Stretchmarks & Pregnancy
Archived Q&A and Reviews
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Is there anything that works for Post-pregnancy stretchmarks?
Feb 2004After spending money and time applying expensive anti-stretchmark creams during my pregnancy...here I am with buttocks and tights looking like roadmaps! Now I'd like some advice from all the mums with this problem that have managed to reduce the visibility or at least minimize the damage! For instance: is it a good idea to apply gentle exfoliating products in the shower? What about sunlight, will suntan make it worse or better? Even though completely disappointed by the promises of the cosmetic industry I wonder: is there any cream that has really worked for you (or natural oils...anything!?)? thanks a lot BM
sorry....you got taken with the stretchmark cream. unfortunately some people are prone to get stretchmarks. if you're meant to get them, there's not much you can do to prevent or erase them.
that said, vitamin E oil applied religiously during and after pregnancy MAY *help* a bit. after awhile they'll fade to a silvery color (at least that's my experience and i'm fair- skinned) which you will hardly notice.
the stretchmarks will NOT tan. tanning the area will only make them much more noticeable.
i remember desperately hoping that i would be one of those people who were'nt prone to the nasty things and really thinking i had avoided them. what i didn't realize was that they were down there (and BOY were they dark purple!), i just couldn't see the little buggers under my huge belly!
it's 9+ months post-partum now and they're no longer purple but a lovely silvery white. i wear them proudly as a badge of honor and constant reminder of one of the happiest times of my life! --love my stretchmarks--
Stretch marks come from inside and so applying creams does nothing -- I even asked my dermotologist about this. Stretch mark creams are basically snake oil, and I'm always shocked by the lies the makers of these potions state -- ''natural'' remedy makers included. These creams may seem to work because lots of women don't get stretch marks. However, I am of the unlucky tribe so I rely on candle light, one piece bathing suits, and try to cultivate an accepting attitude towards my body. anon
Exfoliate! The routine below is great for pregnant mommy's too!
If you have the red stretchmarks i don't know if this will work for you, but for the other stretchmarks, try this.
Use a good moisturizing wash (not soap) like Shi Kai, or aveeno w/ oatmeal. Go to a health food store, or asian food store and pick up the exfoliating scrub - it's a long washcloth made of some sort of plastic? and you can scrub your back too. Wash w/ moisture wash and use the scrubber!
Trader Joe's has a nice sugar scrub (salt scrubs dehydrate your skin) that's tangerine (smells great!) - after washing, take a generous glob of the sugar scrub and gently rub circles in the problem areas and rinse.
The scrub has wonderful oils that will moisturize your skin well after the shower. Cocoa butter after.
I had pretty bad stretch marks - especially after my stomach shrunk back to normal and this routine got rid of 99% of them! I come from a culture that loves to exfoliate, and i don't think it's as common to do so here, which leads to a lot of the excess skin build up that really are removable...good luck smooth tummy
Stretch marks and thin skin
April 2003Now my son is 14 months and my weight has been back to normal. However, the skin in the area I have stretch marks is very thin and shows wrinkly appearance. Is it ever going back to normal? What can I do to regain the normal skin? I know the stretch marks are going to stay, but how about the thinned skin? I would like to know what other people have done to improve the stretched out skin. Also, I appreciate any advice on stretch marks! Thank you very much. Ugly belly
Only one product has been scientifically proven to thicken skin and build collegen and that's Retin A. It is only available by persciption and is very, very expensive. All the other creams that are advertised in women's magazines are bogus. Personally, I think the best answer for those who are self concious about their wrinkly ''mommy skin'' is to wear a one piece bathing suit. Helene
What can I do to prevent stretch marks?
July 1999I have a question regarding stretchmarks. I am 33 weeks along with my first pregnancy and just recently discovered what I believe are stretchmarks on my lower abdominal area. I have regularly attended to my entire front side with Palmer's cocoa butter-based lotion since the first trimester, hoping to minimize the possibility of actually getting them, but lo and behold, there they are! Does anyone have any advice about what I can do right now to prevent the stretchmarks from becoming even more noticeable? Should I just give up and let nature take its course?
Everything I've read suggests that stretch marks are genetic. I'm afraid you're stuck with them. They do fade over time, though. I had my baby almost a year ago and my stretch marks are silvery. I suspect the lotion companies try for a few extra bucks by attacking our physical self-image. Believe me, I don't look at my stretch marks as abadge of motherhood. Let's face it -- they're ugly. But since there's nothing I can do about them now, I just ignore them.
I don't think that stretchmarks are genetic. My mother has so many of them and I gained 37 lbs during my pregenancy and didn't get any at all. I strongly believe that the oil I used prevented me from having them. It is called Mother's Special Blend skin toning oil and softens/elasticizes your skin beyond what I thought is possible. It absorbs really fast and never sticks to you like shea butter does. The ingredients are: almond oil, pecan oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and Vitamin E. 8oz cost around $9 and last for three months if you use it twice a day. I started with this oil at the end of my fifth month and used it up to three months after birth. (Shrinking back can also cause marks). I just don't know where to get it anymore, because Goodson's Healthstore in Berkeley was bought up by some chain store which doesn't carry it. Maybe Wild Oats or Whole Foods has it. Anyway, the manufacturer is Mountain Ocean, Box 951, Boulder, CO 80306.
Don't give up. I did everything I read, including olive oil, cocoa butter and a host of other creams that were specifically for stretch marks. All I know is that I can still wear a bikini. I have some and feel that my rituals may have helped some. There is no way of knowing how it would have been had I not taken the extra effort then. One thing I didn't try is eating lots of oranges. I read that somewhere. Keep up at least what you're doing and keep your weight under control. You'll at least minimize the formation of stretch marks.