Ten Things That Won’t Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

There's no two ways about it - nobody wants stretch marks. Even though 90 percent of women get them during pregnancy, stretch marks can put a kink in anyone's self-esteem.

From the moment you first find out you're pregnant, you'll probably start hearing about all sorts of kooky home remedies to prevent and treat stretch marks. You may even get desperate enough to believe some of them. But here's the truth: stretch marks are the result of genetics and hormones, and there's really not much you can do about them. That doesn't stop people from trying, though. Stretch marks may drive you crazy, but these so-called "cures" really aren't:

• Egg whites
• Cocoa butter
• Aloe vera
• Castor oil, lavender oil, emu oil, or almond oil
• Vitamin E capsules
• Drinking extra water
• Stretch mark creams like Stri-Vectin
• Sun-In hair lightening spray
• Preparation H
• Wrapping yourself in Saran wrap

You can smear on egg whites and lemon juice and wrap your belly in plastic wrap, but stretch marks happen in the deep, deep layers of skin, and these remedies only purport to work on the very top layer.

Once you have stretch marks, you're more or less stuck with them until they fade. Some women report that using a scar cream like Mederma when the stretch marks are fresh helps them to fade more quickly, but most of us just have to learn to live with them.