Stretch Marks with weight gain/loss??

[Babygurlzallthat]

My highest weight was 278 and Im currently at 257 and holding. I have 3 children but have never had a single stretch mark in my life EVEN after 3 kids. My problem is since losing over 20 lbs in a month Im getting this very faint looking stretch marks on the very underside of my arms right before arm pits, and noticed 2 very light stretch marks on my tummy today. Most of the weight I have lost was from my belly. I knew you could get stretch marks from getting larger but didnt think I would start getting them as I get smaller.

Anybody else experiencing this with their weight loss? You cant even really see them but I can feel them when I touch them. This is really bothersome for me. I was so proud of my tummy after 3 babies and Id hate to lose my nice pretty skin to stretch marks NOW!!

[EBONY POETESS]

Girl My daughter tore me up! I had them but when I got pregnant they were enormous and everywhere
They even bust open on my stomach!
Talk about uncomfortable
I used mothers friend but she turned out to be my enemy so it didn't work
I don't think anything works for stretch marks but surgery and time

[jerZguy]

Have you tried Vitamin E?

[Knib]

There are some new creams on the market that can try to restore your skin to its elastic level. The stretch marks began with the weight gain. They don't show up until you lose weight because they are over a wider area.
I too thought I didn't have any except for on my tummy from pregnancy but 40 pounds has shown me that I was wrong. I am using a stretch mark cream and I am getting pretty good results. They are tightening up.
Hope that helps.

[Babygurlzallthat]

Thanks! I use a good daily multivitamin. When I was pregnant I was itty bitty and never gained more than 9 lbs during my pregnancy. I have had 3 children and each time I NEVER had stretch marks afterward. I was a tiny lil thang after my 3rd child so I know it wasnt from being pregnant but I did gain over 100 lbs couple years ago and in under 9 months because of depression and medications I was on etc. Im sure the quick weight gain and of that amount of weight caused me to develop these hidden stretch marks but I am SO not looking foward to losing weight and becoming a watermelon looking belly.

I have had them on my breast since age 12 because of my 36 DD breast at 11 years old but they are very light and faint. Im really scared that if I lose all the weight Im trying to (100 lbs) that Im going to be nothing but stretch marks.

My sister who has 2 young children has tons of them on her tummy but she was a size 3 and is a size 6 now since kids. She has tried almost every cream on the market. She has paid alot of money on creams and nothing seems to work for her. Im going to invest in a couple good creams so wish me luck!!

[Knib]

Baby~ try the Curel- Daily Moisture Therapy Lotion: Age Defying and Firming. It is inexpensive and worked pretty well to help recreate the elasticity in my skin.
The other that I have used but its pricey is the Nutrius Advanced AntiAging and Stretch Mark cream. It works well on the small stretch marks.

Tell your sis that I saw a specialist for my tummy stretch marks and there is no fixing the really bad ones. I had two boys in 16 months one 9lb 15 oz and one 10lb 14 oz and it ripped me to shreds. Stretch marks run up and down all the way across and are over 2 cm. wide. I was a size 6 when I got pregnant with the first one. So... I either have to have surgery or live with no bikinis. I may have the surgery because they also herniated my abdominal muscles. Waiting to see if I can tuck some of it back in with exercise.

I was amazed that I looked worse after losing weight for a while. Give your body time and it does come back for some people. Mine is to an extent.

[debpierre]

Brace yourself... Truth is coming....

Stretch marks are hereditary. If you are going to get them you are going to get them.. You cannot stop them.. So don't beat yourself up over it. When your skin is "stretched" you usually don't see the stretch marks (I like to call them "cougar marks".. I can.. I have them too!). When your skin is unstretched you will see them. I have seen women that have never been overweight in their life have stretch marks and I have seem someone lose over 100 lbs and not have 1 stretch mark... Now with that being said, you can speak with your dermatologist and depending on your complexion, you may be able to "lighten" your marks up some. One of my girlfriends actually "tans" herself so her "cougar marks" aren't so obvious.

Whatever you do.. Good luck and don't worry about them..

[Babygurlzallthat]

Yea the stretch marks I have always seen on friends and family are darker in color and very visable. The 2 that i just recently developed are VERy light and probably not even visible to other as they are to me. I cant even see them unless I tug or pull on the skin on my belly. Im not a really fair complected person but my sister is VERY pale and red headed to boot so hers I assume show up alot more because of her skin color.

I guess once Im thin I need to be happy that I will have lost all that weight and focus on that instead of stretch marks. I would rather have stretch marks and be thinner, healthier and more active than be fat and have great pretty skin and unhealthy.

My blood pressure was actually DOWN the last dr visit which is great because it normally is around 170/110 and it was 128/78 when I was there last. Im stuck at the moment in weight loss but my gym has been closed for over a week for remodeling. Today was my first day back and it felt SOOO good lol

THANKS for all the advice and info. I will try all the suggestions. I try to moisturize few times a day anyway.