Question about stretch marks - so scared! :(

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rainonurparade3
rainonurparade3 Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,

So I've got stretch marks all over my stomach, upper thighs, upper arms etc, and they're horrible. I know that once I get down to my goal weight it'll be great, but theres this overwhelming fear of saggy skin, and more importantly skin with marks all over it from stretch marks.

However the majority of the stretch marks have come up in the last 6 or so months when I gained about 25kg, so I'd like to know wether these marks will go away when I lose the weight? Cause they wouldn't have been on my body for more than a year once I drop my weight.


Thanks, and if anyone has lost a lot of weight and has stretchmarks, please give me advice on treatment etc. At the moment I'm using bio oil and palmers cocoa butter lotion twice daily on all affected areas....

Replies

  • ashers1819
    ashers1819 Posts: 160
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    Stretch marks are my worst enemy too.

    Unfortunately they won't go away but they will fade to white which makes them a lot less noticible.

    Bio Oil is the best as far as I know for treatment of stretch markers.

    As for the saggy skin. The skin has an incredible ability to condense itself. You should start to use a massage bruse (long handled ones) and use a good skin treatment that promotes skin elasticity.

    I don't know if it is the best but Avon sells one.

    Good luck with your weight loss and I wouldn't worry too much, I personally would rather cross the bridge of too much skin after the weight is gone. You never know you might not even have an issue with it.

    :wink:
  • k2d4p
    k2d4p Posts: 441 Member
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    I have had 2 babies. I have my share of stretch marks. Now that I have lost a lot of weight, I do have loose skin on my stomach, but for me it really isn't that bad. The stretch marks on my boobs have gotten small and very light in color. My husband says he finds all of it sexy because I carried his kids. I really don't have a lot of saggy skin at all. I had 2 c-sections and all things considered, I am turning out ok. I think everyone is different, but if you go by me, it can turn out ok. I am not exactly Haley Berry, but I can live with how I am turning out.

    Oh, and I used cocoa butter lotion religiously during both of my pregnancies and I still got stretch marks. It didn't work for me at all but, I do know some people who swear by it.
  • CalorieNinja
    CalorieNinja Posts: 645 Member
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    After having two kids I have stretch marks but they have greatly improved with time. They are no barely noticeable, also I used vitamin E oil (it seemed to help). With the baggy skin depending on how much you have to lose it will really depend - make sure you are doing some kind of weight routine and if you lose weight the healthy way (1 -2 lb. a week) it shouldn't be as bad as just dropping it over night.
  • hartsmart
    hartsmart Posts: 141 Member
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    cocoa butter works well. i think you basically have to keep your skins elasticity from fading too much more. they won't go away, it's true. but mine have faded over time (fat girl forever...lost a lot of weight). I barely notice them anymore. jergens (i think) makes a cocoa butter 'stretchmark' creme, which i've bought before. it has an illustration of a pregnant woman on the tube, but it's a nice rich product.
    good luck.
  • LyonInLondon
    LyonInLondon Posts: 41 Member
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    Agree about stretch marks and Bio Oil and looking after your skin with good scrubs and moisturizer twice a day. As for sagging - I haven't really had this problem, but a friend did weight lifting with her weight loss and this seemed to help a lot!
  • ma2two
    ma2two Posts: 9
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    After two kids I'm no stranger to the stretch marks.... after my daughter I used Jergen's Skin firming lotion.. it helped reduce the the appearence of the stretch marks and with the saggy skin... now that I'm trying again to lose the weight I use it every time I get out of the shower... it won't get rid of them .. but will lighten them.. but it helps with the saggy skin... both my kids where c section babes so I have the Mama pouch.. hehe and it seems to be helping with it.. as well.. :happy:
  • rainonurparade3
    rainonurparade3 Posts: 25
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    Thanks a lot :) Im off to the pharmacy tomorrow morning to pick up a few creams/oils.

    I think it affects me lots because Im still young and all. I definitely wouldnt mind having stretch marks after pregnancy cause you've already bagged the guy!

    I guess all I want is to be a normal healthy young person and that picture doesnt include stretch marks...
  • CalorieNinja
    CalorieNinja Posts: 645 Member
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    I'm going to have to try that - I have the pooch from 2 c-sections as well! Thanks for the tip :)
  • bugnbeansmom
    bugnbeansmom Posts: 292 Member
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    I have very few stretch marks from pregnancy, (I have like two). I had two 10 lb babies and I thank my mom for the good genes as far as the SM are concerned (she had 3 10 pounders and 0 stretch marks!) Mine have gotten lighter over time and I have not done much for them but but I can tell you that one of the best things you can do for any scar (a stretch mark is essentially the same) is vit. E oil. get the capsule. They are just cleaner and very cost efficient. As far as the sagging skin. I have what I call my baby shelf. I hate the word pooch! LOL. It is reducing! If you lose the weight at an appropriate rate and stay hydrated, your skin should bounce back naturally. Firming lotion helps a lot too but I really belive in hydration (both drinking tons of water and lotion.) 4 yrs ago I lost 90 pounds and my skin NEVER sagged. Now, if someone knows how to lift the breasts away from the hips naturally, please share! LOL!
  • jewelzz
    jewelzz Posts: 326 Member
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    I didnt really get stretch marks from my 4 kids,I have a few on my boobs and a few way low on my pelvis,dont know why i didnt get them but glad i didnt.however i did get the somewhat loose skin on tummy from loosing 130lbs and its not bad but i know the only thing to fix that is a surgen
  • rainonurparade3
    rainonurparade3 Posts: 25
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    Thank you :)

    I've since realised that I need to stop comparing myself to stick thin, flawless skinned people (if they even truly exist). I'm gonna look at my stretch marks as a reminder of where I've come from and what I would've accomplished when I reach my goal weight!
  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
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    My mom recently lost 150lbs. and she had strech marks and had been at that weight for a few years. It took her a little over a year to lose that weight. She does have the strech marks still but they are faded. She also had some baggy skin but was told to wait for at least 2 years to have any surgery, the doctor told her alot of the time it will tighten as long as you keep exercising and eating well. And you can deffinately tell that it has tightened in certain areas all ready. Also where you are young your skin has more elasticity to it, so your skin has a better chance of tightening up especially where it the weight hasn't been on for that long.
  • westwick1
    westwick1 Posts: 44 Member
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    Now, if someone knows how to lift the breasts away from the hips naturally, please share! LOL!

    LOL! I have been looking that very thing up on the internet!! Seems massage and excercise are the best way but that isn't going to lift mine very far!
  • krisvtx8777
    krisvtx8777 Posts: 163
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    Wow I guess I'm the minority here then. I have had 4 kids and 4 c-sections. My c-section scar is the least of my troubles. I was not blessed with elasticity in my skin apparently. I'm covered in them everywhere, and most are quite DEEP. It's really the ONLY thing I see after losing 30 pounds, somehow I thought it would be magical getting rid of some of my size and would look better but I honestly think mine look worse now. Because now it's also loose skin with stretch marks in my stomach mostly. It's NOT pretty.
    If I knew anyway to get rid of them, I'd tell everyone. I've tried bio-oil etc, nothing seems to even help mine even the slightest. So, maybe I'm the minority.

    I think it has to be a choice to look past them quite honestly and see the positive and not the negative. I'm still having a great deal of trouble with that.

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