AIBU to think stretch marks have ruined my life

[Wantachangefor2024]

I posted my first ever thread two and a half months ago. I weighed 15 stone. In these past few months I have lost two stone. However, instead of feeling more positive, I have stretchmarks that run from my pubic area right upto my belly button. All on my bum and thighs. How many of you ladies out there have them this bad? I look at social media and their holiday photos from this summer…just perfect skin. I feel like I’ll never be attractive, I’ve read up about every “cure” out there and this is something it seems can’t be fixed.

What is RF?

Shock horror the woman who stands to make money from your insecurities acts like they're a massive deal to make you feel worse and spend more. She only stands to profit from you feeling bad enough to have them Lasered more.

I really recommend having a look at this Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebirdspapaya?igsh=MXV4b2RmOXkybTZ2Zg==

I don’t have them as haven’t had children nor lost a big amount of weight. I do have cellulite though and my calves (legs) could look better.

The women I know who have them just embrace them.

Can i have you as a friend because I shouldn’t be searching for things on instagram that then sets the algorithm to stick it in my face constantly. Dumb.

Now to go from dumb to dumber - I’d never thought of it like that as I couldn’t put that in the mind of another woman. I felt so small and a freak in how she said it to me not just what she said. Maybe something I should have blown off, I’ve instead blown up to be a huge deal in my head.

OP your posts make so so sad, because you are so horrible to yourself. Have a read back, can you imagine saying another person is shameful, unloveable, dumb, etc?

Honestly, stop spending money on beauty treatments and start spending it on your mental health.

So true I’d never think or say those things about another person, yet I do it to myself on a daily basis.

When I’m being more insightful and reflective, I thought i was over depression, but obviously not. I saw a therapist for quite a while but she just let me talk. She never gave any feedback. As you can tell. I benefit from reassurance or I’m even very open to constructive criticism.

You’ve had some good advice already OP but just wanted to add, don’t worry too much about what a potential man may think. I have stretch marks on the bottom of my tummy from pregnancy, only 5 months postpartum so they’re still quite dark, I’m not bothered about them as I just see it as my body got bigger, my skin had to stretch, I don’t love them but I don’t hate them, I don’t even really think about them in any way at all they are just a part of me the same way my eyebrows or my arms are. BUT my husband actually likes them, he tells me he finds them quite sexy! So it’s definitely not a given that any man would think negatively of them x

It is genetic, whether you get stretch marks or cellulite or not.

I just remembered the guy I dated for a year had them, stretch marks, as he’d lost a lot of weight. It didn’t bother me to be honest.

I just wanted to say well done on losing the weight, and I hope you'll keep going to a point where you are healthy and happy and fit.

It's a hard-won achievement, and you should feel proud of yourself.

Ruin your life? Unless you are an underwear model and it's your only source of income AND your employer is refusing to work with you because you have stretch marks, I don't see how it would ruin your life.
Posting flawless pictures in your bikini online is not a requirement for a life. There is also photoshop, if you must.
What ruins your life is your inability to see how utterly normal it is to have marks, moles, scars, acne and cellulite and that it makes literally zero impact on anything unless you let it.
ETA: and that includes having sex with men. I had a male flatmate in my 20s who summed it up quite well: most men are just blown away by the fact you actually agreed to have sex with them. They are not half as fussed about our bodies as we think.

Radio frequency. Helps to stimulate collagen and improve skin appearance.

Absolutely and I have a whole library of funny animal videos I can send you. Instagram is much nicer when you just go for the cute stuff.

You're not stupid, it was horrible and manipulative thing for her to do but her whole business is making people think they're less than, or that there's something repulsive about them and that giving her their money is the answer. Like I say, my partner has stretch marks, I still think he's hot. I've no doubt the right person will think you are too.

I think you sound amazing to have been strong enough to lose weight and to be on the way to achieving your goal. Focus on you and what you've achieved and be proud! So you have some stretch marks, but anyone that's put off by them is truly not worth your love and is not good enough for you. Only someone that loves and accepts you as you are is worth your time. I'm rooting for you

same here. All over breasts from puberty and later teenage years got worse. Like you I spent a small fortune on creams trying to get rid of them to no avail. Like you the skin is torn and textured.
I'm old now but they still piss me off. Nothing can be done though so you just have to accept it.

Everyone has these, I even noticed an actual underwear model on the M&S website has them. They’re perfectly normal. There is no way to fix them but they’re not something to let yourself worry about - life is too flipping short. Congrats on your weight loss!

I have loads of them - I am only short so when pregnant, everything stretched right out. From pubic area all the way to under my boobs.

I then lost a lot of weight and had lots of saggy skin. That bothered me a million more times than the stretch marks. I had a TT eventually, so I only have them from pubis to tummy button now. But now I don't care, wear bikinis etc. No one faints (that I know of) and I no longer give them a second thought.

It's my skin and I live in it.

Honestly I think you should own them. That said I’m the same about cellulite and my
lumpy thighs. I’ve lost loads of weight but still can’t wear a short skirt or short shorts as my thighs are getting me down so much.

Everyone is different, but my experience of stretch marks is that they do fade. There might be a twinkle of them from certain angles but they definitely fade in visibility and pigment in time

I started mine as a teenager. I now have a lot.

They do fade to silver and are less and less noticeable. As you get older you find new bits of your body to be cross with!

But as a fellow woman with health issues and weight issues, let go of the superficial bits. Celebrate surviving.
Celebrate having legs that hold you up.
Celebrate all the directions your joints can go, and the ability to get up of the sofa without groaning.
If you can make it up the stairs without holding the banister and needing a rest- hooray.

Honestly I’ve had to fight my way back towards mobility, and we should celebrate every little win. That’s so much more important than the texture of our skin.

I’m a small size 6 and have stretch marks so honestly don’t worry about it.
As a side note, I never notice stretch mark on other women, I guess we notice it more on ourselves.