I've pretty much just been maintaining my weight lately. I started taking a new medication a while back and it completely threw me off track. The side effects messed up my appetite and my energy level, so I started bad food again (in moderation) and completely stopped exercising. The scale has stayed exactly the same, hasn't gone up ANY at all, but I feel like I'm seeing new strech marks. Is that possible? It's so discouraging.. looking in the mirror and seeing all these stretch marks come up out of no where. My clothes fit the same and everything, so I know I'm not gaining inches, but where are these stretch marks coming from?? Is it just in my head? Were they always there, but for some reason some are just really sticking out to me now? I don't know what to think. I hate stretch marks worse than anything and they're everywhere and I'm not even gaining weight. What is going on?

You know, I noticed something similar today. I am losing at a pretty regular rate right now so I know it's not that I'm gaining inches or pounds. However, my old stretch marks (on my belly from pregnancy is the only place I really have them) have started to get more pink than they were. My wishful thinking is that they'll magically heal and go away, and I won't have any loose skin on my belly but I know that's extremely unlikely. I have no idea what could be causing it. The only thing I can suggest is to start exercising again as much as you have energy for. If nothing else you could lose inches which would keep the stretch marks at bay, I assume?

I'm sorry I'm not more help. It's baffling to me too.

I have had that happen. Usually it's caused (for me) by wearing a new article of clothing or my old clothes in a way that pushes my fat up (or down) in a way that it doesn't normally go. Then my skin stretches and tears to accommodate this new load. It's not pleasant at all. As far as I know, there's no real fix for it, except deal with what you have and try to lose weight.

My stretch marks start out pinkish/purple.Then they turn white,somewhat lighter than my skin.I don't know how it goes with people with a darker skin color.Oh,well.Maybe as you lose weight they'll be less noticeable?With time they'll get less noticeable(in my case,depends on skin color).Not like there's stretch mark inspectors around. My mom would keep her skin very oiled an moisturized during pregnancy and didn't get a single stretch mark.I don't know if that would work for others though.I think that once you get your stripes,they're yours forever.

Zapphire, I think you're stuck with them forever. I used a nice thick cocoa butter body cream and vitamin E oil every single day of my first pregnancy and ended up COVERED in stretch marks anyway. Oddly enough I didn't get more than a few with my second pregnancy, during which I said "to heck with that" and didn't bother with fancy lotions or oils. They do fade to white and were pretty much invisible, but now they're looking pink again for me which is weird. I hope they'll fade again. They're not getting bigger at all, which is all I really care about. I highly doubt I'll ever be seen in a bikini again anyway ... too much loose skin from my pregnancies on my belly.

Yeah,I suggested that as a prevention,but looks like it won't work for some.Maybe my mom was lucky!But like I said,once you get them,you're stuck with them forever.No amount of cocoa butter and baby oil is gonna help that!

That's odd that they're turning pink again.Maybe you're stretching your skin at the same place?I honestly have no idea.I hate stretch marks,but they're stuck with me forever,so I'd rather just not worry about them.

Thanks for responding guys. It just freaks me out every time I think I see a new stretch mark. It's probably all in my head!