Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and joyful experiences in your life. However, like most things in life, it doesn’t come without its own challenges. From morning sickness and fluid retention to varicose veins and stretch marks, endless symptoms plague us until our bundle of joy finally arrives. And while most of them miraculously disappear after giving birth, those silvery-purple lines streaking around our bellies seem to linger on. If you, like most moms, want to minimize the appearance of stretch marks on your body, here are some tips that will help you combat them efficiently:
Timing is everything
It is important to remember that not all stretch marks are the same – they have a life cycle and different stages of development. At their first stage they are called striae rubra and they appear to be red, purple or brightly colored. During this point in the life cycle of a stretch mark, they are much easier to treat and you have more flexibility to decide how you want to deal with them.
After some time has passed, the stretch marks change and become fainter in color, almost reaching a silvery-white shade. At this phase of development, they are known as striae alba and are much harder to treat and combat. Therefore, if you want to achieve the best and most efficient results, you need to start treating your stretch marks as soon as possible.
Treating with creams and lotions

One of the most inexpensive ways of treating stretch marks, retinol creams and lotions stem from vitamin A, which helps rebuild the collagen in your skin, thus reducing the appearance of your marks, and also helping your skin maintain its youthful appearance. Remember that it could take up to six weeks before you start to see any effect from this treatment on your stretch marks, and even though you are able to buy these creams over the counter, it is always best to consult with your doctor or dermatologist to find the cream that is best suited for you.
If you find that retinol creams and lotions irritate your skin and cause peeling around your stretch marks, you may want to look into some other options. There are many products on the market that contain a variety of ingredients that help minimize the appearance of stretch marks, including hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, onion extract and Centella Asiatica.
Professional treatments
There are many professional clinics that offer permanent solutions for pestering stretch marks, and it is a well-known fact that aesthetic clinics in Dubai are some of the best in the world. From laser treatments to dermarollers and mesotherapy, they offer the most effective treatments for fighting stretch marks.
Mesotherapy involves handheld devices that inject treatments into your skin, helping to promote the growth of new and more elastic skin, while laser treatments improve the appearance of stretch marks and increase the production of collagen over time, helping your skin become smooth and supple.
While both of these treatments are known to be the best and most efficient ways of treating stretch marks, it would be best to opt for them when you know you won’t be having more children, as going through another pregnancy could make the whole process completely redundant.
Over time, with the help of some specialist products and professional treatments, your body will start to look and feel like it did before your pregnancy, and those physical reminders of what your body went through during pregnancy will fade along with your stretch marks, leaving you fit, beautiful and fabulous, as you always were.