ultimate double whammy. The fine molecular structure of serums allow for deep penetration of the skin, which makes it fantastic for spot treatments. Again, choose a pregnancy stretch marks treatment that will be safe for you AND baby.

Have you gotten stretch marks during pregnancy? Share your tips on stretch marks treatment below!