stretch marks

ciarajordan13
ciarajordan13 Posts: 35 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
I was just curious how much and if the stretch marks I have will fade as I lose weight. I have them on my stomach, top of my thighs and my chest. (Sorry if that's TMI) I want to eventually be able to wear a swimsuit but I feel self conscious about that. Also, as lame as it may sound, if I start dating a guy and he notices I have them, If that would be a problem. (And I know some guys won't care, but just in general. I'm in college and I'm only 20 and have never had a child so they're only from weight gain :/ ) wondering if anyone had any info for me. Thanks!
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Replies

  • NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner
    NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner Posts: 1,018 Member
    I've had stretch marks since my mid teens. On my arms, side of my boobs, behind my knees and then after a child on my stomach.

    They are nothing to be ashamed of. Staying well moisturised can help. Drink plenty of water to help keep the skin hydrated too. I used to be mortified about mine but when I see others who have genuine disfigurements and go about their life like nothing is wrong, I realise that a few stretch marks are pretty silly to be upset about.

    Men don't care. They don't notice. They are thinking about one thing only when you're naked honey and I promise you... It isn't your stretch marks ;)
  • LoeshaElizabeth
    LoeshaElizabeth Posts: 96 Member
    im also 20 and had awful stretch marks (some from having a baby but babys dont grow on the back of your knees so goodness knows where they came from :P). mine are still there but they are skin/silvery coloured rather than angry purple/red and i actually dont mind them at all now. using a body brush and some bio oil will prob help along with time (in the skin isnt still being stretched) hope this helps :).
  • Lois_1989
    Lois_1989 Posts: 6,410 Member
    edited April 2015
    I'm afraid they will always be there, unless you surgically remove them. They go very pale when they are old but no cream or oil will make them go away, so please don't waste your money.

    Edit: I have tried most creams and oils myself, (unless they are a stupid price) and they have never worked.
  • iwillthinkof
    iwillthinkof Posts: 37 Member
    I have quite a lot of stretch marks on my chest, bicep area, belly, under belly and probably some on my legs too. They have faded drastically over time because they go from red to barely noticeable white. In fact, the only way they are visible is if I stretch my skin.

    So don't worry about it. My boyfriend doesn't mind them and neither will your dates. :D They won't even notice them anyway. Besides, in reality you will spend much more time with clothes on than without, so look at how far you have come.

    X
  • neogramps
    neogramps Posts: 79 Member
    Don't worry about stretch marks; my wife has some and I don't care at all. If someone is put off by something as small and superficial as that, then you wouldn't have a future with them anyway, so don't fret.
  • jascakes
    jascakes Posts: 26 Member
    I also would love to wear a swim suit and not feel concious about it... Thats something we've got to work on for ourselves. Its hard, but none of your goals should be for other peoples benefit or to gain their acceptance - it's about helping you to love your own body! But as to the boyfriend side of things, anyone who is interested in you should like you for the whole package, and if they are bothered by anything about you physically or personality wise then clearly they arent the one for you! (Cheesy, i know) xx
  • mausbop
    mausbop Posts: 554 Member
    If they are purple or reddish, then you can use almond oil , drink a lot of water as others said and once you lose weight they might fade away or even disappear. You need to really take care of them, every single day and you'll see the results in some weeks.
    I know that almond oil is the best you can use but I'm sure there are other kinds of oil you can use , depends what you prefer and what works best for you. Better going with something as much natural as you can find/afford.
    However, if they are light skin color, they won't go away but you can still take care of them with body creams and oils.

    Now, if someone looks at your stretch marks instead of enjoying your lovely face (or any other wonderful feature you have ), there's something wrong with them, not you.
  • waldo11690
    waldo11690 Posts: 51 Member
    edited April 2015
    I don't think they go away. They just kind of change in color/fade with your skin tone. I wouldn't worry about guys caring about them. If you're relatively fit, it just shows where you came from and the progress you made. Think of them as gym battle scars lol. A lot of guys like girls who are in good shape and will respect the dedication and hard work it took. And at the end of the day, all that really matters is if it bothers you and what you think. Don't worry what others think.
  • hyIianprincess
    hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
    From experience, they could fade a bit but not go away. Last year I got very sick and was down to a BMI of 15.7 and I still had them on my thighs. Guys get them too, Don't worry. It's not a big deal :)
  • GrammyPeachy
    GrammyPeachy Posts: 1,723 Member
    As others have said, they fade/turn lighter in color. They don't go away, but become much less noticeable.
  • bettybing1
    bettybing1 Posts: 162 Member
    I have them from hitting puberty on my hips, thighs, and breasts but they're hardly visible (I like to think of them as fading to silver). I feel like they don't even make my list of body issues.
    My other half has them more extensively as he gained a lot of weight in his teens then lost it a year or two ago. But the ones he's most self concious about were - again - from going through puberty. His shoulders, arms and chest expanded so rapidly he got stretch marks. He cares about how they look but I don't. They're just a visual history of the changes his body has gone through. Nothing so insignificant should ever stop someone loving someone else.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    I'm afraid they will always be there, unless you surgically remove them. They go very pale when they are old but no cream or oil will make them go away, so please don't waste your money.

    Edit: I have tried most creams and oils myself, (unless they are a stupid price) and they have never worked.

    that. and if you get them, you can largely thank genetics. LOL

    I had HORRIBLE ones after my first kiddo (now 16), took years and years for them to fade to a pale silvery color. didnt get hardly any with my son (7 years after my first). I may have gotten some with general weight gain, but i really dont think so (or if i have, they are light and in a place where i cant see them LOL!)

    I wore a bikini last year but honestly, i dont even think about my stretch marks anymore, and havent for a long time. kinda like the mole on my shoulder. i know its there, but theres not much i can do about it, so, whatever. LOL
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    If these are recent and still red, ask a dermatologist for a product that helps - after 3 pregnancies, I have found only some pretty expensive products that really work, ones used also to accelerate scar healing. Oils, cosmetic creams etc, in my experience, they do nothing at all for stretchmarks. If they are already white, they will not go away, and unfortunately losing weight will not make them less obvious , at least from my experience.
  • Lois_1989
    Lois_1989 Posts: 6,410 Member
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    Lois_1989 wrote: »
    I'm afraid they will always be there, unless you surgically remove them. They go very pale when they are old but no cream or oil will make them go away, so please don't waste your money.

    Edit: I have tried most creams and oils myself, (unless they are a stupid price) and they have never worked.

    that. and if you get them, you can largely thank genetics. LOL

    I had HORRIBLE ones after my first kiddo (now 16), took years and years for them to fade to a pale silvery color. didnt get hardly any with my son (7 years after my first). I may have gotten some with general weight gain, but i really dont think so (or if i have, they are light and in a place where i cant see them LOL!)

    I wore a bikini last year but honestly, i dont even think about my stretch marks anymore, and havent for a long time. kinda like the mole on my shoulder. i know its there, but theres not much i can do about it, so, whatever. LOL

    That is the best way to deal with stretch marks. People don't worry over showing moles/freckles so why stretch marks?
  • jangus9416
    jangus9416 Posts: 69 Member
    First of all, you're gorgeous (not to be weird lol) and any guy is going to be lucky to date you. I'm not going to say that guys won't notice your stretch marks, but they won't care (if they are any type of man at all). And once you reach your weight loss goals, your confidence will be so high you'll forget about those stupid things anyways.
    I'm 20 years old too and have a boyfriend of over two years, he never says anything about them. I'm 5'5" and never been over 135 lbs so why I got these things I'll never know. My mom doesn't even have them after three kids :/
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have them from growing too fast as a teenager and from having a baby...they fade with time but even if they don't why would they stop you from wearing a bikini...???

    I just got back from Jamaica and there were pregnant women with stretch marks running around all over the place....dancing, swimming etc...don't let that stop you.
  • ciarajordan13
    ciarajordan13 Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks all for your input!
    My stretch marks are purple and red right now. They wouldn't bother me so much if they were a silvery color, but I was unaware that happens. So thanks for letting me know! Lol. And for those of you questioning why my stretch marks bother me at all...it's all subjective. To you, stretch marks may seem like a miniscule issue in comparison to any others. Well to me, they are sort of a big deal. Which is why I feel self consious about about wearing a swimsuit. Although eventually I do hope to not let them bother me as much, for now it's just something I have to learn to deal with. Thanks to those who gave advice on how to lessen the color (I will definitely be trying almond oil!) and of course losing weight :)
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    edited April 2015
    Get massive tattoos to cover the stretch marks

    Extra credit if you incorporate the stretch marks in the tatoo. Like lightning strikes or rivers or tiger fur patterns.
  • BettyM1017
    BettyM1017 Posts: 616 Member
    I have bad skin. My first child was 11 pounds 3 ounces. By the time he was born, you could map a road trip from Maine to California on my stomach. They're still there. Not as red, of course, but they're still there. That was 27 years ago. Stretch marks don't go away. However, I've learned over the years that physical imperfections remind us that our character, our integrity, who we are inside, are way more important.
  • jenniferinfl
    jenniferinfl Posts: 456 Member
    My daughter is 4, my stretch marks faded to white in around a year. I was lucky not to get them anywhere else despite my weight. But, the ones on my stomach from pregnancy are ginormous.. lol I have a couple that are 1" wide..
    But yeah, probably a year or so of them being red, obviously varies by individual.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I've got them on my boobs, tummy and inner thighs, from pregnancy. They've turned silver now, as my youngest is 20. I still absolutely hate them, they really are the bane of my existence. There is no way on earth I'll ever wear a bikini. I have to wear a tank top and boxer shorts to go swimming :disappointed: I haven't owned a pair of bathers since my kids were toddlers.
    Hubby says he doesn't care, but of course he's going to say that. He can't be honest because he knows that will upset me more! :neutral:
  • MERRYMONKEY512
    MERRYMONKEY512 Posts: 26 Member
    Ahh the dreaded swimming outfit. I love the billowing boxer shorts that circle me like an exotic jellyfish in the water, and the way the shorts fall down when I get out.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    MERRYMONKEY512 wrote: »
    Ahh the dreaded swimming outfit. I love the billowing boxer shorts that circle me like an exotic jellyfish in the water, and the way the shorts fall down when I get out.

    haha such a lovely feeling :tired_face:

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    ciarajbriggs94 wrote: »
    Thanks all for your input!
    My stretch marks are purple and red right now. They wouldn't bother me so much if they were a silvery color, but I was unaware that happens. So thanks for letting me know! Lol. And for those of you questioning why my stretch marks bother me at all...it's all subjective. To you, stretch marks may seem like a miniscule issue in comparison to any others. Well to me, they are sort of a big deal. Which is why I feel self consious about about wearing a swimsuit. Although eventually I do hope to not let them bother me as much, for now it's just something I have to learn to deal with. Thanks to those who gave advice on how to lessen the color (I will definitely be trying almond oil!) and of course losing weight :)

    If they are purple, the process can be reversed but you need to act fast. Get an appointment with a dr.This is what I have used with amazing success, but I do not know if it is vailable where you are: http://www.synchroline.com/prodotti_dettaglio.asp?ID=369&amp;N=D&amp;Nm=D2&amp;P=TERPROLINE body cream <br>125 ml or 250 ml
    It is used to help the skin heal from scars and absolutely works when the stretchmarks are still purple. I bet there have to be similar products by other companies.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited April 2015
    -
  • silencioesoro
    silencioesoro Posts: 318 Member
    They do fade eventually - trust me, the ones you date won't notice... they hate it when you point them out! It is a hard thing to get used to, there are times hwere I see them again and go "ugh, time to wrap up in EVERYTHING."

    Like you said, it will take time. <3
  • MimGSR
    MimGSR Posts: 61 Member
    Time will help most of all, but some people find fake tan can hide them.
    As for swimsuits I think I've found a cut out suit which will hit just right to avoid my marks. Im hoping to buy that and a pretty sarong for my holiday this year :)
  • BicepsAndBows
    BicepsAndBows Posts: 197 Member
    From everything I've heard, stretch marks will not go away. Staying well hydrated and keeping your skin moisturized can help them not be as prominent, but they will never completely go away. There are products designed for stretch marks, such as Bio Oil, but those mostly just hydrate and moisturize your skin to help fade them, and they can be super expensive! In my opinion, not worth the money. I know it can be hard to be ok with them when you look in the mirror, but try and remember that pretty much everyone has stretch marks some where, even people who have always been on the thin side. Men have them, too! As silly as it sounds, I never really knew that until recently. Men get them on their thighs, stomachs, etc. just like women do.

    Everyone has parts of their body they are self-conscious of, and in the end if you can find ways to accept them, you will be a lot happier than constantly trying to fight against your body and things that are completely natural.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I'm 42 now, and had my kids when I was 17 and 19. The stretch marks don't go away, they just fade and shrink. I don't even think about them anymore, I've got other things to think about. They really aren't noticeable. I'll wear bikinis and I don't think anyone notices. I've got stretched skin on my belly too, and I don't care about that either. It's just a part of me. My hubs still loves my body. No one else seems to care. Meh - it's just skin. I love me.
  • lastspen
    lastspen Posts: 106 Member
    Guys don't care about stretch marks. If you're standing naked in front of him the stretch marks are the last thing that will be on his mind.
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