Stretch Mark Cream: What works (or waste of money)??

[Cupcake83]

Ok so I am pregnant with #1, about 9 weeks or so according to Dr Google.

In a vain attempt to prevent stretch marks I have been lathering Bio Oil and Palmers cocoa butter (not together) all over my boobs, back, hips and tum for a while and wanted to see what others are using/have used in the past and most importantly if they are any good :)

I'm aware that regardless of what I smother myself in I may still end up with stretch marks - but at least I tried right???

[turbulenteddy]

I wonder if anyone over 35 gets them?

I got stretchmarks on bum, thighs and calfs during teenage years, a couple of years after periods started. I guess I must have put on a bit of weight suddenly. So, I assumed I'd get them during pregnancy.

I didn't, but I was 39 when I got pregnant, so I have also wondered if age makes a difference. I went to 42 weeks too, and was expecting them to appear every day in the last weeks.

I was using every nice natural oil I could get my hands on, taking the most expensive vitamin and oil supplements I could find, and had 10 years of yoga strengthening of my abdominal core behind me. Who knows if any of those things made a difference.

[dementedma]

cocoa butter and vitamin e oil and no stretchmarks on belly after 3 DCs.
got a few faint silvery ones on thighs and boobs but hardly noticeable. Am always really shocked at the vivid tiger-stripe ones in documentaries or glimpsed at gyms or swimming pools. maybe I was just lucky.

[moregranny]

Being a very caring mum and suffering really bad strech marks myself I gave my daughter mama mio for boobs and tummy as soon as I knew my beautiful grandaughter was due, 7 weeks, unfortunately it did not seem to help at all, I think it is all down to genetics, but once you have your beautiful baby you won't care about the damage they inflicted :)

[ayearoverdue]

I had no stretch marks until 37 weeks then they started creeping up my tummy, by 42 weeks my tummy was covered. I did use a variety of creams during the pregnancy and didn't have any sudden weight gain. I think it's a mix of genetics and luck.

[Indaba]

my GP was adamant that stretch marks start internally...nothing to do with outer epidermis

like celluite creams...all rubbish

[33goingon64]

I was very lucky and got through having DS with no stretch marks at all on my tummy and the ones on my boobs seem to have gone now (a year later). Might not be so lucky next time. Oh, I didn't use any creams btw.

[vanfurgston]

Not pregnant or ever been but jst to add to the genetics thingy, I have had stretchmarks since I was 12 yrs old , so definitely genetics.

[molly3478]

I was 23 with DC1 and am now 31 weeks pregnant with DC2 at nearly 28. I havent got any but I dont really get big only a bump, also didnt get any as a teenager but was always slim so I think that is more to do with it. I havent used any creams at all.

[Ilovekittyelise]

I ate beautifully (everything fresh, beautiful and bursting with vitamins), avoided caffeine, kept well hydrated, and used bio-oil as well as various body butter and moisturisers. i also take every vitamin and mineral imaginable. i swam, daily, throughout pregnancy. one day, they just appeared. i don't honestly think this is something we can control....

[lottiegb]

Molly, being slim as a pre-teen and teenager didn't stop me from getting stretch marks at puberty. Changing body shape and being fat are not the same thing. One more vote for genetics.

[molly3478]

I dont know if it plays some part as I am only 7 stone normal weight at 5foot 3. I am also 7 months pregnant and only weigh 8 stone 9 at nearly age 28 so I thought with me it makes a difference, not sure though. Do think it might be genetics as well as I am naturally very small built.

[lottiegb]

I think it's about what sort of skin you have, not size or weight. I also scar easily and retain thicker scars than other people (there's a term for that which I can't now remember).

See many comments above about young, slim people gettig them, older ones not and so on - the only discernable pattern is randomness.

[MrsBradleyCooper]

I put Bio Oil on every day from the day I found out I was pg, and had no stretchmarks right up until 39 weeks - then they all appeared at the end!

I genuinely don't think anything would have stopped them tbh.

However, after the birth my husband very kindly bought me a tube of Strivectin (I asked for it - he's not that insensitive!), and I really cannot recommend it highly enough. It reduced so much of the redness and helped to sort of plump out the "grooves".

It's only a treatment for existing stretchmarks though.

[MrsBradleyCooper]

link

Warning: It's not cheap!

[catinboots]

ANother vote for Strivectin for damage control.

I used it on horrendous stretch marks and can't believe the results.

[ShaysLou]

I used to work with a big cosmetics company and have read quite a bit if research into stretchmark creams. No cream claims to prevent them, to be honest no one cream is really better than the other in terms of prevention.

For reducing the apperance of them, one you have got them, some creams do have their merits however.

The best way to avoid getting SMs is to drink a lot of water, skin needs to be hydrated inside and out. Avoid caffeine.
Use a moisturiser daily (to be honest any rich oil or cream will do, the cheap ones are just as good as the expensive ones providing they are not watered down). Make sure you massage the creams / oils in well.
Eat avocado, nuts and natural oils. These will all nourish the skin from the inside.

I gave this advice to my sister prior to her pregnancies and followed it with mine, and between us neither of us has a single stretchmark.

However genetics does have a lot to do with it too!

[pluckingupcourage]

I think that strivectin and retin-A can help to improve stretchmarks after pregnancy, and perhaps also laser therapy? One day when I can afford them I'll have a go.

[CountessOlenska]

I was quite old and had a giant baby; no stretchmarks

I used Mamma Mio products and found them lovely. No idea if worked or not, but they made me happy.

[kittycartier]

I used Clarins Body Treatment Tonic oil and didn't get any stretchmarks (and I was HUGE!). Could've been due to the oil and would use it if I was pregnant a second time, but unsure if that's the reason I didn't get any.

Think if you're going to get them then then cream/oil etc just keeps the skin in better condition.

[Flow77]

I absolutely adore Kimberly Parry's Belly Butter .
It's fully organic (USDA certified) and smells so delicious I almost want to eat it :)

I didn't think it was for sale in Europe but actually found it after a long struggle at amazingy.com

[pilates]

I used wheatgerm oil and so did both my friends and we never had stretch marks. You used to be able to get it from the Body Shop not sure if you still can, quite cheap too.

[MrsLister]

I've been using Palmers Cocoa Butter every day for about 15 years and am going to carry on doing so throughout pregnancy. I have a few silvery stretch marks on my hips from putting on/losing/putting on weight in my teens/twenties but nothing too bad.

My stomach is already bloody massive (I carry my weight there) so won't have to do that much stretching!! sob

[NotMostPeople]

Clarins huille oil , I used it for all of my pregnancies, including for the younger two who are eleven months apart and I have no stretch marks. I still buy it every now and then as the fab smell reminds me of them being babies.

[moaninlisa]

I have some on my thighs from my teenage growth spurt.
So fully expected to get them with pregnancy
Slathered on Palmers cocoa butter twice a day also drank loads of water
Went from 8st 7 to 11st 3 at the end
But not a stretch mark in sight
Worth a try...it's reasonably cheap too.

[OneLittleChicken]

I asked a dermatologist once while I was in hospital having a mole removed, he said he had been debating that very week with his colleagues whether cream/oil can prevent stretch marks and none of them knew for sure... I used it religiously on my stomach with all three pregnancies and had no stretch marks. I forgot to put it on my boobs during my first pregnancy though and got some horrible ones!