Timing & Placement of Stretch Marks With Pregnancy

Stretch marks usually make their appearance in the later trimesters of pregnancy. Some women notice the marks right from when their bellies start growing. Most lighter-skinned toned women develop pinkish colored stretch marks, while darker-skinned toned women usually display them in a lighter color than their normal surrounding skin.

The actual stretching of the skin occurring during pregnancy as well as in other types of rapid increases in body weight such as adolescence occurs due to the continual expanding and contracting of the skin. Since there is not enough time for the skin to adjust and your body underneath the skin expands quicker than the surface skin can expand to meet the size difference, the skin tears. The resulting scar is the unattractive stretch mark.

Some experts believe it involves a type of “skin priming” as hormone levels are increased during pregnancy. Hormones are believed to bring more water into the skin layers resulting in relaxed bonds connecting the collagen fibers. Assuming this happens, this would make skin more vulnerable to small tears and the appearance of stretch marks.

There are about three stages to the development of stretch marks in pregnant women.

Stage 1: This is the stage where stretch marks will display with a pinkish color. It can also be accompanied by itchiness. The skin surrounding stretch marks may also appear thinner than usual.

Stage 2: In this stage, stretch marks increase in length and width and can become reddish or purple color.

Stage 3: In this final stage, where the stretch marks have matured, they start to lose that pinkish red hue. Several months after pregnancy, stretch marks begin to fade becoming paler in color. They can also appear irregular in length or shape.

During pregnancy, most women develop scars from stretch marks on their abdomen. It can also appear on breasts, thighs, lower back, hips and buttocks. Generally, wherever large amounts of fat are stored is where stretch marks are most likely to occur. Knowing how and why these marks appear is important but treatment to prevent and reduce stretch marks is even more important.