Stretch Marks in Pregnancy (Striae gravidarum)html

Striae gravidarum or Stretch marks are purplish red streaky scars, which appear when the skin is overstretched. They appear during pregnancy over the abdomen where the skin is supple, usually in the third trimester or the later months when the skin is highly stretched to accommodate the growing fetus. They may also appear over the breast, more so during the period of breast-feeding when the breasts swell up and increase much in size. Apart from these areas, striae are also seen on the hips, buttock and inner and outer thigh. About 70-90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks over the abdomen. Up to 90% of women develop stretch marks over some part of their body due to the excess weight gain of pregnancy. Most light skinned women have pinkish colored striae and the View the rest of this article