Yalda Golsharifi

I wish I was one of those women out there who have absolutely no issues with stretch marks and who don't mind them one bit when it comes to losing weight or during pregnancy - sadly I'm not. Some say stretch marks are hereditary, but all the women in my family got them during pregnancy. I had convinced myself that there are ways to avoid them, did my research and believed I could avoid them altogether. I was determined. I came up with my remedies - remedies that had proven to work for me over the span of both my pregnancies and resulted in beautiful skin.

There are different ways to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but let me tell you girls out there, that it does require consistency with your routine and a loooot of patience. I'm constantly being asked about my skin, and yes, my remedies did work, but I was disciplined from the start.

First things first, you need to start early on. It doesn't matter whether you can see a stretch mark or not, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize as soon as you find out that you're pregnant. Get all those glorious smelling oils and creams working into your skin. As for old stretch marks, they require extra patience and even then may not vanish completely. But do what you must, do your bit and show them love.

Now what exactly did I use in order to avoid stretch marks? Extra virgin coconut oil (if you've been following me for a while, you must know I'm coconuts over coconut oil) and olive oil. Who cares if you smell like olive or coconut oil? (I personally love the smell of coconut oil.) It's your body and you take care of it the way it needs to be taken care of.

I used to alternate between the two as I wanted my body to absorb the moisture and not get used to just one of them. I'd rub it on my belly three times a day but most importantly after showers since that's when you need the moisturizing the most as your pores are still open, especially if you like your warm showers as much as I do. Long warm showers are known to dry out your skin, so moisturizing with oils or creams is key. Avoid tanning as well since this is known to dry out your skin while also causing damage. Do remember to keep your belly covered if you're at the beach.

These oils were massaged into my belly and other parts that were prone to stretch marks, like breasts, thighs and inner thighs, especially if you're gaining weight around that area. Massaging it in is important as this really helps the skin absorb it rather than just applying the oil. Research also shows that exfoliating a couple of times a week can help remove dead skin and that way your moisturizer or body oils will be absorbed better into your skin.

Along with the external care of your body, you should also care for it internally by staying hydrated at all times. Water, coconut water and infused water is what I recommend. Eat foods that are actually good for your body and try to exercise or stay active during the span of your pregnancy, that is if your doctor agrees with this and you have no health issues.

I've read numerous articles by many celebrities about their experience with stretch marks and they've all brought it down to one thing - love them more than anything on your body. In the end, our bodies go through so much during pregnancy and it all really depends on how you take care of it. "Your body is not ruined. You're a tiger who has earned her stripes."

By Yalda Golsharifi