Am I the only one who gets stretch marks from losing weight?

I am absolutely furious right now because I can't believe this is happening again. I have significant weight to lose. I lost about ten pounds a year ago and deep red stretch marks appeared like parantheses around my belly button. Four on each side ((((@)))) I stopped losing I was that upset (aside from the numbers on the scale I really liked my body type was confident in my stomach - really and truly) and I have been agonizing about them ever since. I tried creams, dry brushing, and I eventually just started working on acceptance.

Now, here I am giving it another go, I've lost about 5 pounds and this morning I noticed a dark red stretch mark on the top of my thigh, about an inch long. I investigated further to find some fainter ones on the insides of my thighs, as well as another one starting on my stomach!

I feel like a crazy person, I can't find any evidence of this happening to other people and I'm just devestated. I had only just come to terms with my stomach, started really appreciating the one piece bathing suit (they are pretty classy) and now thisss. My boyfriend is so supportive but I feel like he even feels sorry for me because he knows how guilty I feel about the ones on my stomach. He also seems baffled that this is happening to me again.

I guess I just needed to rant and was curious if anyone else had had any experience with this. I wish I could ask for advice on prevention, cure, but i know there isn't one. It just feels so crummy that this is happening again. I'm usually not this lame, but I almost feel like it's a sign I shouldn't be losing weight? haha My body is so angry with me!

Like, I think whats important to note is that I love(d) my body, naked, and I'm confident and happy with how I am. Of course, losing weight could only improve that, right? Wrong! In both cases, losing weight is only making my body less attractive (in the buff) and it's making me self conscious, and a little self-hating, too (I have never really beat myself up about being over weight until I first tried losing weight and got the marks).

Its so crummy that once I lose weight I will feel significantly less comfortable naked than I did overweight. Granted, I might look better in clothes, and I will be healthier, but is it worth it? ahhhh. /end rant

thanks for listening.

I too have really bad stretch marks that are in a line on each side of my belly button.

They came as a result of me gaining too much weight, not from losing weight!!

In my case and possibly in yours, they are more visable as I lose weight. I can see why they could be mistakenly blamed on losing weight. As I gained weight the skin was stretched beyond it's ability to expand and the stretch marks are the result.

My family doctor has advised me to use"ARNICA GEL" on them and on my scars from the open heart surgery I had on April 13th. He says it is the best he has found for fading the red marks. I ordered it from Walgreens and it is available for pick up today. I am anxious to see how well it works.

Larry,

Hmm, maybe they were white before and losing a little weight somehow relaxed some of the tension and allowed them to turn red? How did yours become more visible, do they look bigger now that you're smaller?

I know it isn't logical that they would show up from losing weight, they are called stretch marks after all.

Good luck with the cream, maybe come back and let me know if it works?

Not to hijack Ish's thread, but...Larry, you had heart surgery this past April!? Oh, bless your heart and all the rest of you, I am glad you're back! I've never gotten much of a chance to chat with you, but I always recognize your sensible, humorous posts and your awesome fez.

I hope you're feeling well now and wish you the speediest possible recovery.

About the stretch marks: I've never known them to happen when losing weight, but I know for sure that when your weight stabilizes, they fade. I used to have ruinous red welts on my hips, but now they're just white lines that aren't very obvious at all. My husband, who has never been truly fat a day in his life, has them on his hips from growing taller.

As for why you're getting them as you lose, maybe it's your body's reshaping that causes it? If that's so, you might have to go through a "stretchy" phase before you lose enough weight that there is no more stress on your skin and they fade to white. Or it could be that you always had them, but they weren't noticeable when your skin was more taut; now that you're losing, they're becoming visible until your skin's elasticity makes your skin more taut at your new, lower weight.

That is blue-sky theorizing, though, and you might want to ask your doctor.

You may have hit on the answer. They probably were white from tension prior to losing weight much the same as when you squeeze a finger tip and it turns white from the blood displacement. Take the pressure off and the color returns. Mine definately look larger now but it is most likely only that they are more visable.

After a reasonable period of using the cream I will post back what the results were good, bad or indifferent.

I have been told by others with stretch marks that plastic surgery is best. That option is not realistic for me as it would never fit into my budget.

Larry,

Larry

I've noticed a lot more stretch marks since I lost weight. Like a ton all over my body. The arms are still fresh as are the ones on my hips. I thought I was just really weird.

Nola Celeste - I'm happy to hear that they began to fade once your weight stabilized. I really dont find the white ones I've had on my hips since puberty. They're practically invisible to me, it's the redness I find so upsetting.

I like our theories, perhaps I will ask my doctor and report back.

Thanks for your help Larry!

Niafabo - Me too! We're not! That's some comfort at least. It sucks doesn't it? Congrats on your weight loss so far, though. I'm a similar height at a similar weight aiming for a similar goal so I probably have a ton of stretchmarks to come, too.

Have you been overweight long? I always wonder if that kind of thing plays a part in stretch marks. I was always about 200 pounds until I was 21 and then I gained 20 pounds really quickly (in about 6 months), and then another 20 over the past year and a bit. Probably just too fast for my poor skin.

Have patience, the redness will fade. I have them, some from gaining weight, but mostly from having a set of twins that weighed over 6 lbs each.

So, I know all about stretch marks. I've got them everywhere. I could handle the stretch marks, if my poor tummy weren't so darn wrinkly. Oh, well. I do find that using a self tanning lotion on them, helps to hide them somewhat.

Your health is way more important than a few stretch marks.

I do understand being bugged by them. I was for a long time, but they are what they are.

Oh ! I have them, too, between pregnancy and gaining and regaining weight over the years. I still look better than I did before losing 90 pounds.

My stretch marks are horrendous. I got some turning red and some a dark purple. The big white ones are making the skin stay lose and they have wrinkles in them from the weight loss. The only thing I tell myself is that I don't HAVE to wear a bikini and they are hidden except to me and my husband. My husband loved me fat and now he loves me and my stretch marks.

I do lotion them up EVERY single night. I haven't stuck to any one lotion because none have made them fade yet. I just started using Mederma stretch mark cream on Sunday. I have also used St. Ives, Bio Oil, Cetaphil Cream, Cerave lotion, Nivea Skin Firming, Palmers Oil and a host of others. I had a coupon and splurged on Mederma. It is kind of pricey. If I see any results I'll let you know.

My opinion? Stretch marks are way easier to hide under clothes than obesity is! Not to mention, your entire body will thank you for being fit! Don't worry about it!

By the way, I also have stretch marks. I find they tend to fade with time. Also, they are much less noticable when I am using the Jergens tanning lotion or just getting more sunshine.

I feel for you, stacygee. I know how you feel. My boyfriend is super supportive and really only he and I have to see them. I think I am more upset about having to look at them than I am about anyone else seeing them, strangely. I think I hate the idea of doing damage that can't be undone, no matter how superficial.

Thanks for checking back in about Mederma, I appreciate it. I tried Bio Oil when I got the ones on my stomach, but I didn't notice a difference at all. Also, it left oil stains on tops, pjs, camisols, blah. Lately I have been using cocoa butter but I haven't noticed a change.

I have heard that fraxel lasers are supposed to fix things up somewhat, but just how much of my body could I have lasered? We're not talking about a facial scar, after all. It seems ridiculous at a certain point, and kind of embarassing.

I'm currently in Asia, maybe I should look into some products here? The unfortunate thing I've read is that creams don't work because the damage is to the skin structure, not the first few layers like a rash or a zit or a sunburn.