OKAY! TIME FOR THE STRECHMARK CONVERSATION!!!!

Summarain

So, say I'm trying to lose weight right (of course, duh, we all are...lol) and I have strech marks on my arms, on my stomach (CHILDBIRTH!!! :explode: ) and on the back of my legs right...as I'm losing weight do these just go away? or is there some kind of cream (besides cocoa butter) that people use? I mean I'm on my journey to lose weight but I'm afraid (especially about my stomach and arms) that I wont be able to look good with strech marks there, you know, that toned and clean nice look...i'm going for that one...lol. :glasses:

Summarain

So, say I'm trying to lose weight right (of course, duh, we all are...lol) and I have strech marks on my arms, on my stomach (CHILDBIRTH!!! :explode: ) and on the back of my legs right...as I'm losing weight do these just go away? or is there some kind of cream (besides cocoa butter) that people use? I mean I'm on my journey to lose weight but I'm afraid (especially about my stomach and arms) that I wont be able to look good with strech marks there, you know, that toned and clean nice look...i'm going for that one...lol. :glasses:

cloverluv

You are not the only one! I've noticed that they are just getting lighter. I've also heard that cocoa butter is just a "myth." I'm still looking for a miracle though aswell! :sad:

sarabear

That's a good question, and me I have that wave hello and wave good bye at the same time triceps. Will that go away with strength training, I know everybody's body is different, I just can't see how my body could look good after all the abuse I've done to it :frown:

kerrilucko

I've heard nothing makes them go away but sometimes thay can be made less obvious. However, I used to have 2 small reddish ones on my tummy area and they have completely disappeared. I still have the whitish ones though, although the have all shrunk and are really not very noticeable.

TRLTAMPA

Mine are getting lighter. I don't think they completely go away. I'm hoping that when I'm smaller and braver, I can wear a bathing suit to the beach instead of a snow suit....then maybe they'll tan up a bit. Although I've heard that they don't tan.
Either way, if you're doing your exercise and toning up, you should see some improvement.

MrsTomy

Stretch marks never go away. no product can fix them. It sucks, but it is true. They will fade with time and become less noticeable. As you lose weight they stretch marks will stretch less and will be smaller...but once they are there they stay! :sad: Laser treatments and surgery to remove the skin with the stretch marks (you will have a scar instead...so not so much a good deal) can fit it...but the best bet is to lose weight and keep from getting more!

charliesgold

Laser therapy is supposed to work pretty well but is also expensive. The problem with stretchmarks are that they are like scars and while they may lighten the chance that you can get rid of them without surgical involvement or laser treatments to break down the scar tissue are slim.

strawberryblonde1

although this will not make them go away a nice tan helps ALOT! and if you are like me (not so much a tanner) a tanning cream works well too... just make sure to apply correctly or you will have stripes! :laugh:

mamashrub

yup..once you have stretch marks, you have them. Coco butter doesnt get rid of them, they only prevent them...but once you have them, the ONLY way to get rid of them is surgery.

Anna_Banana

Avon has a strechmark reducing cream that has faded mine ALOT. And I don't sell Avon:happy: But I used it after kids and it really made them lighter (the strecth marks not the kids )

I see creams advertised on the top of the screen all the time with "free offer", but I wouldn't send for that because in a couple of days they will start billing you for a monthly supply

supermom1114

To help reduce their appearance put vitamin E oil on them. not vitamin E lotion, the oil. Im dealing with tons of stretchmarks from carrying my baby and my legs swelling up with fluid (although my dumb dr didnt put me on bedrest for it so it just kept getting worse) so after I get out of the shower I rub vitamin E oil on my stomach, hips, n backs of my legs down to my midcalf to cover them all, ugh it takes a while but I used to have a scar on my face and I rubbed vitamin E oil on it everynight and now you can barely tell that its there

strawberryblonde1

found an article online ...

Causes
The glucocorticoid hormones responsible for the development of stretch marks affect the epidermis by preventing the fibroblasts from forming collagen and elastin fibers, necessary to keep rapidly growing skin taut. This creates a lack of supportive material, as the skin is stretched and leads to dermal and epidermal tearing. If the epidermis and the dermis has been penetrated, laser will not remove the stretch marks.


Prevention and removal
Between 75% and 90% of women develop stretch marks to some degree during pregnancy. The sustained hormonal levels as a result of pregnancy usually means stretch marks may appear during the sixth or seventh month.

Only one randomised controlled study has been published which claimed to test whether oils or creams prevent the development of stretchmarks. This study found a daily application of a cream (Trofolastin) containing Centella asiatica extract, vitamin E, and collagen-elastin hydrolysates was associated with fewer stretch marks during pregnancy.[2][3] Another study, though lacking a placebo control, examined a cream (Verum) containing vitamin E, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, elastin and menthol. It was associated with fewer stretch marks during pregnancy versus no treatment.[4]

Though cocoa butter is an effective moisturizer, no research studies have shown its ability to either prevent stretchmarks, or to reduce their appearance once a stretchmark has already formed.

Various treatments are available for the purpose of improving the appearance of existing stretch marks, including laser treatments, dermabrasion, and prescription retinoids.[citation needed] Some cream manufacturers claim the best results are achieved on recent stretch marks; however, few studies exist to support these claims.

A study in the journal Dermatologic Surgery showed that radiofrequency combined with 585-nm pulsed dye laser treatment gave "good and very good" subjective improvement in stretch marks in 33 of 37 patients, although further studies would be required to follow up on these results. In addition, the use of a pulsed dye laser was shown to increase pigmentation in darker skinned individuals with repeated treatments.[5]

A surgical procedure for removing lower abdominal stretch marks is the tummy tuck, which removes the skin below the navel where stretch marks frequently occur.

A new modality, fractional laser resurfacing, offers a novel approach to treating striae. Using scattered pulses of light only a fraction of the scar is zapped by the laser over the course of several treatments. This creates microscopic wounds and as such is a "no downtime" procedure. The body responds to each treatment by producing new collagen and epithelium. In a 2007 clinical trial, 5-6 treatments resulted in striae improving by as much as 75 percent.[6] A 2007 Brazilian clinical study showed that Fraxel improved both texture and appearance of mature, white striae in skin types I-IV.[7]

Chellekk

I have them on my hips from growing 7 inches in one year at age 12. They've been with me since then. Sorry, but nothing can make them go away unless you have lots of time and money and have them lightened.

hibbler22

I asked my trainer the same question and he says its a cream that a few of the women were using that actually works but I cant remember the name, sorry, but I will ask him next week and then post a bulletin about it. But i can imagine it would cost alot of money! Some people go and do surgery for it. Id rather do a cream. I didnt think cocca butter worked, i would imagine it would take awhile to see results.

Phoenix_Rising

Prevention and removal
Between 75% and 90% of women develop stretch marks to some degree during pregnancy. The sustained hormonal levels as a result of pregnancy usually means stretch marks may appear during the sixth or seventh month.

That article MUST have been written by a MAN.
Stretch marks don't appear until the 6th or 7th month of pregnancy??
MY FOOT!
Mine started to appear by the 5th month. Not just appear. Streaking red. Looked like I'd been clawed.
I hate stretch marks. The more weight I lose, the more I'm obsessed with the stretch marks and flabby skin hanging over my stomach.

jessmomof3

UGH! I can relate. I have gained and lost a lot of weight (3 pregnancies where I gained 50+ pounds!) and have lost 70# since my 3rd child. Let's just say that they have gotten less noticeable, but no they have not gone away! (I wish!) My kids call them *mommy marks*. :laugh:

Phoenix_Rising

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/38439-strecth-marks
cross referencing...

Tizzle23

I have them to they have lightened up alot I go tanning which seem to help them. After a while you get use to them

pixiestick

"battle scars" is another word for them