Stretch Marks?

jeninabilan
jeninabilan Posts: 369 Member
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
So.. this may be a stupid question, but what happens to your stretch marks/excess skin when you lose weight? Is there anything I can do to reduce the appearance of stretch marks that really works?

Thanks guys!!! xoxo
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Replies

  • chrissyfat
    chrissyfat Posts: 1
    I've had that same worry too.

    So far I have been taking care to use lotion after every shower. I've lost 40 lbs and the stretch marks are definitely lighter, but still quite prominent. I'm curious about this question too. I dont want to splurge on Mederma for scars yet since these stretch marks are already old.
  • merlin87tx
    merlin87tx Posts: 27
    Hi!

    I don't know if it works with everyone but shea butter and jojoba lotion helped me. I used it on old scars and stretch marks on my thighs. It took a few weeks but the scars and marks got lighter in color and blended better with the rest of my skin.
  • lee3978
    lee3978 Posts: 274
    I ended up tattooing over some of mine. Unfortunately, because I kept gaining and losing over the last 10 years the skin stretched and stretched back and restretched and now where the old red stretch marks were are now thin layers of wrinkly skin. I've asked dermatologists and plastic surgeons and they told me not much to do about it. Urgh. Have them on arms, boobs, stomach and inner thighs.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Stretch marks are scars so they will never go away, but you can camoflauge them with some cover up lotions. Laser treatments have been promising.
  • lee3978
    lee3978 Posts: 274
    Stretch marks are scars so they will never go away, but you can camoflauge them with some cover up lotions. Laser treatments have been promising.

    Yeah I was told the laser will reduce the puffiness and redness. For me that is all gone now just the light scars.
  • szimba
    szimba Posts: 290 Member
    bump
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    at your age and as you don't have ALOT to loose like some of us on here you wont/no shouldn't have problems with loose skin! as for strech marks they will fad over tome but never go put them down as battle scars! :laugh:
    just moisturise and water intake and do not smoke the rest will fall into place with no "left overs"!! lol
  • Dragongrl
    Dragongrl Posts: 186 Member
    Never tried it but I heard this stuff called Bio-Oil works wonders.
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
    bump. i lose more weight, and more show up...
  • jeninabilan
    jeninabilan Posts: 369 Member
    at your age and as you don't have ALOT to loose like some of us on here you wont/no shouldn't have problems with loose skin! as for strech marks they will fad over tome but never go put them down as battle scars! :laugh:
    just moisturise and water intake and do not smoke the rest will fall into place with no "left overs"!! lol

    This made me laugh and was a relief! hehe thanks so much!!!

    And to every one else's comments, thanks for all of the tips.. Stretch marks suck, but at least we are all in this together right? ;) I'll try some of the lightening creams in the process of losing weight and hopefully they will lighten by the time I'm ready to wear a bikini. hehe

    Thanks everyone!
  • vs_shine
    vs_shine Posts: 1,314 Member
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)
  • lee3978
    lee3978 Posts: 274
    Yeah don't get tattoo crazy like me trying to cover up the scars. And it hurts worse b/c he skin is soo stretched! lol
  • nomorearmflab
    nomorearmflab Posts: 76
    you know, I have heard worries about stretch marks as well. and trust me, I have my fair share. As you get thinner though, why not think of them as progression marks? ' look at me, look at how far I have come, and here are my abs and my scars to show it.'
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)

    TOTALLY AGREE!
    i have forgotten all about mine i just wanna loose the weigth and be healthy and fit again! :drinker:
  • 10fairywings
    10fairywings Posts: 136 Member
    When you are unlucky enough to get a lot of stretch marks like during pregnancy the skin stretches and ladders your skin like a pair of tights, this is permanent. They start off red and sore looking and can be thin or very wide, most people that get them will have a mixture, the ones that develop on the thighs, arms and boobs are often thinner than those on the belly. If you imagine then everything going back into place, it can't because the stretch marks (if you have a lot) has made the area bigger and the taughtness of the skin go. I have a lot of stretch marks like above everywhere, this was due to my 10llb son lol! He is now 27 and mine are like has been said above faint and silver, the ones on my boobs and thighs are not noticable really but on my belly they still are but are pale and faded so they're are just lines. I spent a lot of time trying to do something about tightening that area where initially I had a terrible apron, and then wrinkly skin, the medical profession said my only option was surgery and the gym trainer said it would never go. Not one to give up, I found a solution, I started bodybuilding and doing specific lower ab exercises after doing a shed load of research, I dropped my body fat down to a minimum, and except for a little line my stomach was better than it was when I was 16! This in turn made the stretch marks look so much better because they weren't sagging. In order to pull in excess skin you must use heavy weights and drop body fat not muscle!

    Good Luck :) xx
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)

    Having a few is normal....looking like you've been mauled by a tiger is different, lol. I have road maps covering my stomach from pregnancy. Some loose skin as well...I'm saving up for a tummy tuck. While it won't get rid of the marks...being able to wear a bikini again would be wonderful. Trust me...if you want to see some 'mommy scars' go to theshapeofamother.com to see where I'm coming from.
  • dracobaby82
    dracobaby82 Posts: 380 Member
    When you are unlucky enough to get a lot of stretch marks like during pregnancy the skin stretches and ladders your skin like a pair of tights, this is permanent. They start off red and sore looking and can be thin or very wide, most people that get them will have a mixture, the ones that develop on the thighs, arms and boobs are often thinner than those on the belly. If you imagine then everything going back into place, it can't because the stretch marks (if you have a lot) has made the area bigger and the taughtness of the skin go. I have a lot of stretch marks like above everywhere, this was due to my 10llb son lol! He is now 27 and mine are like has been said above faint and silver, the ones on my boobs and thighs are not noticable really but on my belly they still are but are pale and faded so they're are just lines. I spent a lot of time trying to do something about tightening that area where initially I had a terrible apron, and then wrinkly skin, the medical profession said my only option was surgery and the gym trainer said it would never go. Not one to give up, I found a solution, I started bodybuilding and doing specific lower ab exercises after doing a shed load of research, I dropped my body fat down to a minimum, and except for a little line my stomach was better than it was when I was 16! This in turn made the stretch marks look so much better because they weren't sagging. In order to pull in excess skin you must use heavy weights and drop body fat not muscle!

    Good Luck :) xx

    Very awesome!
  • E_Cee83
    E_Cee83 Posts: 22 Member
    hi there, Anything with vitaman E or cocoa butter works wonders. Bio oil is great too (espeically through pregnancy!) Ummm, I have had two children and i have slight marks on my lower abdomen. I found daily loofah-ing helps and to tone, you can get 'magic mitts' to slough away dead skin and then i slather on the bio-oil.There is a comestic solution (apart from Lipo and tucks) it involces needles and injections into scars, but it all depends on the severity i also hear its painful and expensive for what you get.
    For the toning/saggy skin, i can only really suggest cardio with weight based training every 2nd day. there are new awesome machines these days that tone and tighten skin that have great results so if you need it after losing weight and actually KNOW you have saggy skin, this would be a consideration.
    for either instance, its great to keep skin hydrated and moistuised. Drink loads of water, exercise appropriately and it should just spring back for you! Best of luck!
  • 10fairywings
    10fairywings Posts: 136 Member
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)

    TOTALLY AGREE!
    i have forgotten all about mine i just wanna loose the weigth and be healthy and fit again! :drinker:

    Ladies this was a bit silly, when you only have a few in an area it is absolutely not the same thing as being pickled in very deep, wide bad ones, it's very well for people who don't have them badly to say "Embrace them", they can bring a lot of very real problems for people and the way they feel about their bodies, and this in turn effects their confidence. Speaking from personal experience I hid myself from everyone from when I had my son, I looked like I'd been attacked and had knife wounds. I was 18 years old and felt like my body was ruined forever, I loved my son of course and wouldn't change it ont he one hand but on the other I was devastated. The love for my body again tok a very long time.
  • jeninabilan
    jeninabilan Posts: 369 Member
    I agree, you should definitely love your body! Although I am no where near my goal weight, I am extremely confident in myself and carry my weight well, however I think there is always room for improvement and evolving is a part of life :) My goal is to be healthy and happy when I look in the mirror. Stretch marks may seem minor to some, but it's an insecurity I have, so I would love to be able to improve it if possible. If it is not possible, I will embrace them and learn to love them :) I think all of the women on this site are strong and amazing and I have tremendous respect for you for everything you have already experienced and accomplished! Awesome job guys!
  • symegeer
    symegeer Posts: 143 Member
    I would second the Bio Oil! Plus it smells lovely.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)

    TOTALLY AGREE!
    i have forgotten all about mine i just wanna loose the weigth and be healthy and fit again! :drinker:

    Ladies this was a bit silly, when you only have a few in an area it is absolutely not the same thing as being pickled in very deep, wide bad ones, it's very well for people who don't have them badly to say "Embrace them", they can bring a lot of very real problems for people and the way they feel about their bodies, and this in turn effects their confidence. Speaking from personal experience I hid myself from everyone from when I had my son, I looked like I'd been attacked and had knife wounds. I was 18 years old and felt like my body was ruined forever, I loved my son of course and wouldn't change it ont he one hand but on the other I was devastated. The love for my body again tok a very long time.


    i am also covered i would imagine i have a few more than you! after 3 large babies,and was nearly 400lbs!
    i have them tummy all over,back,arms (down to elbows) boobs,legs(down to just past knees)basically most places other than the face and they are not light hardley can see ones either! so i do know what i am talking about :)
    i was just agreeing saying you should love your body and take it what it gives you!
  • bear_nakey
    bear_nakey Posts: 340 Member
    I say embrace them!!! When I was preggo with my kids, mine got so bad, and were so deep that they were cracking and seeping! They started with my first, and by my third, the skin was so thin, they were scabbing (NOT from itching, trust me I asked). Something out of x-files, seriously!!! LOL But oh well, you know?! If your going to spend all this time getting healthy, why not embrace the efforts you have made to better yourself, and not focus on yet another inperfection?! It's a glass half full kind of thing!!! btw, vitamin E does help them to heal up and be less red looking. . . but for those who say they feel they have to hide because theirs is worse than others, well that is fine if they want to do that, but mine were the worst I have seen, and I wear them proudly! :D
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    I say embrace them!!! When I was preggo with my kids, mine got so bad, and were so deep that they were cracking and seeping! They started with my first, and by my third, the skin was so thin, they were scabbing (NOT from itching, trust me I asked). Something out of x-files, seriously!!! LOL But oh well, you know?! If your going to spend all this time getting healthy, why not embrace the efforts you have made to better yourself, and not focus on yet another inperfection?! It's a glass half full kind of thing!!! btw, vitamin E does help them to heal up and be less red looking. . . but for those who say they feel they have to hide because theirs is worse than others, well that is fine if they want to do that, but mine were the worst I have seen, and I wear them proudly! :D

    GOOD on you
  • vs_shine
    vs_shine Posts: 1,314 Member
    That's how i think of mine :-)
    you know, I have heard worries about stretch marks as well. and trust me, I have my fair share. As you get thinner though, why not think of them as progression marks? ' look at me, look at how far I have come, and here are my abs and my scars to show it.'
  • vs_shine
    vs_shine Posts: 1,314 Member
    hey :-) the lady who posted the question did not say she was "pickled in very deep" with "wide bad ones"...so don't say my comment was "silly" and then the next second say "it's very well for people who don't have them badly to say 'Embrace them'"....but anyway...good luck with your battle with your stretch marks...If i hear of a cream i'll let ya know. ;-)
  • jpd10905
    jpd10905 Posts: 43
    Never tried it but I heard this stuff called Bio-Oil works wonders.

    Bio oil is great! I use it. It helps. The marks are lighter and less defined. My skin tone is better too.

    But if you have lost a significant amount of weight, they never go away. I'm having reconstructive surgery in December to get rid of extra skin and give me a flat tummy! The doctor is taking a lot of those stretch marks with him.

    Good luck!
  • Caz2678
    Caz2678 Posts: 49
    When you are unlucky enough to get a lot of stretch marks like during pregnancy the skin stretches and ladders your skin like a pair of tights, this is permanent. They start off red and sore looking and can be thin or very wide, most people that get them will have a mixture, the ones that develop on the thighs, arms and boobs are often thinner than those on the belly. If you imagine then everything going back into place, it can't because the stretch marks (if you have a lot) has made the area bigger and the taughtness of the skin go. I have a lot of stretch marks like above everywhere, this was due to my 10llb son lol! He is now 27 and mine are like has been said above faint and silver, the ones on my boobs and thighs are not noticable really but on my belly they still are but are pale and faded so they're are just lines. I spent a lot of time trying to do something about tightening that area where initially I had a terrible apron, and then wrinkly skin, the medical profession said my only option was surgery and the gym trainer said it would never go. Not one to give up, I found a solution, I started bodybuilding and doing specific lower ab exercises after doing a shed load of research, I dropped my body fat down to a minimum, and except for a little line my stomach was better than it was when I was 16! This in turn made the stretch marks look so much better because they weren't sagging. In order to pull in excess skin you must use heavy weights and drop body fat not muscle!

    Good Luck :) xx

    I like this approach :D

    After having 3 babies my skin is "laddered" with a mixture of thick and thin stretchmarks. Some are as wide as my index finger!! The stretchmarks themselves don't bother me so much, its the sagging and wrinkly look i hate. If they would just tighten up a little then they would be fine.

    I will defo try to get my body fat low and muscle up to improve their look!
    Thanks x
  • Caz2678
    Caz2678 Posts: 49
    ya know...i have a few stretch marks on my love handle areas..but they are sooo faint...i don't get what all the whoohaa is about...i kind of like mine lol i say embrace them :-) love your body :-)

    Having a few is normal....looking like you've been mauled by a tiger is different, lol. I have road maps covering my stomach from pregnancy. Some loose skin as well...I'm saving up for a tummy tuck. While it won't get rid of the marks...being able to wear a bikini again would be wonderful. Trust me...if you want to see some 'mommy scars' go to theshapeofamother.com to see where I'm coming from.

    That site is cool :) Mine are much worse than the pics on there tho!

    I guess we all stretch differently! Good thing is, it makes you realise you are not the only one :)
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    i am also covered i would imagine i have a few more than you! after 3 large babies,and was nearly 400lbs!
    i have them tummy all over,back,arms (down to elbows) boobs,legs(down to just past knees)basically most places other than the face and they are not light hardley can see ones either! so i do know what i am talking about :)
    i was just agreeing saying you should love your body and take it what it gives you!

    You're a woman. Try being a man covered in them to your extent (arms down to elbows, legs, etc). Love my body? Hmm, can never see that happening tbh for me.
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