another loose skin and stretch marks thread.

13

Replies

  • shearer_is_king
    shearer_is_king Posts: 3
    I have just signed up to this forum to reply to this thread, I am a guy myself and I know how much these marks can play on your mind and affect confidence/self esteem etc.

    I first got stretch marks on my arms from lifting weights at a really young age with no guidance or anything and completely unaware of what stretch marks were. They were first brought to my attention when I was about 19/20 my girlfriend at the time noticed these marks under my arms and I could see she was a little taken back by them, almost freaked out by them. I still did not know what they were but I always knew it was from lifting weights.

    I have had depression for practically most of my life, and when I hit about 22 it got to the worse it had ever been, basically I stopped seeing my friends, stopped working, stopped going out, just sat in the house most days playing games, listening to music and doing nothing at all really. Through that and drinking and eating lots nearly every day I got these red marks similar to yours all over my hips and stomach, even at this point I did not know they were stretch marks, I just knew I put a ton of weight on really fast. It wasn't until a few months later from getting the marks I started crawling out the mess I put myself in and started getting to the stage of giving a dam about myself again. Only it was too late, I discovered what stretch marks are and that there is no sure way of getting rid of them.

    What I can say is that they do fade, though still noticeable. In certain lights say in a room with just the light on you can barely notice them, but if the sun in the day were to shine on them they stick out like mad. I am 27 in a couple of days time and I am dreading meeting someone again for the fact that if the ones on my arms were bad, then surely the ones on my stomach are going to really be a turn off or something. I get anxiety just of the thought of someone finding out about these scars, I get days where I say to myself f**k it if you don't like them you're not worth my time anyway, and other days I will be looking for hours on the internet trying to find a solution because they play on my mind so much, this is how I actually found this thread!

    I am going to put some photos of me on to show you, some the camera had the flash on and you can see the marks. Not sure how you do it on here so will just put the links you will have to copy and paste:

    http://imageshack.us/a/img825/4831/kf7d.jpg
    http://imageshack.us/a/img585/5854/kskt.jpg
    http://imageshack.us/a/img812/4820/9i95.jpg
    http://imageshack.us/a/img849/696/4yr9.jpg

    Here are some thing I have researched on the internet which may be useful:

    Creams:

    Revitol
    Trilastin SR
    Bio Oil
    Cocoa Butter
    Mederma
    Shea Butter

    Treatments:

    Chemical Peels
    Derma roller
    Carboxy Therapy
    Fraxel Laser
    Fractional Laser
    Lux1540 Laser

    From what I understand and have read, and from my own personal experience is that time will eventually fade them and make them better. The laser options are probably the best bet because honestly I don't think those creams do anything, pretty sure they are just profiting from the false advertising but that's just my opinion. I used the derma roller and some creams and barely any difference, me personally I am considering the laser options but they are not cheap, can be anything from £500 to £2500 and even then there are probably no guarantees to erase them.

    I keep hearing that the best thing to do is just accept them, but I am honestly having a hard time been able to do that. The thought of someone seeing them if i lift my shirt off, going swimming etc drives me mad a bit. They are indented too which makes the texture a bit funny.

    I will keep checking this thread for a while...
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Wow mate, I am touched by your reply. Also thanks for signing up JUST to reply aswell, I'm sorry for what you went through, it sounds very tough. We are quite similar actually. In your first picture I can barely see your stretch marks. I am now using the cocoa butter cream for them aswell. I also have been told alot recently (and read online) that majority of girls won't care about stretch marks, I think it may of been mentioned in this thread too. I'm also the same, one minute I'm like yeah if a girl has a problem with my stretch marks, I'll find someone else but then not long after, I'm the opposite and think I'm doomed forever because of them. I have a couple that have faded-ish, on my sides. I literally have them everywhere though :-/ so I am too oneday considering laser surgery, I think It's expensive but still worth it at the same time. Thanks for the creams/treatments you listed, I will find out more about them. It's appreciated. And chin up mate (-: I will look out for your reply, also have a good Birthday.
  • swbabe33
    swbabe33 Posts: 21 Member
    We all get stretch marks and loose skin as we age. I don't mind them. I do want people to be trying to work on themselves so they feel comfortable and happy in whatever skin they have. I applaud your accomplishment. I never slept with a man that I remember inspecting his stretch marks. I was usually too busy enjoying being with a good person.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    First, no woman worth having will throw you over because of some stretchmarks. Second, they will fade to silver over time. Third, few people have none at all. My husband - a man who spent the first 40 years of his life underweight - has stretchmarks on his hips. He had them when he weighed 145 at 6' 5" at age 17.

    As for the bit of loose skin, give it time. You are very young. Your skin will be pretty forgiving. :wink:
  • Puffingmuffin
    Puffingmuffin Posts: 76 Member
    Get used to your stretch marks, they'll be your friend for life. I still have mine from 10 years ago on my lower abdominal. Now they're a bright silver colour. I'm a bit self conscious to wear a bikini because of my tiger stripes.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Honey, very people reach adulthood with zero stretch marks, overweight or not. People have scars, pockmarks, and any number of imperfections.

    Ultimately, it is who we are that matters to people who like us. If someone would discard you because of a stretch mark, they'd discard you for something that really matters.

    No one leaves the world as perfect as we were when we arrived. Sometimes, part of our story is written on our skin, and that's okay.
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    Fit and hot is fit and hot...stretch marks or not. :-)
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Elastin 3!

    elastin3-8oz.jpg

    I know I probably sound like a spokesperson for this stuff, but it is AWESOME. My baby stretchmarks are all but gone after using it 3 x day until the bottle was gone. It's not cheap, but it was well worth the cost. One bottle was enough to fix the stretch marks on my belly, but if you have them in additional places, you're definitely going to want to get more than one bottle, because you'll run out before the marks can get as white as they can be.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    The best thing you can do is get any lotion or massage oil (I prefer extra virgin coconut oil) and rub the affected area for 3-5 minutes a day. The more times a day, the longer the minutes, the better.

    When you massage your skin, your fibroblasts in your skin (which produce collagen and elastin) basically start going into hyper drive and will help repair any skin damage faster.

    It is definitely a time commitment though.
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    We all get stretch marks and loose skin as we age. I don't mind them. I do want people to be trying to work on themselves so they feel comfortable and happy in whatever skin they have. I applaud your accomplishment. I never slept with a man that I remember inspecting his stretch marks. I was usually too busy enjoying being with a good person.
    True, I just want to decrease my chances of loose skin as much as possible and the appearance of my stretch marks too. And thank you! Maybe I'm making a big deal out of them, I just think they are REALLY bad. Especially the front ones. I'll post a picture after I have replied to some more posts.
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    keep up the good work....lift weights (it will get rid of the subc. fat/fill you out.....and wear those tiger stripes proud!!
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    First, no woman worth having will throw you over because of some stretchmarks. Second, they will fade to silver over time. Third, few people have none at all. My husband - a man who spent the first 40 years of his life underweight - has stretchmarks on his hips. He had them when he weighed 145 at 6' 5" at age 17.

    As for the bit of loose skin, give it time. You are very young. Your skin will be pretty forgiving. :wink:
    I hope so as they really do knock my confidence. We shall see, maybe there is some surgery I can get if I'm not happy with the results. Thank you, I know it would be a silly thing to throw something away with someone because they have stretch marks, I just feel insecure about them. I get told that most of my skin will tighten up too, I will just work my *kitten* off to approve my skin. Thank you. (:
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Get used to your stretch marks, they'll be your friend for life. I still have mine from 10 years ago on my lower abdominal. Now they're a bright silver colour. I'm a bit self conscious to wear a bikini because of my tiger stripes.
    I'll try thanks.
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Honey, very people reach adulthood with zero stretch marks, overweight or not. People have scars, pockmarks, and any number of imperfections.

    Ultimately, it is who we are that matters to people who like us. If someone would discard you because of a stretch mark, they'd discard you for something that really matters.

    No one leaves the world as perfect as we were when we arrived. Sometimes, part of our story is written on our skin, and that's okay.
    This is true? Well, I do have an awful lot of them. (I'll post a picture in a minute) You do have a good point and it has helped me look at them in a different way now...Thanks.
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    Fit and hot is fit and hot...stretch marks or not. :-)
    True, however I am not fit and hot haha. Maybe after my weight loss/work at the gym. (-:
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Elastin 3!

    elastin3-8oz.jpg

    I know I probably sound like a spokesperson for this stuff, but it is AWESOME. My baby stretchmarks are all but gone after using it 3 x day until the bottle was gone. It's not cheap, but it was well worth the cost. One bottle was enough to fix the stretch marks on my belly, but if you have them in additional places, you're definitely going to want to get more than one bottle, because you'll run out before the marks can get as white as they can be.
    I did alot of research, and most of the reviews are good... I think maybe after my weight loss, which I'll be using the cocoa butter at the time, if I'm still not happy about their appearance, I'll try this. It definitely isn't cheap but maybe it's that good... thanks!
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    The best thing you can do is get any lotion or massage oil (I prefer extra virgin coconut oil) and rub the affected area for 3-5 minutes a day. The more times a day, the longer the minutes, the better.

    When you massage your skin, your fibroblasts in your skin (which produce collagen and elastin) basically start going into hyper drive and will help repair any skin damage faster.

    It is definitely a time commitment though.
    Thanks. I'm currently using the Palmers cocoa butter cream stuff, I'll see how that goes for now. I appreciate your post!
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    sorry you must get these threads alot. but i need some help/advice/some confidence put back in myself. my aim is to lose 5 stone, I am just over half way. I feel little bit's of loose skin on my lower tummy and under my arms, but I can definitely feel fat under there. those little lumpy things lol. anyway is this normal? if i can pinch loose skin now, does that mean i'm gonna get it? i can only pinch about 1cm or so. my overall weight goal will be 70lb, i have been told that most loose skin is common when someone is losing 100lb or more?

    with stretch marks, i have them ALL over :( stomach, sides, under my arms, shoulders, etc. some have faded a little, but they are still there. this is where my confidence lacks. do girls care that guys have stretch marks? I'm trying to get them to fade but I'm not sure what's better, cocoa butter or bio oil? i was even thinking of having laser surgery oneday, has anyone else had it?

    btw i am 22, 6ft and male. thanks

    keep up the good work....lift weights (it will get rid of the subc. fat/fill you out.....and wear those tiger stripes proud!!
    Thank you! (-:
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Thanks everyone for giving me advice/boosting my confidence, etc. Here's a picture of how bad my stretch marks are on my stomach. I warn you, not a pretty sight. :/


    20130504_175014_Copy.jpg


    http://s17.postimg.org/83vwjv727/20130504_175014_Copy.jpg
  • drdeeder
    drdeeder Posts: 4 Member
    The stretch marks will fade, and the loose skin will tighten and resolve as you lose weight and gain muscle. You are so young, your skin can handle the stretching. Older persons with less skin tone have more trouble losing the loose skin. Good luck and keep going!! :)

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