another loose skin and stretch marks thread.

2

Replies

  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    They will are fairly well, I haven't seen pics but I'll tell you when I was pregnant my stretch marks were really dark almost purple !! After awhile the color became more of the same as my non stretched skin..I can still see them from an angle because like the last post said they become almost silvery or have a slight sheen to them ...but in the mirror I can no longer see them ! I will say this too ...I used to tan ( don't anymore because of the hazards ) but tanning them safely will reduce their appearance ! USE SUNSCREEN you can still tan with it ...sunscreen blocks harmful rays but still allows you to tan ! So get out their whip out those bad boys!! Lol, I would think !! That the skin you are pinching and feeling the ball type things or curds I call them is fat , there is a layer of fat directly under your skin Known as subcutaneous tissue so I think that's what you are feeling ...I don't think that should ever be completely gone due to the fact that it has a purpose as part of the protection our skin gives us ...you would have to consult with a physician to know whether your subcutis layer is at a healthy range or not
    OK good. Because I have some REALLY bad ones (pic posted on 1st page) I always thought that when they do eventually fade, and you get a tan, don't the stretch marks stay silvery or whatever so then they are really noticeable? I'll use sunblock but I definitely won't be tanning for some time lol but thanks. Well it just feels like loose skin that I'm pinching,underneath I can feel the fat, I can pinch 1cm at the most I think and can make little thin rolls out of them . Over my stomach
  • jamiesillimandunn
    jamiesillimandunn Posts: 270 Member
    Oh I SEE IT !!! Wow...you really aren't bad!! Give them time they will fade but like scar tissue they will always be there unless you have laser treatment or something, honestly I think once you lose all the weight you want to lose the skin will tighten for you !! Honestly I do think so some strength training in your future would help I'm sure men have those mean abs !! You will have no problem filling that in with lean muscle if you work at it, but certainly in the mean time keep hydrated ;) DON'T BE DISCOURAGED !! Your lady freind probably won't even notice ;)
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Oh I SEE IT !!! Wow...you really aren't bad!! Give them time they will fade but like scar tissue they will always be there unless you have laser treatment or something, honestly I think once you lose all the weight you want to lose the skin will tighten for you !! Honestly I do think so some strength training in your future would help I'm sure men have those mean abs !! You will have no problem filling that in with lean muscle if you work at it, but certainly in the mean time keep hydrated ;) DON'T BE DISCOURAGED !! Your lady freind probably won't even notice ;)
    You REALLY don't think they look that bad? If so, thank you. Apparently you can only get the laser treatment when they are barely visible. Thank you, I really do hope you are right about the loose skin, I am really worried about it :/ because I can already pinch little bits. I will be doing resistance training though aswell as crunches and planks. Thanks again for keep coming back and replying (: lol appreciate it alot. And I really hope she won't haha.
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    But HOW much do they fade? Completely? Or maybe it's different for everyone? I definitely keep my skin hydrated, I drink water ALL day. I'm young so, maybe I'll be ok losing 70 pounds. I can only pinch little bits on my lower stomach at least I think it's loose skin but and on my arms. It's worse on my arms. Thank you for your long detailed reply, I did not know about the alcohol thing so I'm definitely glad you replied to my thread lol thank you.

    They usually smooth out some in texture, and fade to a color close to your skin. Sometimes they have a silvery look.
    Ah ok. I think I do already have some silvery ones actually but only a few. Thanks.
  • jamiesillimandunn
    jamiesillimandunn Posts: 270 Member
    Absolutely , I love giving advice ....although I'm no phd I like to think I learned a thing or two in my years of college, lol...it will take time maybe a year maybe more in the meantime the best advice I can give is work on your confidence ! Women find that EXTREMELY attractive , you need to focus on your accomplishments and not your minor flaws , think of them as battle scars for now , they are something you fought to stop !! AND she will NEVER see them if you hold her close enough ;) hehe
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    You'll probably get some sagging skin but if you weight train while you lose, it'll minimize sagging. If you do get lose skin, some of it will shrink back. For stretch marks, you can try Mederma- I've never used it for stretch marks, but it definitely got rid of a bad burn scar on my arm so I'd give it a shot.
  • InstantKarma24
    InstantKarma24 Posts: 27 Member
    This may seem silly, but I say enjoy the hell out of your marks. At the risk of sounding cliche', our bodies are a record of our existence... "That scar is from the heart-surgery I had at fourteen. That one is from the surgery to repair the knee I blew playing basketball. That dent in my thigh is from drunkenly running into a shopping cart while escaping with some stolen beer/candy. These stripes are from the time in my life that I was bigger than I am now, and you can see them so well because of the hard work I put in..." Own your flaws, because perfection tends to be super boring...
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    This may seem silly, but I say enjoy the hell out of your marks. At the risk of sounding cliche', our bodies are a record of our existence... "That scar is from the heart-surgery I had at fourteen. That one is from the surgery to repair the knee I blew playing basketball. That dent in my thigh is from drunkenly running into a shopping cart while escaping with some stolen beer/candy. These stripes are from the time in my life that I was bigger than I am now, and you can see them so well because of the hard work I put in..." Own your flaws, because perfection tends to be super boring...
    You do have a good point and I like the way you look at it. I will try and be more like that when I feel more confident about them. Thank you!
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    You'll probably get some sagging skin but if you weight train while you lose, it'll minimize sagging. If you do get lose skin, some of it will shrink back. For stretch marks, you can try Mederma- I've never used it for stretch marks, but it definitely got rid of a bad burn scar on my arm so I'd give it a shot.
    Meh I do hope not. I dind't think losing 70lb would cause THAT much loose skin. Plus I'm young. I do also do weight training...I'll have to wait and see I suppose. I have heard of the name of that cream but I don't know much about it, I will do further research. Thank you for your post.
  • ScottIan11
    ScottIan11 Posts: 48
    Absolutely , I love giving advice ....although I'm no phd I like to think I learned a thing or two in my years of college, lol...it will take time maybe a year maybe more in the meantime the best advice I can give is work on your confidence ! Women find that EXTREMELY attractive , you need to focus on your accomplishments and not your minor flaws , think of them as battle scars for now , they are something you fought to stop !! AND she will NEVER see them if you hold her close enough ;) hehe
    Haha well thanks. I will work on my weight training AND my confidence, thank you. Hopefully it doesn't take a year. Although actually as long as my skin can fully recover, I won't mind. Thanks again for your post (-:

    I just don't want to end up like this:

    http://training.fitness.com/attachments/weight-loss/4857d1284342344-more-fat-loose-loose-skin-file0416.jpg
  • 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!! :)