5 Great Tips For Preventing Stretch Marks

Besides acne, stretch marks are another thing that a lot of us won't ever welcome with open arms. Stretch marks are usually caused by weight gain, muscle gain and pregnancy. Stretch marks are essentially torn dermis (or skin) or skin that has lost its elasticity. Stretch marks can be prevalent among some people and not be a major issue with others.

The thing with stretch marks is that you can't say if you'll end up with minor ones or if you'll have lots of the red and purple marks on your stomach, rear, thighs or calves. While you can't predict just how worse your stretch marks are going to be, you can do a few things to keep your skin flexible, for preventing stretch marks from pregnancy, or at other times of rapid weight change, from forming.

You can't completely elude those unappealing stretch marks, but you can minimize your chances of getting them if you adopt these five tips for preventing stretch marks:

Tip #1 -- Maintain a well-hydrated skin by drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water every day. When you keep your body well-hydrated each day, your body will benefit greatly and reward you with skin that is resilient and less likely to get stretch marks.

Tip #2 -- Keep your distance from caffeine and nicotine, things that can dehydrate the skin. If coffee and cigarettes are major parts of your daily living, consider cutting back on them (if you can't completely rid of them from your life). Smoking and drinking coffee dry up the skin, leaving your skin dry and less resilient.

Tip #3 -- Start including green veggies, dairy products, nuts and seeds in your meals. These foods are rich sources of vitamin K and zinc. Vitamin K and zinc are responsible for preserving the health of your skin, making it more elastic and younger looking.

Tip #4 -- Take care of your skin from the outside in by utilizing creams for stretch marks. Using a good stretch marks cream can work wondrously on the skin. Get started on a daily habit of applying the best stretch mark creams, like Barmon Stretch Mark Cream or Revitol Stretch Mark Cream, on your body, specifically on those areas where stretch marks might form.

Tip #5 -- Keep your exposure to the sun and wind to a minimum. These two elements have a drying effect on the skin.

When it comes to taking care of the skin, the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure," holds true. Once those stretch marks come out, they are there for life; you can't make them go away, just try to do your best to lessen their appearance. It is best if you can deal with the problem of stretch marks while you don't have them yet; don't wait until you have them. So while those unsightly stretch marks haven't come out on your body yet, don't wait to start taking precautions. Keep in mind that simply applying stretch mark creams on your skin each night doesn't work on its own to keep those stretch marks from appearing; you will need to observe a lifestyle that will minimize their appearance or impact.