Body Image and Issues after Weight Loss - Go Away Stretch Marks!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have stretch marks.. BAD! My hips and thighs definitely don't look the way I wish they would. Even after losing weight I still don't want to wear a swimsuit in public because of these embarassing marks on my body! :(

Have any of you tried some different lotions or creams for stretch marks?? I was thinking about ordering some online, but I don't know if it's going to be a waste of money or not... Any input is appreciated!

hiya, is 'bio oil' availabe were you live? iv used that i the past and it does help uneven skin tones, scars, stretchmarks etc. it wont make them go away but may improve their apperance. give it a try if u can get it.

No creams or lotions work, sorry.

Aw, Erica! :hug: The good news is that stretch marks fade with time and that a tan (fake or real) can do wonders to camouflage them.

My understanding about creams is that you can get a prescription cream (Retin A, I think?) from your dermatologist that will work on stretch marks that are still red or purple. But if they've faded to silver or white, creams won't work. If yours are still red or purple, you might want to check with your doctor and see what she/he says. I've also read about laser treatments for stretch marks. :)

I'm not aware of any over-the-counter products that really work on stretch marks, though a lot sure are marketed that way.

I don't have any advice about creams, but life is way too short to let stretch marks stop you from doing ANYTHING you want to do, big or small. Easier said than done, I know, but, yeah ... life is way too short.

here's a secret - Guys actually DON'T care about stretch marks. :)
Wonderful, isn't it?
I have them BAD on my stomach. They used to bother me a lot more than they do now. I think I've just learned to accept them, because I have no choice but to live with them.

Even my 140 lb husband who has never been fat has stretch marks.

I agree with Luvja. I have stretch marks everywhere - my arms, my breasts, tons on my tummy especially the sides, under back rolls, my thighs, behind my knees. But I've learned to except them. To me, they're a reminder of what I am overcoming.

Strange question but does anyone elses' stretch marks itch when you lose weight?

Mine have itched but not just during weight loss, and not that often.

I have some pretty wide ones on my lower ab area. I was contemplating some tattooing to cover them up. My SIL has a flower garden on her stomach covering the results of having 2 kids, looks great!

I had stretch marks before ever even thinking about getting preggo.. and after 2 kids.. my stomach looks like a battlefield.. luvja is so right.. most men could care less.. my fiance calls them my battle scars.. haha.. its our joke that i went to war with my body.. the best part is that once they do fade they are not as noticable.. good luck ::hug::

There are laser procedures for stretch marks that are available. I think it really depends on skin type but my 1 of my really good friends had it done on her breasts because she had large visible stretch marks after puberty and you cannot see them now. It took 5 treatments but she swears it was completely worth it, I'm thinking about doing it post weight loss just because I'm prone to them and my body looks cross-hatched with stretch marks. It's true that they may not bother other people but they really bother me.

I have stretch marks everywhere too. They don't bother me as much as they use to. My stomach is covered in them. It stored 3 babies in there. Guess I'm over it. Nothing I can do about it.

Yup I have em too.. then again who doesn't have stretch marks :) Bio-oil is at Walmart btw.. hopefully it works :)

You can't really make them go away w/out laser treatments (and even then they just fade them a lot). And unfortunately you can't completely prevent them either (a tendency to get them is somewhat genetic), but you can help keep them from getting bad/deep by keeping your skin moisturized. And keeping skin moisturized will also help fade them faster. Eventually they do become almost unnoticeable.

Honestly I wouldn't order any expensive creams or lotions from online. I use just plain coconut oil which I get at Whole Foods for something like $5 for a large jar.

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Hi there,

I have really bad stretch marks too! For the ones I got from gaining weight last year they were horribly dark purple which was very noticeable against my milky white skin! I would definitely recommend Bio-Oil. I've been using it twice a day for 2 months and the stretch marks are really starting to fade; they're a kind of pinky-red now.

As others have said as well, spray tan's really help and I'd recommend them over tanning beds because damaged skin is more susceptible to skin cancer. Also, if you want a quick fix, it isn't brilliant but I used tinted moisturiser with foundation and bronzer applied with a brush and as long as you blend it well it can really help to disguise them.

Not so good if you're about to go swimming though...

I have stretch marks on my stomach, mostly near my belly button, but I learned to just deal with it. I try and moisturize it all the time now to help prevent stretch marks I guess. I'm not really into all the creams or oils or anything of the sort, I think I'm just too cheap if anything.LOL. But at the same time, the stretch marks I do have are that white color and blend in with my skin pretty well.

I've been researching fraxel laser procedures and apparently peple have gotten positive results. Docs. have used it to treat acne and surgical scars but found a 'side effect' is the rebuilding of collagen in the deep layers of skin. Well what do you know, strecth marks is the breakdown of collagen deep in the layers of skin. Long story short, doctors started using fraxel lasers to treat stretch marks and have achieved some favorable results. Also, The laser's 'grade' makes it suitable for all skin types.

Only drawbacks, fraxel lasers aren't FDA approved to treat stretch marks just yet (they're working on this apparently) only things like acne and surgical scars. Also, it could take up to 6 treatments to get great results at around $600 per treatment.

I so sound like a sales person, and I pray i'm not giving false hope but I'm definately looking into getting some treatments once I get the cash. Do a youtube search on fraxel laser for stretch marks and there are some news stories on the process and results.

I totally feel you all on this one. I'm 25, and even being young, from the lifelong weight fluctuations I have them on my stomach, breasts, underneath upper arms, etc. Only good news is they have all faded to skin tone/ whitish. At one point though my stomach looked like someone raked razor sharp nails straight down my stomach they were bright red and LONG. I'm hoping once I lose weight, if I can get to the size/shape I want, since they are so faded it won't really bother me so much. Maybe I'm just overly optimistic :D

Even laser treatments don't get rid of stretch marks...they just fade the coloring...but so does time. The only way to truly get rid of them is to have them surgically removed, and sometimes the placement of them makes that an impossibility as well. Any stretch marks above your belly button will not go away with a tummy tuck.

I had some vicious stretch marks after having DS1 two years ago, they are faded completely now and I haven't picked up any new ones on my stomach with this pregnancy (just on the sides of my boobs).

Moisture, a tan and time do wonders for the appearance of stretch marks. Just be patient.

Tons of people have stretch marks. I have quite a few on my hips. It is somewhat genetic but you gotta remember that skin is an organ and can only stretch and go back so far. The best thing is prevention. While losing weight you should be using shea butter and olive oil on the skin to aid its elasticity. Once stretch marks are there, they are gonna stay but they do fade significantly over time.

As others have said, let those stretch marks be a badge of honor and allow them to remind you of how far you have come and how hard you had to work to get that weight off. :cp:

I have sm's all over my body from having kids and gaining and losing weight. I have come to accept them and they have faded a lot. I agree that a tan can help a lot.

I've heard Vick's Vapor rub can make them less apparent for a short time.
I've never tried it, though.

I use bio-oil on my stomach and they have really faded over the past few months- they were bright red for ages and this stuff barely started being sold here like what two years ago? I think it's a european product- I love it- and it smells good too :D

Well I have had great success with using pure triple grade EMU oil on my scars. It does not completely remove them, but it does help to reduce the appearance of them.

This weekend I will be making a fresh batch of goat milks lotion and hopefully a new batch of Jack Frost goat milk soap as well. It all depends on how cranky my shoulder wants to be.

I find working with my hobbies helps me to focus better on my diet goals, because it creates a terrific distraction. Best of wishes for your diet goals as well.

I have them all over my stomach, back, arms, some on my legs. I thought I just had freakish skin that got so many ALL over...usually I just read women getting them on their stomach. The ones on my upper arms were pretty bad a few years ago...I actually had a guy I was dating think I cut myself or had some medical issue they were there - even after explaining I gained/lost alot of weight and it's just something women get. Since then I've been even more self conscious about them.

The ones on my arms have faded a bit just using alot of creams and scrubs. I have this exfoliating scruby washcloth/towel from the bodyshop and if I scrub hard (dry brushing and in the shower) enough they kinda go away temporarily, I get lazy and don't use it as often, maybe if I did they would go away more.

I can't even use self tanner on them because the tanner doesn't seem to color them the same as regular skin...anyone else have this problem?

Are there any creams that aren't so greasy to use? Things like pure cocoa butter, oils...they are greasy and don't absorb too much into the skin.

I was thinking once I reach my goal weight of going the tattoo route as well, atleast for the upper arm ones. Atleast maybe having the tattoos there would prevent me from regaining for fear of messing them up/stretching them.

darn..when I saw this topic, I was hoping there was a miracle cure :) I have them, but like most... I see them as battle scars of what I'm working to get away from :)

I used a cream from avon in a purple tube...I don't remember the name. It's like a combination to help with stretch marks and cellulite. I didn't even use it exactly how the bottle said and I noticed a difference(took awhile). You cannot make stretch marks go away completely. Mine faded with my skin. I still have some though. I want to try that bio oil. If it doesn't help I will buy another tube of that avon stuff.