thoughts on stretch marks (woman/men)

Lotus1026

we all know that throughout life stretch marks are common whether youre growing, gaining/losing weight or pregnacy. the issue is even they are so common and a part of life it can destroy a persons self confidence. for instance i grew and gained weight and got stretch marks on my sides and inner thighs. now that im losing weight theyre developing on my stomach which is so discouraging because now im losing and getting more of this gross lines

so here is my question for you....do you have anything to diminish the effects of them, how do your cope with them and how do you "own" your body when your mind cant???????

rAc_hEl

Palmer cocoa butter!!!

ChrisS30V

Since I had quite the prominent gut before I lost weight, I have noticeable stretch marks on my abdomen. I have a few on my arms as well, but less severe. I don't do anything about them. I see them as the scars of a hard-fought battle and a reflection of how far I've come.

Lotus1026

Thats an awesome way of looking at it chris! never thought of it that way, thanks!

kowajenn

I have them on my stomach. They've been there for 20 years and are a part of me.

Look at it this way...people get tattoos to commemorate important times or experiences. Stretch marks are nature's tattoos. There was a time when I got very large and this was the result. They are a reminder of what happened then and what I never want to happen again. So I won't wear a bikini...whoop de doo!

JTick

I have quite a few stretch marks on my arms...of course I have them on my belly as well, but the arm ones REALLY bother me. Until very recently, I had never worn a tank top in public. Now though, I just have to realize that they are not going away. I don't want to hide for the rest of the my life. I look at them as a reminder of where I've been, and they keep me from going back to that place I never want to be again. If anyone else has a problem with me wearing tank tops, they can kiss my butt.

mshellebean27

I have 5 kids and the ones on my tummy are pretty bad. Loose skin/stretch marks. I have worked hard on my body and have even started to get abs. I love all my kids, but every time I look at them.. (My stretch marks) I feel bad. I guess it is no different than when women want to get better boobs. I want to fix my tummy, but it's $$$.. When I see them on others, I don't think a thing about them. I am my own enemy. I also wonder how others feel about them??

gotfatincollege89

I feel like a lot of people have them somewhere on their body . In my most recent bout of packing on the lbs, I grew a bunch on both love handles. It sucks, but they're also a reminder to treat my body better and to make a permanent lifestyle change, so I don't keep gaining back weight (and then some). I've been applying 100% raw shea butter to them everyday for a month but i haven't seen any change.

cafeaulait7

I have lots and never really cared. I never think a thing when I see them on others. I had to actually figure out that it was something folks stress about or dislike greatly, lol

My cellulite, OTOH, I've been neurotic over before. I just try to ignore it and do what I can do that's healthy and fit. But if anyone ever hears of one of those lotions or whatever that works on that, hit me up!

edit: I have used a scar gel for scars I got from surgery, and it says it helps stretch marks. It's just that OTC one made with an ingredient from onions (Google it). The surgeon recommended it, so I thought I'd mention it. It does help scars, anyway.

ThePlight

Palmer cocoa butter!!!

I have to admit, this actually works. I buy the sticks and rub them in daily, I actually see a difference that is noticeable.

ClementineGeorg

Well... I had stretch marks before I started this. The ones in my arms bothered me more.

Now I don't know if I have more stretch marks or they are really visible as I become smaller and they stayed the same.

I try to use cosmetic oils for moisturizing my body and for my inner thighs they worked like a charm (most stretches dissapeared or are less visible). I use all kinds of oils: jojoba, macadamia, cocoa, coconut, almond, etc.
The ones in my arms are slowly approaching my skin tone.
My biggest worry right now are the ones on my middle body... my belly is getting smaller and I have those `tiger `marks` on my sides and middle...
Well... I rather have stretch marks than fat. I'm just trying my best to have good skin elasticity and I hope they will at least fade.

TripleRadiance275

I've come to love my pregnancy stretch marks. They are a reminder of my body's awesome capability to create life. I'm less thrilled with the ones on my arms, breasts and thighs but those ones are much less visible as I developed them in my early teens.

fourfiftythree

I was very obese child and got most of my stretch marks at that time (between 6th and 8th grade). I have them on my arms, running from my armpits all the way to my elbows. On my breasts, going up about halfway on my chest. On my inner thighs, all the way down to the backs of my knees. I have them everywhere. And they aren't going anywhere. It is discouraging at times, but I would still rather be skinny with stretch marks than fat with stretch marks... or fat period. I have not discovered anything that effectively diminishes them. They have gotten lighter on their own over time.

Nikki_WantsIt

I have faded stretch marks on my stomach from rapid weight gain 3 years ago when I drank heavily everyday and some from pregnancy.... I pay them no mind, really... as they have faded. Its just somethin Ive accepted. No biggie

Fit_Natasha

Stretch marks on my tummy after pregnancy get definitely less noticeable with toned abs. I am still have several pounds to go, but on the days when I eat clean and my stomach flat, it is very hard to see them. But when my tummy getting flabby from bad carbs that I ate the night before, they pop up immediately. Just keep working on your body. When you have a lean, toned body, no one will notice little marks, people will see the bigger picture. And learn to love yourself! It is not a little stretch marks that makes us ugly, it is that excessive weight!

grillnchill

Mederma is great, a little pricey, but great. Keep in mind it does not perform miracles. It will help minimize the appearance of new stretch marks.

I have some stretch marks around the sides of my tummy. I never let that stop me from rocking a bikini when I was slender.

I will also echo on what others have said, I would rather be in shape with stretchmarks than grossly overweight and without.

sheepysaccount

they are not stretch marks. they are tiger stripes and only strong people can see them as such

Sarauk2sf

I have lots of them on my donk. My *kitten* kind of went from skinny 'looks like a boy still' to 'holy donk batman' seeminly overnight when I hit puberty. They are white and even though they are short, some are quite wide. I have had them for 30+ years and they really do not bother me at all. My cellulite however...now that is a different story!

You may be surprised at how many people have them. People always assume that it is only women who have had kids or people who were very overweight that have them, but there are many more that have them.

_SABOTEUR_

I have them on the insides of my elbows and armpits from growing so quickly.

I have some round my middle, but they're not as noticeable.

Cheeky_and_Geeky

I've been a yo yo dieter & got them on my knees, thighs & love handles from losing weight then gaining weight. I was super embarrassed & would never wear shorts, a bikini, etc. Then I had my daughter & have a ton on my stomach & boobs, along with the rest of them I had before. Since having my daughter they dont even bother me! I wear shorts, a one piece, tank tops, etc with no shame! I guess I'm in a different mind set now. If I could guess, I bet 9 out of 10 people have stretch marks, and there's no shame in that! I'm very proud in the weight that I've lost & want to be a good role model for my kiddos. I don't want my kids being as self conscious as I was.

EDollah

Sorry to get into TMI territory, but I've noticed a very odd distribution of my stretch marks - they're all on my inner thigh, in the groinal area. None on my belly, which is shocking to me given how this is where most of my fat was (is), but they're prevalent enough on my inner thigh that when doctors inserted a catheter, they kept asking "so you've had this done before?" (I had not) since the stretch marks led them to believe I had.

shadus

If they're the red kind you can make them considerably lighter and more skin tone by using "Mederma", used to be really expensive, but it's pretty reasonable now. Otherwise... once they're light, keeping skin well hydrated is about all you can do.

As far as me... f-it. They're scars due to my war with weight, some issues leave no visible scars, like depression and anxiety... others like my weight have left visible scars, I think I like them better than the mental scars I bear.

TheNoLeafClover

I know how you feel. My genetics in combination with my obesity led to me getting quite a few of them, a number of which became pretty severe. I still have stretch marks and always will, but they are considerably lighter and smoother now. What personally helped me was Palmer's Stretch Mark lotion in conjunction with a dermaroller. A dermaroller is essentially a small plastic cylinder with tiny metal spikes. They create microscopic tears in the skin that signal the body to send more collagen to that area. It sounds crazy, but I did quite a bit of research before trying it. It takes time, but it does work. If having stretch marks bothers you greatly, I'd look into it. Otherwise, the best thing you can do is learn to accept them and continue taking care of your body. Try to keep focused on what you have accomplished and in the meantime, treat your skin well. Even just getting an adequate amount of water and nutrients can make a big difference over time.

motherwesser

It has been said already above, but my first thought to the topic was "Battle Scars". No problem with me at all. Actually, they are inspiring to me.

marshxomellow

I'm very self conscious about mine, especially since I'm living with my boyfriend. I find myself avoiding going topless because that is the area I have the most of my stretch marks. I have them on my back, my flank areas and on the front of my abdomen, and upper arms (inner area). But I find over time that more than likely they'll be there for life and I can just try with the lotions and moisturizers and keeping hydrated. & my boyfriend still grabs up on me and cuddles on me at night so I don't think stretch marks really mean much to a man. Just gotta embrace it and make the most of it.

metaphoria

I have them on just about everything between my chest to just above my knees. I don't wear bikinis but the ones on my thighs are really noticeable when I wear shorts. Stretch marks fade over time on their own, and I use self tanning lotion to blend them in more. Real tanning creates more contrast because stretch marks are scar tissue and won't tan. It also helps make cellulite less noticeable,and if you're a klutz who bruises easily, like me... it helps blend in bruises, too.

anapplefortheteacher

I have stretchmarks from a rapid weight gain a few years back. At this point I don't pay any attention to them. They are part of life and most people get them at some point or another.

If they really bother you, then I've heard that cocoa butter helps (as others have said), but like mine as a reminder to help keep myself in check. They are just part of the weight gain/loss process.

Mother_Superior

I dress mine up with temporary tattoos to make belly shirts look even more interesting on me.

ThePlight

If they really bother you, then I've heard that cocoa butter helps (as others have said),

Yes, with regular upkeep, just as with anything else It definitely diminishes them to a point where they are much less visible after some time, even if upkeep is stopped.

Iron_Lotus

Mine are terrible! I was, at one point in my life almost 300lbs, I have had 6 kids 2 of which are twins and these stretch marks aren't going anywhere.

ETA: Mine are super deep so no fading for this girl

SapiensPisces

I have them on my thighs, butt, lovehandle area, belly, and arms. I also have loose skin from pregnancy and weight loss.

Mine have faded quite a bit with time, but they are still rather prominent albeit flesh toned. Try not to worry about it. There's almost nothing you can do to make them go away. Almost everyone has them, and almost everyone who's lost weight has areas of skin that aren't quite as tight as they'd like as well. Nobody's perfect. Just embrace yourself and be the best version of yourself that you can be.