What REALLY Causes Stretch Marks

Plus, the best science-backed ways to prevent (and even erase!) the unsightly scars

Plus, the best science-backed ways to prevent (and even erase!) the unsightly scars

If you’re loading up on cocoa butter to ward off pregnancy-related stretch marks, you might want to save your money: As it turns out, genetics can seriously increase your odds of getting stretch marks, according to research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

For the study, scientists from the personal genetics company 23andMe examined the DNA of 33,930 people, 4,967 of whom were women with severe pregnancy-related stretch marks. They found that mutations in or near four specific genes—ELN, SRPX, HMCN1, and TMEM18—increased the participants’ risk of stretch marks by 40 percent. Of these genes, ELN (aka elastin) was the most strongly tied to stretch marks, especially those developed during pregnancy. Elastin is the major component of elastic fibers, which help tissues stretch and retract.

See, while excess tension on the skin is the short explanation for stretch marks, some people are more prone to developing them than others, says study author Joyce Tung, Ph.D., director of research at 23andMe. For instance, in the study, only 25 percent of the men reported having stretch marks, but 55 percent of the women did.

“Previously, no genetic variants were known to be associated with isolated stretch marks,” says Tung, who hopes the findings will lead to more effective treatments that target elastin production.

In the meantime, talk to your doctor about these science-approved prescriptions for preventing and erasing stretch marks:

How to Make a Thrifty Wardrobe Look Expensive

How to Make a Thrifty Wardrobe Look Expensive
You brilliant shopper, you!

Everyone wants to look like a million bucks. But not everyone is able to drop a cool mill for the latest trends—so it’s a good idea to have a thriftier game plan. Buying lower-cost clothing at places like Forever 21, Target, and H&M can save you a considerable amount of change in the long run, and if you keep a few tips in mind, your finished look will appear just as expensive as all those fashion blogger outfits you’ve been pinning.

Go for Sturdier Bags
Buying a thrifty bag in a similar style to a designer handbag can save you hundreds of dollars, but be choosy about which one you settle on. More structured bags and clutches with crisp, clean lines tend to look more expensive than their slouchier counterparts (this bag is a great example). Plus, the stiffer inner boning of those bags will hold up better over time.

Keep It Classy with Black and White
I would say that about 90 percent of my lower-priced items are black, white, gray, or a mixture of those colors. There’s just something about a black and white scheme that makes any piece look a little more upscale than if it were a splashy color (love this monochromatic top). A black and white scheme is sometimes (wrongly) accused of being dull, but in reality, it’s timeless and always a chic choice.

Benefits of Wine: 8 Reasons Wine Is the Best Thing Ever

Feeling guilty about your nightly glass of vino? We give you full permission to drink up—for your health. Cheers to these many awesome (surprising!) benefits of wine.

 Benefits of Wine: It Makes You More Attractive

Drinking just one glass of wine makes you more attractive to others, according to a study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism. Researchers think low doses of alcohol (more does not help) may give you a healthy glow and subtle smile—who doesn't want that?

 Benefits of Wine: It's Good for Your Heart

While researchers have found an association between wine and heart health, many past studies only looked at white populations. But a new Nutrition and Aging study looked at almost 3,000 ethnically diverse women, and found some good news: Moderate wine consumption may reduce your risk of heart disease, possibly because of the polyphenol content.

 Benefits of Wine: It May Help Maintain Muscle

French researchers set out to discover whether resveratrol, a component of wine (which has been linked to lower levels of bad cholesterol and protecting the lining of blood heart vessels) could help preserve muscle mass in astronauts. Why? Astronauts experience lots of health issues from the zero gravity inactivity. To replicate the weightless state, researches hung rats by their back legs. Half received a dose of resveratrol and the other half didn't. Those that didn't experienced reduced muscle mass, strength, and bone density while the resveratrol group was spared.

Weird Reasons Women Sometimes Fall for A-holes

It's not you, it's his striking resemblance to your father.
You probably think you have a good sense for what gets you totally smitten. A whip-smart wit, an awesome sense of adventure, a seriously huge heart—whatever it is, you can usually spot a good one. So why is it that you sometimes find yourself drawn to a guy who makes your head say no, no, no…but makes your heart say yes, yes, yes? Here are just a few things that science says might lead to you falling hard, despite your best intentions:

1. He's the Male Version of You
We know, we know, it's opposites that are supposed to attract—but several studies over the years have shown that the more alike you are, the stronger the attraction. From having the same sense of humor to looking similar, all the stuff you have in common could cancel out his more unsavory qualities (you know, the ones you don't share).   

Flatten Your Belly with This Killer Ab Workout

Get a tight stomach in just six weeks without doing a single crunch. This may be the easiest workout we've ever printed

Get ready to whip off your cover-up: This workout, created exclusively for Women's Health by Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Newhall, California, combines fat-burning cardio with moves that target your entire core rather than individual muscles (wouldn't it be great if there was a magical lower abs workout?), so you'll burn more fat while toning up.

Directions
Do these workout moves three nonconsecutive days a week. Start with the Basic Workout (moves 1-4 at right) to prime your muscles. After three weeks, you'll be ready to graduate to the Advanced Workout (moves 5-8). For maximum fat burning, perform the exercises as a circuit: Do one set of each move in the order shown, resting for 30 seconds between exercises. Then rest for a minute and repeat the circuit from the beginning.

The (15 Minute) Belly Blasting Workout

Even women who are otherwise slender and fit can end up with a belly pooch due to underworked lower abdominal muscles. This workout will tap into the deep abdominal muscles—the transverse abdominis—that pull in your waistline like a corset. Do these moves one after another with no rest in between. Then repeat the circuit so you're performing it a total of two times.

Stability Ball Pelvic Tilt Crunch

The Best Workout Ever: Have Your Own Coregasm

A very fortunate 10 percent of women experience orgasms while working out. Meet one of them.

From Big Ow to Big O

If you think about it, exercise has a lot in common with sex: You get nice and sweaty, a killer playlist makes you want to work harder, a towel always comes in handy, and a tall glass of cold water afterwards feels mighty refreshing. But lately, my workout routine has been mirroring my hanky panky in one very special way: I can't seem to crank out a set of abdominal moves without having an orgasm.


Yes, while most women leave a hardcore workout feeling the Big Ow, lately, my Plank Swipes and Single Leg Stretches have been delivering the Big O. It all started when a friend loaned me her Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD; once my OB/GYN cleared me to resume abdominal work following my C-section, I popped that sucker in, laid a towel down on our living room floor, and got to work. The video started innocently enough: an easy crunch here, an impossible pike series there. But about seven minutes in, I noticed this routine was feeling a lot, umm, hotter than most. And it had nothing to do with friction -- it seemed the harder I contracted my abs, the better it felt. Before I knew it, I'd eked out about eight orgasms, while my husband toiled away in the nursery just a few feet away, changing our newborn daughter's ninth poopy diaper of the day.

Benefits of Pilates

When it comes to Pilates, most women either are die-hard enthusiasts or have never stepped foot in a Pilates studio. Are you in the latter group? Tons of research on the benefits of Pilates would suggest you switch camps. Check out the uniquely awesome power of Pilates.

 Benefits of Pilates: It's Ah-Mazing for Your Abs

Pilates hits your core (or, in Pilates speak, your "powerhouse") unlike any other workout. In fact, after completing 36 weeks of Pilates training, women strengthened their rectus abdominis (the muscle responsible for six-packs) by an average of 21 percent, while eliminating muscle imbalances between the right and left sides of their cores, according to a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study.

 Benefits of Pilates: It Can Ease Back Pain

A stronger core equals a better back, says Tracy Zindell, Flex Pilates Chicago founder and master instructor. That's why those with chronic lower back pain who practiced Pilates for just four weeks experienced more relief than those who visited a physician and other specialists, says a Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy study. What's more, their pain stayed away for a full year post-Pilates. Researchers believe that by stabilizing the core's lumbar-pelvic (lower-back) region, Pilates alleviates stress on the area and ups mobility.

Avoid Jet Bloat

Flying doesn't have to mean walking off the plane with that all-too-familiar puffy feeling: jet bloat. Three experts tell you how to beat it.

The doctor says...

"Take bathroom breaks whenever the fasten-seat-belt sign goes off to keep blood and other body fluids circulating," says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, a clinical associate professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and salt — all of which cause water retention — and drink at least 8 ounces of water for every hour in flight. Once on the ground, drink a cup of hot green tea and take 500 milligrams of vitamin B complex; both are natural diuretics."
The trainer says...

"When you can't get up and stretch, shift position in your seat at least every half hour — cross your legs, prop your feet on your carry-on, or lean forward and interlace your fingers in front of you," says Keli Roberts, creator of the Time-Saver DVD workout series. "When you land, walk for 15 minutes at a comfortable pace to get blood moving in your lower limbs."
The scientist says...

"The day before a flight involving a time difference of six hours or more, eat your meals and go to sleep three hours earlier than you normally would. This will lessen jet lag and its side effects, like bloating, by helping your body get into sync faster in the new time zone," says Hava Siegelmann, PhD, director of the biocomputation laboratory at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Trying to acclimate before you leave can help you get better adjusted — and feel less bloated — when you land.

Let's Start Loving Our Bodies

Even the most gorgeous celebrities hate on their frames—what's up with that? It's time to start thinking more highly of your body, whether you live in Hollywood or Timbuktu. It begins here.

"I don't like my thighs, my midsection..."

It sounds like a snippet from you and your girlfriends' weekly body bashing sessions. But this exact quote comes from none other than Scarlett Johansson, and it's proof that poor body image can affect people of any shape—including, apparently, women who dominate multiple Sexiest Woman Alive lists.

When Barbara Walters recently asked the new mom about her bod with a cult following, Johansson replied, "It's an okay body, I guess. I wouldn't say it's particularly remarkable."

How to Banish Belly Bloat

5 Ways to Stop Stomach Bloat

We've all been there: days when you feel as bloated as the blow-up Shrek in the Macy's parade. Okay, sometimes you know that having that third helping of your sister's peach cobbler wasn't the best idea. But when you're eating right and exercising regularly but still can't zip up your skinny jeans, what gives? "One of the main causes of bloat isn't how much you eat; it's eating certain foods that are difficult for your stomach and intestines to digest," explains Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a dietitian in Sarasota, Florida, and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "These substances then pass into your colon, where bacteria feed on them, producing the gas bubbles that make your stomach swell up." About 20 percent of adults experience bloating, according to one study from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, but "anecdotally that number is much higher. Most women I see in my practice complain about bloat at one time or another," Dr. Gerbstadt says. "The good news is that with some simple diet and lifestyle changes, you can reverse that bloated feeling, fast." Start with these smart tips, which can help you flatten your belly for good.

4 Ways to MakeFitHappen—Every Day

Experts share their tips at FitBlogNYC, where we brought together the top bloggers and trainers in the industry for a day fitness and fun.

A funny thing happens when you fill a room with endorphins, ambition, and fitness buffs: you become majorly motivated. That's how we felt after FitBlogNYC Meet & Tweet, an annual event where we unite the best in the fitness biz to talk exercise, food, and more. Here are some fitspiring highlights from the day.
Make Time for Fitness (It's Easier Than You Think)

Short on time? BeenThere. Consider what's going to give you the most bang for your exercise buck. "Work out smarter, not longer," says celebrity trainer Holly Rilinger, who recommends resistance training with minimal rest in between sets, even if you only have 20 minutes. We suggest these strength-building workouts.
Forget the Haters

Best Shoulder Exercises According to Science

You've got running, yoga, and spinning down to a science, but finding the perfect shoulder-scultping routine can feel a little more daunting. Solution: Focus on these shoulder exercises that have been proven to show serious results, then start counting the days until tank-top season.

Sculpting strong, sexy shoulders is as easy as one, two, three. New research from the American Council on Exercise revealed the most effective exercises for defining your delts. Grab some weights and add this triple-threat sequence to your workout. Do three sets of 10 to 12 reps each.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Standing with feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, lift weights to shoulders, palms facing forward and elbows bent at 90 degrees. Press weights upward until arms are extended overhead, then lower to starting position.

45-Degree Incline Row: Lie chest-down on a 45-degree incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip so palms face you. Let arms hang straight down toward the floor. Pull elbows toward ceiling by bending arms and squeezing shoulder blades together, then lower to starting position.

Seated Rear Lateral Raise: Sitting on the edge of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand and arms hanging straight down, palms facing each other, hinge upper body forward. Keep back straight and raise arms out to sides until elbows are at shoulder height, perpendicular to torso, then lower to starting position.

How Your Gut Bacteria Can Help You Drop Pounds

What if you could enjoy a chocolate bar without taking in all its calories? This isn't just wishful thinking. It may already be happening, thanks to the trillions of microbes in your digestive system.

Until recently, the assumption was that the bacteria huddling in your intestine pretty much mind their own business. But now a growing body of research suggests that your internal community of bacteria, known as a microbiota, could be influencing your metabolism and, surprisingly, affecting your weight.

For example, having a greater abundance of a recently discovered type of bacteria called Christensenellaceae in your gut is associated with being slim, while having less of the bacteria is linked to being obese, a new study in the journal Cell shows. "How much you have is partially determined by genetics," says lead study author Julia Goodrich, a graduate student at Cornell University. The good news is that most of us harbor the bacteria—it was detected in 96 percent of the study samples—and it may be possible to alter our levels to bring our weight down.