AIBU to think stretch marks have ruined my life

I think you need a bit of perspective, you will have statistically improved your life and your health by losing weight. Social media photos aren't real, they're all filtered and air brushed.

I had bright red stretch marks just from growing at 17, I was tiny, size 8 and did a lot of exercise. They fade to silvery lines with time and then disappear IME. My boyfriend at the time thought he'd scratched me 😂he was just happy that he hadn't inflicted them!

Am I being dim, are you saying you have stretch marks from losing weight? Surely it's the opposite and before you were bigger and you had stretch marks, both of which you didn't like and now you've got rid of one thing you don't like (the bigger) so you are down from 2 things to 1 thing so that is a win - hooray!

Can you elaborate on what ruining your life means. How does it affect you day to day; is it that you want to post photos on social media and you can't or are you naked a lot? Because if not, how often are you showing the area from your pubic area up to your belly button? I think people are struggling with the hyperbole of the comment.

Stretch marks do not ruin lives. Bereavement, cancer, major accidents, addictions etc ruin lives. FFS

I look at social media and their holiday photos from this summer…just perfect skin.

Why are you comparing edited and carefully curated photos of other people to your 'raw footage' in the mirror?

Obviously you'll feel unattractive if you're kidding yourself that people on social media are indiscriminately posting random photos of themselves and aren't editing them or choosing the most flattering ones.

The average person isn't posting pics of their flaws and imperfections on social media, so you're not comparing like with like.

Use bio oil everyday. They will fade and it will help with preventing more

I’ve got some from weight gain during pregnancy, on my boobs and stomach.
I certainly don’t love them and I can’t get on board with all this twee bullshit about loving them because they house my babies and allowed them growth - it’s all crap.
My dh has dc and he hasn’t ended up with stretch marks.
But I do just accept that they’re there now and there’s fuck all I can do about them. I still wear swimwear on holiday that would enable anyone that looks at me to be able to see them. I don’t have any negative comments made to me about them.
I think I’m just indifferent about them. I have them in the same way that I have fingernails and eyelashes.

If you really feel this way, then what is ruining your life is your lack of confidence and your fixation on how you look. Yes, many or most of us are impacted by how we look. But to claim stretch marks as life ruining is outside the bounds of normal and healthy. I would genuinely recommend finding a therapist to talk to about this, you won’t be happy until you change how you feel about yourself.

That's a very extreme way to view something that's incredibly normal. Maybe take a step back from social media.

If stretch marks are the biggest problem you have, then your life is a very long way from ruined.

I've had them all over my arse and thighs since puberty (never gained significant weight, I was just a tiny skinny kid and womanly hips hit suddenly). I've long, long ago stopped caring, and they've long ago faded to silvery lines.

They are really no big deal.

Your disordered thinking is ruining your life, not your stretch marks or what weight you are.

There are plenty of happy, fulfilled, confident loved women out there with all sorts of bodies. It is not your body that needs to change but your mindset.

I have plenty, hips, boobs, thighs.. I've had 3 DC. I know plenty of people who haven't had DC and also have them. There is nothing to be ashamed about, nothing at all. You should learn to love them, not feel as though they are ruining your life. Stop looking for a cure and learn to love yourself and the body you're in. Stretch marks are beautiful! 💜

I have really, really bad stretch marks (3 kids plus significant weight gain, then loss). Genuinely they don’t bother me at all. I feel like maybe I should be bothered, but I’m not. I look good clothed, and that’s how most people see me!
Are you the poster who was really worried about loose skin if you lost weight?
What aspect of your life in particular have the stretch marks ruined?

I’ve got big red stretch marks all over my tummy from having a baby. It is what it is…

social media is so heavily edited no point comparing to them

It's a mindset. I have stretchmarks, scars, a deformity. My body functions well though and I am very grateful that it is mine. Never once have I considered my life ruined.

Perhaps change your mindset too?

There are plenty of things that can ruin your life….terminal illnesses….debilitating health conditions…..living in an abusive environment……or a war torn country ……honestly? ….stretch marks do not come into this category ……you need to find a way to live with them OP and be grateful that’s your biggest worry

Do people really think it's helpful to be so bloody rude?

The OP clearly has self esteem issues regarding the stretchmarks so comments about cancer and "grow up" are really just nasty and unhelpful. Does it make you feel better to be so spiteful? If so, maybe take a long hard look at yourself.

Fine to be disappointed with them, sure it is disappointing. But is “ruining my life” hyperbole or do you really feel that? If so you genuinely need to work through that.

Bit dramatic.

Don't be ridiculous. In what way are they ruining your life?
I have loads and don't give a shit.

Perhaps try and take half a step back. If you were most focused on weight then lost weight then focused on stretch marks then what is this telling you about your way of thinking and whether it is helpful to you? If you 'were able to fix' your stretch marks as in your OP then what would happen next?

Good luck.

I agree with this. Can you explain how they have actually ruined your life?

Things that ruin your life are cancer and the death of a close one.

Grow up.

I developed stretch marks over most of my body just going through puberty, so I have lived with them for most of my life. I used to be extremely self conscious, thought no one would find me attractive, even tried laser procedures to try to remove them (didn’t work). I had them on the backs of my knee area and back of upper calves as well and even though I have nice legs I refused to wear shorts. As it turns out, no one I dated cared whatsoever. I’m now in my 40s, happily married to a man who calls them my ‘tiger stripes’, wear shorts with reckless abandon, and honestly care very little about my stretch marks now!