Weight Loss Issues

trishope

Hey guys! So I've been losing weight pretty consistently over the past few months and have a few concerns. For one, stretchmarks. They've been fading really well and I'm just concerned that when I I get to my goal weight that they will bother me. I've heard that being young (I'm 21) that they will tighten up and won't be incredibly noticeable. I've been really upset over them and have been doing everything possible to reduce them (collagen supplement, extra water intake, stretch mark lotion) - does anyone know of anything that can help reduce them more so? Also, are they that big of a deal? Secondly, will I have loose skin? I wasn't heavy for that long (probably about a year or so) and am worried about how I will look at the end... Any words of encouragement? Thank you all

Christine_72

can't answer about the loose skin, but you do have age on your side. How much did you have to lose?

As for the stretch marks.... I had my last kid 21 years ago and my stretch marks are still there and noticeable. They have faded a lot tho. Don't waste your money on special stretch mark creams and oil, as they won't make any difference, I've tried them all!! Sorry to say, your stretch marks are there for life

shadow2soul

Stretch marks will probably never go away (fade yes, but completely go away is unlikely) and actually lots of people have them. Some have them from pregnancy. Some have them from growth spurts when they were kids. Some have them from being really over weight. So they are actually pretty common.

As for loose skin, there are too many factors that play into that. How much weight you had to lose, genetics, age, apparently faster loss can make it worse, etc. Then you have to consider that I've heard it can take at least 2 yrs maintaining for your skin to adjust to your loss and some places I've read up to 6 years maintaining.

I, personally, started losing weight at 22 yrs old. I had a BMI of 44. I wasn't always over weight. I graduated high school with a BMI of 22.5 on average and I didn't start putting on weight until about 1yr 1/2 later. Then when I was 21, I got pregnant and I rapidly gained 70 lbs in 34 wks leaving me with a BMI of 44.

Currently I have a bit of loose skin on my lower abdomen just over my c-section scar. I've lost just over 130 lbs at this point and probably won't lose much more. It's low enough though, that it can easily be hidden in clothes. For me, the loose skin isn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did expect it though. After 2 pregnancies (2nd one was mid weight loss journey) that resulted in 2 c-sections and losing just over 130 lbs.

These were just taken on Jan 26:

Well, that's my stomach for ya. Not to bad, all things considered and my husband doesn't seem bothered by it at all. I use cocoa butter lotion (not for stretch marks or loose skin, but it helps with my overly dry skin and is cheap).

emmycantbemeeko

How much and how quickly your skin rebounds from large changes in size is mostly genetically predetermined, although being young, gaining and losing at a moderate pace, and eating a nutritious diet is potentially helpful. The stretch marks were created as you grew, not as you lose, so... they're already there, you have a pretty good idea of what they look like. Losing weight can somewhat reduce the visibility of the striations, like the difference between the pattern on a piece of spandex sretched tight and the same pattern with some slack, but they're still there when you lose.

Being at a weight that makes you feel healthy will likely go a long way to making you feel better about your appearance in general, but how your personal skin will look in the future and how you'll feel about it is something only you can discover through experience. Some people see major fading in stretch marks over time, others have dark lines forever. How well and quickly you've historically healed from other scars is a rough guide.

The only thing you can really control about how any scar heals is protecting it from sun. Tanning not only makes stretch marks more obvious, as the lines won't tan the way unmarked skin will, it can also slow their healing and potentially make them worse (this is true of any scar).

That said: Many if not most women (and a large percentage of men) have stretch marks, some as a consequence of rapid weight increase, others from pregnancy or even growth spurts. They're a normal part of many bodies, and while no one can tell you how you will or should feel about them, my personal answer to the question "are they that big a deal?" Is a resounding "no."

Even if you wind up with skin imperfections, you can rest assured that even swimsuit models have to have their normal human skin textures photoshopped away to achieve the inhumanly flawless look you see in ads. Your skin is the organ that interfaces with and protects you from the world- it takes incredible amounts of abuse and rapid changes and keeps on keeping you safe and healthy. It's never going to look flawless, but that's true for everybody, not just those who've had major weight fluctuations. When you're at the beach in a bikini, nobody is looking at your stretch marks or loose skin- they're too busy worrying about their own surgical scars, moles, and varicose veins.

jeepinshawn

Yep most people who lose more than 80lbs end up with loose skin. As for stretch marks time will fade them but nothing gets rid of them.

Asher_Ethan

I've read a lot about co2 laser resurfacing for stretch marks. I recently had a consultation done and they said I was the perfect candidate (my stretch marks are BAD) I'm getting it done at the end of next month.

bendyourkneekatie

I've got loose skin on my tummy thanks to two pregnancies. It's 19 months since the last one, so I'm hoping it will reduce somewhat, but who knows.
But honestly, nobody knows but me. I'm sure for some people who have loose skin in more obvious places it can be more of a challenge, but there's also the tendency some people (like me) have of being too hard on ourselves and expecting perfection.
I mean, looking at my profile pic you probably wouldn't know that this happens when I bend over

arditarose

I could care less about my stretch marks. They're not going anywhere. I've lost weight and now I'm bulking and they are starting to be more pronounced again. Whatever. I'm building the body of my dreams and stretch marks are just my reality. They've been there since I was 12.