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That Pregnant Glow

Keeping Your Skin Radiant and Healthy

By Jacqueline Rupp

She suggests using warm water, mild, unscented soaps or non-soap cleansers, and avoiding vigorous rubbing during and after bathing. Most importantly, follow the "three-minute rule": apply a mild unscented moisturizing cream all over within three minutes of getting out of the bath or shower. "This will help to lock in the moisture, and well-hydrated skin is less likely to flake and itch," she says. This is important even if you drink the recommended amounts of water each day, as water does not directly hydrate the skin like moisturizers do.

You can moisturize, sunblock and stay off your feet, but no matter what your beauty regime, one thing is tough to avoid: stretch marks. Caused by the middle layer of the skin being stretched and loosing elasticity, stretch marks affect about 90 percent of women during pregnancy.

"These occur most commonly in the third trimester but may appear earlier," says Stevens. "Stretch marks occur during pregnancy most likely due to the stretching of the skin's collagen and elastin fibers. They occur most frequently on the abdomen, hips, buttocks and breasts."

Although they are hard to avoid, there is some good news. After birth, the marks will probably be fairly noticeable, either a red or pink color. However, after a year or two the marks will have faded into a shade only slightly darker than your own skin tone. "Treatment with laser may help to fade the redness more quickly," says Dr. Stevens. "However, the skin overlying a stretch mark will always appear somewhat thinned."

Many women swear by coco butters and vitamin E creams. There have been no proven preventative effects of such treatments, however, applying such creams daily can help moisturize the area and make it feel subtler.

Want to see more?

• Liquid Health: Smart Nutrition for Thirsty Moms
• Creating Beauty from the Outside In: The Secret to Healthy, Radiant Skin
• Great Skin – From the Inside Out!: Nourish Your Skin with the Right Foods
• Talk about it!

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