Anti Stretch Mark Massage

When you put on weight either during pregnancy or from overeating the skin has to stretch enormously to encompass the enlarged you. This often causes stretch marks, the fine white lines like snails' trails across the skin, which are, in fact, tiny scars in the underlying tissue. They occur most often on the thighs, stomach and bottom, but can sometimes appear on breasts or upper arms. Unfortunately, once you have them, they are almost impossible to get rid of. However, if you gently massage in a rich oil, such as wheatgerm, jojoba or sweet almond, you can gradually improve the texture and tone of skin, help the white marks fade quicker and reduce the likelihood of over-stretching occurring again.

The anti-stretch mark massage is ideal to use as a preventative measure. If you do it every day, it will help skin stretch as far as it needs to and then return to normal. So steps one to four are specifically designed to be used throughout pregnancy right up to term. Steps five to eight are to be done as a post-natal massage. However, the entire routine may be used when you are not pregnant and is also ideal for anyone who knows she should be dieting but has not quite got round to doing it yet.

How to Do an Anti Stretch Mark Massage
If you are pregnant, the best position is lying on your back propped up on pillows so that you are half sitting. However, if you are near term, you will probably find it uncomfortable to lie on your back for any length of time, so instead turn on your side and lie with your knees bent. For anyone else, lie stretched out, face up. The movements in this massage are slow, soothing, with lots of repetitions to push oil into skin. Use plenty of oil and once it is absorbed, add more - this is the one massage where you can end up looking like a sardine! Do not press down into the abdomen during any strokes and keep all movements on the tummy light and as gentle as possible.

WARNING
During pregnancy be gentle with all massage strokes and never push/press down into the abdomen. This anti-stretch mark massage is ideal to use as a preventative measure. Steps 1-4 are designed to be used throughout pregnancy right up to term. Steps 5-8 ar to be done as a post-natal massage.

1. Place your hands, palms down, at the base of the ribs over the solar plexus, with your fingers pointing up to the chest. Draw your hands out to the sides, then pull them down the waist more firmly and gently round over the hips to stop below the navel. Repeat for several minutes, using the stroke as a gentle way to warm and spread the oil.

2. Do a firm side stroke up the waist. With hands, palms down against the top of one thigh, tuck your fingers as far as possible down under the bottom. Pull hands up the sides of the torso, one after the other, in a smooth, flowing stroke. Work from the thigh up to the base of the ribs for several minutes. Then repeat on the other side of the body.

3. Bend one leg up at the knee and then do some firm, sweeping strokes up the leg. Place the palms of your hands above the knee and push up to the thigh, with one hand following the other. Keep going for several minutes. Then do the same stroke on the inner and outer sides of the thigh, taking the outer stroke up to the hip. Repeat on the other leg.

4. Lightly place your right hand, palm down, at the base of the ribs over the solar plexus. Make large, gentle, sweeping circles in a clockwise direction right around the abdomen for several minutes. Then repeat the stroke, this time using both hands so that one follows the other in a smooth, flowing motion, clockwise around the tummy.

5. Place both hands, palms down, below the navel, with your thumbs together and palms slightly raised so that only the fingers make contact with the tummy. Gently slide your hands upwards and let your fingers glide out to the sides below the ribs and down the sides of the waist pulling firmly, then lightly round and back to the start. Continue the stroke for several minutes.

6. Place one hand, palm down, on either side of the waist. Then firmly pull both hands up the sides in unison, moving them across the tummy to the opposite side of the waist. Repeat continuously, so that your hands crisscross back and forth over the abdomen.

7. Bend the leg at the knee again. Wrap your right hand, palm up, around the back of the thigh, thumb to the outer and fingers to the inner sides. Start with your hand just behind the knee, then firmly push in and squeeze slightly as you slide your hand up the thigh muscle to the buttock. Repeat the movement continuously, using only the right hand, for several minutes.

8. Place both hands, palms down, on the tummy, one between the base of the ribs and the other below the navel. Make a large circle around the abdomen in a clockwise direction, with one hand doing one half of the circle and the other completing it, as a smooth, flowing stroke. Repeat, with one hand on top of the other, and make full circles that get slower and slower.