Stretch marks (striae gravidarum) are long, narrow streaks, stripes, or lines (white, pink to purple) that develop on the skin and occur in 90% of wome by the third trimester. They occur when the skin is suddenly stretched and are extremely common. Anyone can develop stretch marks, although they tend to affect more women than men.
They can occur on a range of body parts, including the stomach, thighs, hips, breasts, upper arms, and lower back.
This type of scarring happens when the skin cannot resume normal form after a period of intense growth, often due to pregnancy, weight gain, weight loss, or per cent. Over 50 per cent of women experience stretch marks during pregnancy.
Fast facts on stretch marks
Stretch marks are long, narrow streaks or stripes that occur when the skin is stretched too quickly.
Pregnancy, puberty, and rapid weight gain can all cause stretch marks.
There is little medical evidence available confirming the effectiveness of current treatments for stretch marks.
Stretch marks often fade over time without treatment and do not pose any serious long-term health risks.
What are stretch marks?
Stretch marks can occur as a result of overstretched skin.
Stretch marks are scars or disfiguring lesions. They are also called striae, striae distensae (SD), striae atrophicans, and striae gravidarum.
The most common areas affected include Abdomen, breasts, hips, flank, buttocks and thighs.
Stretch marks are not physically dangerous but can cause problems with self-image and anxiety. For some people, stretch marks are a significant cosmetic concern that can affect day-to-day living.[1]
We use various naturopathic principles to treat the cause and look for the disharmony in your body and mind to bring your body back to balance. Please see below a brief treatment (Rx) protocol and reference guide, with choices to help improve your health and wellbeing. Click on the headings and links within for more treatment information.
Prevention
Ensure adequate intake of the nutrient, especially protein foods, good healthy fats and maintain a healthy and fit body. Aim to not put on weight or lose weight too suddenly. Keep your body hydrated. Massage your skin with natural organic-rich oils every day especially after your shower. My favourites are coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, carrot oil and if scarring – rosehip oil, wheat germ and apricot.
Aim for the 80/20 diet. Increase alkaline food in your diet. Measure your urine pH!
Increase Zinc foods into your diet. (10-30mg)
Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin C.
‘Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) – topical application stimulates the production of type-1 collagen and increases the hydroxyproline and collagen content of skin, thus increasing its tensile strength.
Aloe Vera – topical application increases collagen synthesis he degree of cross-linking and increases in glycosamiglycan components of the extracellular matrix such as hyaluronic acid'. Ref page 1382, ‘Clinical Naturopathic Medicine, Leah Hechtman.
Stretch Mark Massage Oil by Weleda is a pure organic formula infused with arnica that helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks by improving skin's elasticity and tightness.
Exercise every day! Do not forget to always warm-up and stretch. Love your body!!!! 
Take time to relax and create a beautiful home spa routine. Candles, oils, music.
If you are experiencing these conditions, I can guide you into wellness – BOOK NOW for a Naturopathic Consultation.
Tissue Salt Rx
These tissue salts below singular or in combination may help with this condition.
Calcium Fluor:
Tissue salt to improve elasticity.
Silica:
The cell salt of the skin, the hair, the nails and the connective tissue. One can use Silica to strengthen the hair and to get a nice, elastic skin.
Also for the prevention of cellulitis and stretch marks Silica is suited.
As well as it promotes the state of the skin, Silica can also start to the strengthening of the fabric inside of the body. Against varicose veins, haemorrhoids and arteriosclerosis one can take Silica.
Nutritional Medicine Rx
Use Food as Medicine! Nourish your body and mind with fresh seasonal, whole foods. Clean unprocessed & unadulterated foods like nature intended. Support a back to the basic natural approach to eating. Visit your local farmer markets and buy organic produce where possible. Go vegetable crazy! Love your greens.
Food Sensitivity Testing is an easy way to take the guess work out of what may be contributing to you feeling unwell, suffering digestive problems, inflammation, bloating, skin conditions, asthma etc. A whole food natural diet is excellent to follow but what some people don’t realise is one man's food can be another man’s poison. Give your digestive tract a break and feed your body with food that heals. A stressed and inflamed digestive tract (gut) suffering dysbiosis needs help to build up a good microbiome balance. It is not only important for your ability to absorb and utilise nutrients but your gut health and immune system are inextricably linked. Seventy to eighty percent of your immune tissue is located within your digestive system and ninety percent of serotonin is made in the digestive tract. Serotonin is a key player in mood, anxiety, fear, and the general sense of happiness and wellbeing.
The intestinal microbiota (gut flora) helps in proper development of the host immune system, which in turn regulates the homeostasis of the microbiota. Good nutrition promoting good gut health microbiome promotes a healthy immune system.
The gastrointestinal tract is also sensitive to emotion. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression.
Don’t diet! Listen to your body. Eat mindfully in a relaxed environment and choose quality, not quantity. Enjoy fuelling your body and treating it well.
Flower Essence Rx
- Bach Flower Essences
- Australian Flower Essences
- Futurplex
Lifestyle Medicine Rx
Exercise and Fitness Management:
Select an exercise activity or sport you enjoy. Choose something that works for you and aim for the 80/20 % approach and always listen to your body.- Walking is a wonderful activity for all ages, shapes and sizes.
- Build up slowly but aim for 10,000 steps a day.
- I recommend investing in a motivational health monitor like ‘Fitbit’ and or an app like ‘MyFitnessPal’ to motivate you to have a go and strive to improve your fitness and maintain a healthy weight.
Hydration:
Aim for 2 – 4 litres of clean, filtered water a day. One of the easiest ways to improve your health is to stay hydrated as your body is made up of 60% water and it needed by every cell of the body. Sugar, Salt and Coffee is dehydrating for the body. Often if you feel thirsty this is an early sign of dehydration. Make it a habit and drink throughout the day. Benefits include:- Natural Detox – a naturally hydrated body purges the cells, eliminating stored toxins and bodily wastes.
- Digestion and Elimination – eliminates constipation, boating and helps improve general digestive disorders.
- Speeds Metabolism and helps with weight loss.
- Combats Fatigue – water is an important source of energy for your body.
- Reduces High Blood Pressure and Lowers Cholesterol.
- Speeds up Joint and Cartilage repair.
- Skin Health – improves Acne, Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis and Premature Skin Ageing.
- Slows the Ageing Process.
Sleep Hygiene:
- Aim for 7 – 8 hours quality sleep.
- Turn off all electronic devices and avoid technology and hour before bed as this allows your brain to switch off and make it easier to fall asleep.
- Keep your bedroom just for sleeping & loving. Fresh Air – open a window. Light can make or break a good sleep cycle. Darken your room as much as possible.
- Don’t eat late in the night. Avoid caffeine and stimulants.
- Set your alarm to get to bed and wake at the same time every day.
- Night Cap: – Drink a warm lemon drink, herbal green tea or Golden Milk (Almond & Coconut Milk with beneficial spices) – “Turmeric Latte”, before bed.
- Create a nice environment with indoor plants, aromatherapy diffuser, soft relaxing music and anything that helps you promote a routine to wind yourself down to get much-needed sleep.
Fun:
Life is about balance and taking time out to play and enjoy activities you like with friends and family as it has a huge benefit on your health. Laughter is the best Medicine. Having fun and enjoying activities that you like has the benefit of reducing stress and lowering the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” and spikes to unhealthy levels when you are continually stressed with one of the side effects being weight gain. Having fun increases serotonin, which is the hormone that regulates sleep patterns, body temperature, memory and mood. When you do activities you enjoy, that help you to relax and connect with people the body will naturally increase serotonin levels. Research has proven that making time to relax, engaging in activities you enjoy, spending time with people that make you happy improves positive emotional, mental health and overall wellbeing.Conditions We Treat
- Abscess
- Aching Feet & Legs
- Acidity & Heartburn
- Anaemia
- Anxiety
- Appendicitis
- Asthma
- Backache
- Birth – Labour
- Bites & Stings
- Boils
- Brittle Nails
- Bronchitis
- Burns
- Catarrhal – Mucous Inflammation
- Chicken Pox – Varicella
- Chilblains
- Circulation – Varicose Veins
- Cold
- Cold Sores – Herpes Labialis
- Conjunctivitis
- Colitis
- Constipation
- Cough
- Cramp – Muscle
- Croup
- Diabetes
- Diarrhoea
- Digestive Disorders
- Dysentery
- Ear-Glue Ear
- Ear – Middle Ear Infection
- Ear Infection – Chronic
- Eczema
- Eyes – Stye
- Eyes – Blocked Tear Duct
- Eye Strain – Poor Vision
- Feet
- Fever
- Fits – Epileptic Seizure
- Fractures
- Glands Swollen
- Growing Pains
- Hair Health
- Hay Fever
- Headache
- Head Injury
- Heartburn & Acidity
- Hepatitis
- Hernia
- Hives – Urticaria
- Hydrocele – Swollen Testicle
- Immune Booster
- Indigestion
- Infants Teething Pain
- Infection
- Influenza
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- Legs – Circulation
- Leucorrhoea
- Measles
- Menstrual Pain – Dysmenorrhea
- Menstruation – General Health
- Mouth Ulcers
- Mumps
- Muscular Pain
- Nails – Health
- Nappy Rash – Diaper Dermatitis
- Nasal Congestion
- Nervous Debility
- Nosebleed – Epistaxis
- Pain
- Peripheral Circulation
- Piles – Haemorrhoids
- Pimples
- Pneumonia – Lung Infection
- Pyorrhea – Periodontal Disease
- Pregnancy Health
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatic Fever
- Rheumatic Pain
- Rheumatism & Gout
- Ringworm – Tinea
- Rubella – German Measles
- Scabies
- Scarlet Fever
- Sciatica
- Skin Health
- Sinusitis
- Sleep – Insomnia
- Sleep – Nightmares
- Sprains – Muscular
- Stomach Upsets
- Strains
- Sexual Health & Performance
- Stress – Emotional Health
- Stretch Marks – Striae
- Teenage Health – Puberty & Pimples
- Teeth – Teething (Babies)
- Teeth – Toothache
- Thrush – Candida Albicans
- Thyroid Health & Disorders
- Tonsils – Enlarged
- Travel Sickness
- Urinary Tract Infection – Uti – Cystitis
- Warts – Human Papillomavirus
- Whooping Cough – Pertussis
- Worms – Parasites
- Wounds – Healing
