Stretch Marks

amberj728
amberj728 Posts: 13
in Getting Started
Hello, everyone!

I am about 120ish pounds overweight and I have stretch marks all over my stomach and the inside of my thighs....

What can I do to help them (besides lose weight).... And will weight loss make them go away??

Thank you!

Replies

  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
    I have them on my lower belly and I have tried every thing to get rid of them. I was 226lbs now I am 176 and they did shrink but they are not going anywhere!! I have 4 kids so.......
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
    You can't make them go away, but they should fade over time
  • MissySpring
    MissySpring Posts: 442 Member
    I've gone from 231 to 164. They'll never go away. But, they are noticeably better...skinnier and not as discolored.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    Unfortunately they are there forever unless you get them lasered off. Over time they will become really light and barely noticeable in certain light.
  • michable
    michable Posts: 312 Member
    Stretch marks never go away, but they do fade over time. So, if yours are fairly new, they may seem angry and red now, but they will fade to a silvery colour over the years. I have had 6 children, and still have the stretch marks from number 1, 25 years ago.
  • angela828
    angela828 Posts: 498 Member
    well they are not going anywhere. EMBRACE THEM!!! especially the ones you get when you lose weight. i believe you can use cocoa butter or something like that to fade them, i myself use jergens (or generic target brand) tanning lotion and that helps a bit.

    everyone has stretch marks. they are not bad. they show strength. i got some after gaining and losing 60 pounds. if anyone were to ever say anything negative about them, well theyre just not worth my time.
  • losingwhatican
    losingwhatican Posts: 26 Member
    There are a lot of creams and ointments out there that claim to reduce stretch marks, but it mostly comes down to just letting them heal. I used to have vivid purple and red marks along my hips and inner thighs when I was 13 or 14, and I HATED them. But once they faded, I started to love the way they looked. They're lighter than my normal skin tone, a little shiny, and I like running my fingers over them. They accentuate the curve of my hips and thighs.

    Now, when I get new marks, I feel the same way about them as I do my faded ones. It was all about changing my perspective.
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    My daughter is 18 and my stretch marks are still here, lol, so I am going to say they aren't going anywhere. They have gotten lighter over the years though. I have just made peace with them.
  • SexKittenlovesitrough
    SexKittenlovesitrough Posts: 486
    no they don't go away.

    however working out and getting smaller will make them less noticeable and smaller.

    embrace them....lots of people have them....

    they don't mean anything other than your skin was stretched. women who were pregnant and never overweight a day in their life have them, men who lift heavy and push themselves can have them...

    it could mean many things...

    so get healthy, and embrace them or ignore them.

    your choice.
  • JoJo__Fit
    JoJo__Fit Posts: 258 Member
    When I had my son I only got a little bit on my hips, I used cocoa butter throughout my pregnancy.
    I applied it 2x's a day and mine just faded they are still there but very light, but I love them :)
    Just embrace them :)
  • amberj728
    amberj728 Posts: 13
    Does the skin shrink though??
  • amberj728
    amberj728 Posts: 13
    I've gone from 231 to 164. They'll never go away. But, they are noticeably better...skinnier and not as discolored.

    Did your skin shrink back?
  • robinmmurphy3
    robinmmurphy3 Posts: 65 Member
    I wish I could find the previous thread.......a couple of weeks ago a lady posted about her success using dermal rollers on stretch marks. She had before and after pictures and it was amazing what the roller was doing for her old stretch marks, Maybe she will see your post and comment.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Hello, everyone!

    I am about 120ish pounds overweight and I have stretch marks all over my stomach and the inside of my thighs....

    What can I do to help them (besides lose weight).... And will weight loss make them go away??

    Thank you!

    Dont' worry about it. A real man won't mind those at all.
  • lindsaylove07
    lindsaylove07 Posts: 444 Member
    I noticed mine looked better the more I moisturized. Plain old lotion. They aren't GOING AWAY, but they don't look as bad
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
    I have them too, I feel your pain.

    I have a feeling that keeping your skin very well moisturized will help it shrink down with your weight loss. I could be totally off base, but I think it needs that moisture to keep its elasticity.

    I use cocoa butter, it seems to help in fading them and preventing new ones. Palmer's is great and they also sell it in oil form which I love, feels so good!
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    They don't go away, but they do get smaller and change to a less noticeable colour. I don't even notice mine now! and since having a baby I don't even care lol
  • Needachange84
    Needachange84 Posts: 310 Member
    I've gone from 231 to 164. They'll never go away. But, they are noticeably better...skinnier and not as discolored.

    I am at the weight you started at and you are at the weight I am currently working to get too!!
    Did your skin shrink back?

    I would like to know the same thing
  • SexKittenlovesitrough
    SexKittenlovesitrough Posts: 486
    skin shrinking is entirely dependent on genetics for the most part.

    there are some things you can do in the gym to minimize loose skin but the relative snap you will experience is largely determined by your genes.

    lifting weights can help with skin issues, it's partly why many associate weight lifting for women with "toning"

    however the over all snap again, is decided by your genetics.
  • Healingnutritionsolutions
    Healingnutritionsolutions Posts: 134 Member
    I got a totally new set with each child. I consider them tiger stripes... warrior markings... trophies... my body was changed forever no matter how much weight I lose and how fit I get, I will never be the same, but I am better for it. :)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Time will make them fade, but they will never go away. Most women who have had kids have them. I wear mine with pride and rock a bikini anyway.

    ETA: As I have stayed lean my skin has slowly shrunk. I still have loose skin and I think ultimately to make it all go away I'd need surgery.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    Stretch marks will never go away, you have stretched the skin!

    They will go white/silver after awhile but I know that doesn't help! I can see mine and I don't really care... but I am sure a lot of people will post some creams that will help - shea butter, vit E, etc.

    ETA: skin shrinking back is genetics - as is stretch marks, and how much you have to lose. I think heavy lifting in the gym helps, as per the peeps on MFP. I had twins and was 280, now 157 and I just had a tummy tuck. But that was twins, being overweight, and the like. I had a lot not in my favor.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    I'm down to a size 8, I'm still too embarrassed to wear a bikini. I have stretch marks on my breast, hips, thighs, belly. I don't even have children to blame. :frown: So I'm no help, maybe buy some over the counter cream
  • azdeha
    azdeha Posts: 58 Member
    As awful as we all seem to think stretch marks are...I have so many skinny friends who have never been overweight who have stretch marks. It's a natural part of life.

    They do tend to fade to silvery lines but if I recall rightly you can help them along while they're still red by moisturising loads.

    For the people asking about whether the skin tightens...that tends to depend entirely on your age, how quickly the weight was lost, and whether you've been losing through exercise as well.

    At 32, I went from 224 to 167 over 2 years and my skin isn't loose at all, but my friend lost a similar amount in a much quicker period of time has been left with terribly loose skin - she also lost all the weight via dieting with no exercise at all.

    And on a little unrelated note but also quite a helpful little tip - the dreaded cellulite can be gotten rid of by toning your legs and buttocks - squats and lunges ladies! Squats and lunges! The muscle will fill the fat out and reduce the dimpling effect. (not worded so well but I'm sure you get what I mean...think blowing air into a deflated balloon)

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