Re: Stretch marks and ichthyosis

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: I don't yet have stretch marks with first pregnancy, but I'm trying to prevent them also.  I think that the cocoa butter concoctions, lotions with elastin and collagen may help.  However, I think as useful as anything is good hydration and a supplement of essential fatty acids. 

: Prior to becoming pregnant, I was using evening primrose oil which is predominantly one of those essential fatty acids.  I noticed that while I was taking it, my skin was both smoother and much softer.  Treating from the outside in has limited benefit because our skin is designed principally as a barrier.  Treating from the inside out -- hydration and nutrients that are good for the skin ultimately makes more sense.  I'm hopeful.  Good luck

: : A.  Why am <i>I</i> answering this?
: : B.  Why do I even <i>have</i> this information?
: : C.  Having said all that, what you're experiencing is probably not related to your ichthyosis vulgaris.  Vulgaris is just an inability to dissolve the keritin that holds dead skin cells together.  One hundreth of a millimieter below the outermost surface of your skin, is perfectly normal and healthy skin.  So, no - stretchmarks wouldn't necessarily be affected or aggrevated.  Other types if ichthyosis that include hyperkeritinization would be more likely suspects.

: : If you didn't absolutely slather yourself in Palmer's Coca Butter during your pregnancy, start now.  Pick up the "stick" of coca butter and have at it.  You're going to spend the next six months wearing cotton shirts (that the coca butter won't ruin) and smelling like chocolate - but it will absolutely help a great deal.

: : During a "come over for a beer and see the new house... and help us unpack, sucker" get together - I found myself in a room with 2 pregnant women and 3 new mothers who SWORE by this stuff for their stretchmarks.  They also offered it as a suggestion to me (I have vulgaris too).  

: : P.S.  All that coca butter is not going to do crap for your ichthyosis vulgaris.  But it will smooth out stretchmarks over a period of several months.

: : Good luck.

: : Now I'm going to do something manly and otherwise compensating.

: : Matthew
: : : : Anyone else get loads of stretch marks during pregnancy? My doctor thinks that the vast number of stretch marks on my stomach are a result of my ichthyosis (vulgaris)and the general dryness of the skin.
: : : : I made a concerted effort to gain only 20 lbs but my post-pregnancy abdominal skin looks like someone that carried twins and put on 80! Wondered if anybody had any ideas about minimizing this effect--how to effectively keep this area more deeply lubricated (in a future pregancy in my case)?



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