Weird question but a little scared to ask

2»

Replies

  • They are scars, so you can't get rid of them, but they lighten and fade when they get older. As you lose a little weight they will get to be smaller and closer together, so they will be less and less noticable.
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 Member
    I don't understand it, but as I've lost weight my stretch marks have almost completely disappeared.

    Well then!!!! I wish mine did!!!! you got a miracle!

    I was expecting to see them forever, but they're gone! It honestly makes no sense at all, but I'm not going to complain about it :)
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    You don't. Sorry. Time will fade them, but there is no getting rid of them without surgery. I would suggest keeping your skin moisturized though.

    100% correct. I did a very big post about this. I will re explain. Your skin is elastic to a point. for example have you ever pulled a rubberband to the point where it actually stretches and turns whitish in a particular area and then stays stretched? Well that is exactly like your skin. The stretch mark is broken skin that has reached and exceeded it's capacity to stretch any further so it tears and heals as that mark.

    Cocoa butter is the biggest misconception....it will help PREVENT stretch marks but that isnt even a guarantee because skin elasticity is effected by genetics as well as how healthy your diet is. Think about it. How many mothers have you seen with no stretch marks. Look at Dizzieferg for instance. 2 kids no visual sign of a stretch mark in her pics. it's just she was blessed with good genes and healthy skin.

    The only way to get rid of them is either to get a tummy tuck, build up enough muscle to replace the fat that was once there to pull the skin taut again, get the lazer surgery now to burn them off and allow new skin to grow where the stretch mark once was or just deal with it.

    Some people swear it takes time. I will say time helps but in no way shape or form does it allow the skin to tighten up THAT much that you wont see the stretch marks if so you are one of those genetic miracles. I have wrinkles on my lower abs and lower back so now I am going to have a full trunk lift if in 2 years it doesn't tighten up enough.

    You also need to know that lose skin stretch marks may still be skin with fat under it that you just assume is lose skin. Best way to check is do this. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand. see how thin it is, now apply that to any area of your body. If the skin isnt as thin as that then that means there is still fat underneath that layer of skin!!!
  • MamaReebs
    MamaReebs Posts: 240 Member
    Tanning and moisturizer helped to fade mine. But they will never be gone without surgery. Looks like I have zebra striped shorts on! LOL!
  • jeyoung03
    jeyoung03 Posts: 83
    I used mederma on them and they have lightened. I'm hoping it will help them disappear.
  • MOMO228
    MOMO228 Posts: 7
    As you loose weight they will start to fade. Tanning helps to hide them, but sorry to say I don't think they ever go totally away. I haven't tried that new stuff I see on tv.
  • Starlage
    Starlage Posts: 1,709 Member
    Sorry babe...there is nothing you can do about them. I have researched and researched this and there are a lot of myths (cocoa butter) but ultimately these are scars in your skin and they will not go away. There is one kind that can fade. I forget if it's the light ones or dark ones but they will not go away.

    I wish.

    I agree. I used to have dark purple ones on my thighs- I gained them through puberty :o( made teenage years in a bathing suit very miserable. But now they've faded to super light white color- can't really see them anymore unless someone's looking closely. Yours'll probably fade with time, no quick fix.
  • Legs_McGee
    Legs_McGee Posts: 845 Member
    I got them from a growth spurt too. I was skinny as a rail but I grew over a foot from age 10 to 12 and I guess my skin couldn't keep up. I thought it was entirely unfair. They have faded significantly in the past 30 years, but they're definitely still there.
  • I had some, then lost 50lbs in about two months when I had a bad Lupus flare. They all but went away. However, because of the skin issues I was having, I had to mosturize daily with a super duper mosturizer (vanicream) that my dermatologist recommended.
    The weight is back on, and the stretch marks are back, in different places than before. I don't mosturize every day like I should. So take your pick as to which factor you want to blame for mine. :)
    I've not researched, and know of no magic cure, but I'm guessing it's one of those things that's different for everybody.
This discussion has been closed.