Stretch marks

shay77223
shay77223 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Many people on this site are really fit and have already made a lot of progress on their weight loss goals. I am not. I am only a week into trying to get down to a healthy weight, and I only started because I developed really not-cute stretch marks on my already not-cute love handles. Now that I am working on losing the weight that caused them, is there any way to get rid of or reduce the appearance of newly acquired stretch marks? My self esteem has lifted significantly with my new health efforts, but the stretch marks just bring it crashing back down again. Such a bummer!
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Replies

  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
    Not really, they're just going to fade with time. I keep my skin well moisturised and exfoliated, that's it. Some people suggest things like vitamin e cream and bio oil, I've tried those and never seen a difference. Mine have faded over time but are still there. I'm just living with them!
  • KateSimpson17
    KateSimpson17 Posts: 282 Member
    I've been told shea butter is really good for stretch marks. I also always see a lot of ideas on pinterest but don't take them all at face value because there's also a lot of terrible "fixes" for things on pinterest.
  • pineapple_pizza
    pineapple_pizza Posts: 34 Member
    edited July 2015
    There is no surefire way to get rid of them, but you have a better chance of reducing the appearance of them if they are new! The most popular product on the market you can purchase is bio oil. People also rub coconut oil and cocoa butter and a plethora of other things like potatoes on themselves; just do a quick google search. Also make sure to exfoliate the area.

    And if you find none of these methods work for you, don't worry, stretch marks are just a part of life for many people! Here is how people really feel about them. I call mine tiger stripes...
  • shay77223
    shay77223 Posts: 29 Member
    Hahaha! Omg thank you so much for that video, you have no idea how much I needed that. Of course you all are right, they are not that big of a deal. I will try the suggestions in hopes of reversing the damage, but if not oh well. Thanks
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
    I have seen some, stressing SOME improvement by using apple cider vinegar and coconut oil massages.
  • Hannahhime
    Hannahhime Posts: 52 Member
    Jergens has a lotion that "supposedly" firms and tightens skin and is supposed to help with cellulite and stretch marks. I mostly use it because I like the way it smells and it makes my skin feel really smooth but I have noticed a pretty big change in my stretch marks on my hips since I started using it back in April! It made them fade a lot which is a huge plus! :)
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
    Time will fade them but I don't think anything gets rid of them completely. I still have some from growth spurts as a 12-13 year old. (I'm in my 30s now).
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Nope. Time will make them fade, but you can't get rid of them. Well, if you lost a ton of weight and had skin-removal, I guess you could. But otherwise, scars are scars. You have to live with them.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Nope. Time will make them fade, but you can't get rid of them. Well, if you lost a ton of weight and had skin-removal, I guess you could. But otherwise, scars are scars. You have to live with them.

    Yup. I started getting really bad stretch marks on my hips and back of my knees while at my highest weight. I lost 75-80 pounds, and they're still there (and covered in loose skin). Much rather deal with the loose skin and stretch marks than the health effects from being overweight.
  • Rachel5K
    Rachel5K Posts: 48 Member
    If you are currently losing weight, best thing to do is focus on the stretch marks you don't yet have. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I use straight coconut oil and it definitely seems to be doing it's thing. I am doing the opposite of you, right now, and am growing quite big. I am 30 weeks along but I have been on this rodeo before I will firmly stand by my first statement as the only stretch marks I have left to show are a few in my boobs and by my belly button piercing.
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
    I have tried all kinds of stuff. None of it works. You know what does wonders for my stretch marks? Looking at my boyfriends sexy stretch marked body. I think he is super hot with them and he feels the same about mine. Chrisst Teegan has stretch marks for christ sake.
  • erimethia_fekre
    erimethia_fekre Posts: 317 Member
    oh_happy_day wrote: »
    Not really, they're just going to fade with time. I keep my skin well moisturised and exfoliated, that's it. Some people suggest things like vitamin e cream and bio oil, I've tried those and never seen a difference. Mine have faded over time but are still there. I'm just living with them!

    I concur
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    they fade in time.

    nothing you can do, buy, swallow, or smear on you will make them go away.
  • LadyTalulah
    LadyTalulah Posts: 174 Member
    DERMASTAMP (or roller, but I think stamp works better)! Seriously, it almost annoys me that it isn't more well known. I think because not many people have the patience to stick with it long enough to actually see results. And it works wonders (and is cheap) which means if big companies promoted it, nobody would buy their useless hundred dollar creams over and over. Take it from me (and everybody else on the forums who use it CORRECTLY and CONSISTENTLY), it really makes a huge difference. My deep red stretch marks look a thousand times better than they did 9 months ago when I started using it. I don't think they'll ever completely go away but I'm so happy with the improvement.
    Do your research, it's well worth it. If you have any questions, feel free to message me!
  • HeidiFreemark
    HeidiFreemark Posts: 2 Member
    Bio oil will help and palmers cocoa butter formula...I just had baby #2 with and have hardly any stretch marks.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,971 Member
    Stretch marks are scars. Weight reduction will sometimes help the appearance, but genetics will always be the determining factor. There are lots of topicals that can camouflage them, but essentially once you get them, you have them for life.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • smadaris91
    smadaris91 Posts: 63 Member
    http://www.uniquelyemu.com/emu-oil-stretch-marks-scars.htm

    amazing results. my mother used this because she has had multiple surgeries due to cancer and it is an amazing product and works great!!!!!!!! emu oil
  • becbo22
    becbo22 Posts: 283 Member
    My stretch marks have reduced drastically from losing weight. They went from dark red/purple to white.

    a4a2v.jpg
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    As @ninerbuff said, stretch marks are scars. Scars will not go away, but will turn from bright red to white. I paid a couple of thousand dollars after my first pregnancy to a quack who claimed he had a method to get rid of my stretch marks and guess what? Didn't happen. Learn to love them, because you will definitely have to live with them the rest of your life.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    LadyTalulah wrote: »
    DERMASTAMP (or roller, but I think stamp works better)! Seriously, it almost annoys me that it isn't more well known. I think because not many people have the patience to stick with it long enough to actually see results. And it works wonders (and is cheap) which means if big companies promoted it, nobody would buy their useless hundred dollar creams over and over. Take it from me (and everybody else on the forums who use it CORRECTLY and CONSISTENTLY), it really makes a huge difference. My deep red stretch marks look a thousand times better than they did 9 months ago when I started using it. I don't think they'll ever completely go away but I'm so happy with the improvement.
    Do your research, it's well worth it. If you have any questions, feel free to message me!

    Doing absolutely nothing will also make them fade. Scars fade with time. They just don't go away.

    If you like the dermathing, by all means, use it! But know that time will give people the same result.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    As @ninerbuff said, stretch marks are scars. Scars will not go away, but will turn from bright red to white. I paid a couple of thousand dollars after my first pregnancy to a quack who claimed he had a method to get rid of my stretch marks and guess what? Didn't happen. Learn to love them, because you will definitely have to live with them the rest of your life.
    What did he do? (If you're comfortable with sharing. If not, please ignore!)
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    becbo22 wrote: »
    My stretch marks have reduced drastically from losing weight. They went from dark red/purple to white.

    a4a2v.jpg

    That's what scars do, whether you lose weight or not.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    theres nothing you can do about them. NOTHING. they fade over time.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    As @ninerbuff said, stretch marks are scars. Scars will not go away, but will turn from bright red to white. I paid a couple of thousand dollars after my first pregnancy to a quack who claimed he had a method to get rid of my stretch marks and guess what? Didn't happen. Learn to love them, because you will definitely have to live with them the rest of your life.
    What did he do? (If you're comfortable with sharing. If not, please ignore!)

    Poured a jelly mixture on my stomach and smoothed it out with a vibrator.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    As @ninerbuff said, stretch marks are scars. Scars will not go away, but will turn from bright red to white. I paid a couple of thousand dollars after my first pregnancy to a quack who claimed he had a method to get rid of my stretch marks and guess what? Didn't happen. Learn to love them, because you will definitely have to live with them the rest of your life.
    What did he do? (If you're comfortable with sharing. If not, please ignore!)

    Poured a jelly mixture on my stomach and smoothed it out with a vibrator.

    LOL!!! I may have to open an office.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Retin-A can help accelerate the fading of red scars to white, but not sure it's worth the money or aggravation of applying it, since time will do that anyway. I've heard about this derma roller thing, I guess it's possible somebody could see a marginal benefit, on maybe like the very topmost layer of skin, if they did it every day for years, but I don't know who's got the required qualities to do that. Lasers can do a tiny bit, but apparently only on some candidates (people with pretty good collagen, anyway, so maybe not those who are the most worried about it). And they're expensive.

    Your options are
    a) accept them. Almost everyone has stretch marks. Including athletes and normal-weight teens.
    b) every now and then, use self-tanner to hide them. It is a complete pain in the butt though, be warned. Really, a) is the best thing. I mean you can use creams and oils and stuff to temporarily improve the look of your skin tone (i.e. while those things are on you), sure, but they're not going to do a thing to your stretch marks. Sorry.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    They don't really ever go away completely, but they do fade over time. Eventually, they will go from angry redish-purple to thin white lines. It just takes time. In the meantime, moisturize the area with things like cocoa butter and she's butter. Vitamin E cream can help somewhat as well. Some people swear by Bio-Oil, but I have never personally tried it since it's pretty expensive.

    I look at stretch marks as a our punishment for vein gluttons in the past. We over consumed, so these are our marks denoting us for our past gluttony. Some people see then as "tiger stripes" that denote their success in weight loss. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
    Strawblackcat wrote: »
    They don't really ever go away completely, but they do fade over time. Eventually, they will go from angry redish-purple to thin white lines. It just takes time. In the meantime, moisturize the area with things like cocoa butter and she's butter. Vitamin E cream can help somewhat as well. Some people swear by Bio-Oil, but I have never personally tried it since it's pretty expensive.

    I look at stretch marks as a our punishment for vein gluttons in the past. We over consumed, so these are our marks denoting us for our past gluttony.     Some people see then as "tiger stripes" that denote their success in weight loss. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

    That is quite a disturbing and dramatic way to look at it. Gluttony, punishment etc... They're just lines on your body for heavens sake.

    Stretch marks can also be from pregnancy and growth during puberty. So...yeah...
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    oh_happy_day wrote: »
    Strawblackcat wrote: »
    They don't really ever go away completely, but they do fade over time. Eventually, they will go from angry redish-purple to thin white lines. It just takes time. In the meantime, moisturize the area with things like cocoa butter and she's butter. Vitamin E cream can help somewhat as well. Some people swear by Bio-Oil, but I have never personally tried it since it's pretty expensive.

    I look at stretch marks as a our punishment for vein gluttons in the past. We over consumed, so these are our marks denoting us for our past gluttony.     Some people see then as "tiger stripes" that denote their success in weight loss. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

    That is quite a disturbing and dramatic way to look at it. Gluttony, punishment etc... They're just lines on your body for heavens sake.

    Stretch marks can also be from pregnancy and growth during puberty. So...yeah...

    +1! Jeez, if I thought that every time I showered, I'd never leave the house.

    I forgot option C): learn to just ignore your stretch marks, and focus on other parts of your body that you do like and/or D) start thinking about your body in terms of things it can DO and what it feels like - like how long you can walk, or how strong you're feeling now.

    I have stretch marks on my thighs and hips, even a couple I saw on my calves. I don't love them, and I don't think I could ever really see them as "tiger stripes", but I basically don't really look at them and just move on to other kinds of thoughts (if they do bother me on a particularly sensitive day, which happens). Do that, just squint and move on.

    I still wear shorts and skirts, so the ones on my calves could potentially be seen if someone wanted to look or care, which I don't think happens. (And I don't care if it does, either.) I already spent too long hiding in ugly clothes to deny myself the pleasure of comfort on a hot day. I think I look good in them, too, and no one (friends, people I've dated, strangers, my mother) has said a word to contradict that idea. So I am just going with it.
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 683 Member
    My scars tell 4 stories they tell of 3 amazing miracle babies and my journey to fitness I wear mine with pride!

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