WHY IT’S SO HARD TO SNAP BACK INTO SHAPE

SAGGING SKIN DURING pregnancy, a woman’s skin expands rapidly, causing ruptures in the dermis, or connective tissue. ‘These small fractures are permanent, so after childbirth the skin will be looser,’ says Dr Justine Hextall, a dermatologist for The Harley Medical Group.

The only guaranteed way to remove excess skin is with a tummy tuck. The 90-minute procedure can cost anything between £2,500 and £10,000. STRETCH MARKS THESE occur when blood vessels show through ruptures in the dermis. The bestselling stretch-mark product is Bio Oil (£14.95 for 124ml), which a clinical trial found reduced scars in 50 per cent of users in eight weeks.

To improve stretch marks, a treatment needs to stimulate collagen production, says Dr Hextall. One way of doing this is with ‘micro-needling’, in which the skin is pricked with thousands of tiny needles. This prompts a healing process, which boosts collagen levels. The Harley Street Clinic’s Dermaroller treatment costs from £120 a time. BULGING STOMACH

THE muscles either side of the navel may split during pregnancy. If they fail to knit back together after birth, the stomach can bulge outwards. ‘Three-quarters of women I see for tummy tucks need their muscles tightening as well,’ says Naveen Cavale of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.