Dd (9) has purple lines on her legs, similar to stretch marks, any ideas???

[Marne]

Dd1 is 9, slim and very small for her age, a month ago I noticed a few lines on the tops of her legs ( just above the knee) they go across and look like purple lines, they almost look like stretch marks but I'm pretty sure they are not as she is skinny and has not put on weight to cause her skin to stretch, she has gone up taller ( slight growth spurt ). Are they some kind of stretch mark or something else???

They could be, I've had stretch marks since about that age as well, and I was always tall and skinny. They faded to silvery eventually and you can barely see them now. I think it was my growth spurts that did it.

Growth spurts can do as can some other things like cushings.

Should I get her to use bio oil ? I'm worried they will get worse :( I don't want her to be upset about having them, she has Aspergers and is quite sensitive about a thing that might make her more different.

I have them on my legs from growth spurts. I was slim as a child but it's the growing upwards that causes the stretch marks. They do fade.

Nothing helps so don't bother with bio oil, is she upset by them? I'd just be inclined to tell her they will fade and it's what people get when they grow.

I had stretch marks around this age, when I hit puberty properly I ended up with huge ones on my thighs, hips and breasts. They have faded completely now but I can see it would be good to prepare your dd as they were bright red and purple.

I can't see how the bio oil can do any harm, but I wouldn't say it was a cure.

I have stretch marks from puberty.

DP has them on his knees (horizontal lines, indicating vertical growth).

They'll fade to white/silver eventually and probably only be noticeable if she has a tan.

I have loads from puberty too, all over my backside and inner thighs, but I don't "see" them anymore.

I vaguely remember reading years ago that if you swim lots (as I did as a child) it can make you more prone to them, I guess because the chlorine dries out the skin?

My DS and my brother have them across their backs.

Could it be livedo reticularis? The pictures on google show quite severe cases but mine is milder.

Oops clicked send too soon - they're purple and very thin. Does this sounds like what your DD has?

My sister got them across her lower back aged about 13 and was sent for all kinds of investigations to find out what they might be. One doctor thought they were some kind of fungal infection under the skin.

I kept saying 'well they just look like stretch marks to me' and everyone told me not to be so silly as she was slim and they were on her back.

And guess what they were Bloomin stretch marks. Very common on growing people who have a big growing phase all at once.

Its not livedo (just googled), they are straight lines a couple inches long, 2 or 3 on each leg (above knee), I think they are stretch marks as she has gone up much taller over the past 2 weeks. She's not too bothered about them as long as I don't mention them (I think I make things worse by talking about it).

glad to hear that tortoise , ds (15) has them across his back and round ribs to the side. Looked like he had been whipped but they do fade . Using bio-oil but not to great effect so far.

My 16 year old son looks like he's been mauled by a tiger because of the purple stretch marks across his back, luckily he thinks they're cool.