Stretch marks/secret saviours

[Undomesticgodde55]

I know stretch marks are mainly down to genetics, but I'm still attempting to reduce them by using bio oil which has helped with scaring in the past.

I keep getting advertisements for Secret Saviours, its like a support band with creams and gels. Looks expensive (over £60 in total) but loads of reviews online saying it's brilliant. Does anybody here who has used this have impartial views? TIA

I used it both times from 12 weeks every day and have no stretch marks. Hard to know if that’s luck or the band of course but if I have a third I’ll wear religiously again. It’s also quite comfortable anyway to feel supported a bit (for instance during my first pregnancy I went to the gym a lot and was glad I had the band on).
Only thing to note is that you’ll likely need two bands. I started on small and went up to medium at about 30 weeks. Most people need two sizes.

Hi OP. I had the same with my first pregnancy. I had quite a lot of stretch marks on my thighs/hips from puberty/growing quickly as a teen so really wanted this to work.

I religiously applied the creams and wore the band(s) but still got stretch marks, lots of them!! So didn't work for me sadly.

I think the product probably does help a little bit but I'm of the 'you're going to get them if you're prone' camp. That said, the band itself was a nice support when my bump got bigger so not all lost.

Just had DS2 a week ago and didn't bother with the bands or the cream this time too busy chasing a toddler!

I don’t know about the product but would listen to the advice about genetics and embrace it. I had terrible stretch marks in teenage years from growth spurts and so prepared for the worst in pregnancy but didn’t get any. I didn’t apply anything daily but just when I felt like it, rubbed a bit of palmers butter and talked to the bump!
This product sounds like an expense that is better spent on something else to me.

It is not only genetics but creams won’t do it. You can wait until the end and then apply once baby is out and protect them from sunlight for a year.
I got 0 with my first pregnancy. For this one I was already overweight when I started and I just got them at 37 weeks 😫😫😫😫😫
Damn.

I used Secret Saviours every day from 14 weeks, and I’d also smoother on Palmers tummy butter after a shower before bed and applying the Secret Saviours night cream.
Didn’t get a single stretch mark - as mentioned above not sure if it was luck or the band, but I personally would recommend it and would use it again next time round. I also needed two bands, but again I’d say it was worth it as they’re comfortable and help you feel supported.

I haven't used the band but am 32 weeks with second pregnancy and haven't had a single stretch mark despite being a little overweight too. I have them on my legs from teenage years but for whatever reason my tummy has been unaffected. I use burts bees mama bee in my tummy after a shower every night.

Gut feeling is that the band would not be able to trump your susceptibility to get them.

If I had used it I probably would have thought it’d worked amazingly because I got zero stretch marks on my bump but my bum/hips/thighs are covered. Luckily I didn’t waste my money since this is obviously just how my body deals with pregnancy.

I’ve read that using creams is pointless because the skin damage happens too deep for anything being rubbed on the surface to make any difference.

I got bad stretchmarks on thighs and hips in teen years (despite having no hips at all...)
My mum also got very very bad stretchmarks in pregnancy.
I used the band from about 16 weeks and didn’t get a single stretchmark on my tummy. I got a few very faint ones on my boobs.
I personally preferred using it with neals yard pregnancy balm and bio oil. I (rather irrationally with hindsight) took it all very very seriously. I was lucky to work from home quite a lot so would absolutely smother by body in balms and oils. I may not have managed that level of constant hydration had I needed to be in a suit on the tube last summer.... I also drank so much water and lots and lots of fruit and veg.
All in all I’d recommend the band I liked the support it gave and the routine it enforces to protect my skin.

Didn't work for me during my first pregnancy. Used it religiously along with other belly butters and oils from about 6 weeks and still ended up with stretch marks. They're not horrendous and have faded a lot now anyway so don't really bother me but I really don't recommend Secret Saviours. Total waste of money really. Not sure if stretch marks are genetic as many people say as my DM doesn't have them neither does my Dsis (who is on the very large side to put it nicely) but I have them everywhere....legs, bingo wings, boobs, stomach, love handles and bum. I'm pregnant again with DC2 and will use oil etc just to help with how they look but I expect to get more and have resided myself to the fact you can't prevent them, just make them look a bit better.

Lots of mixed reviews then lol. I may just stick to bio oil, both my mum and sister have stretch marks so I'm just doomed to get them

If you get stretch marks when your weight fluctuates then you probably will get stretch marks that correspond during pregnancy. A lot of marks only turn up after pregnancy as your bump deflates

I got loads, but none at all until 37 weeks and then I got loads literally overnight.

I think it's genetic, OP. Doesn't help that I'd put on 3 1/2 stone, though...

I've also seen this advertised and am unsure if to try or not, currently 8.5 weeks pregnant so some time to consider. I previously had a bad back so was thinking of getting something for support anyway - for those of you that used it, did you find the back part wide enough / I've read some reviews that said it rolled down easily.

I may put it on my Xmas list (along with maternity PJ's and a maternity pillow ) how rock and roll am I!!

Yeah I agree, I think entirely genetics.
Whilst I got loads of stretch marks during teenage years, I had a massive bump and no stretch marks during pregnancy! I was quite surprised! But then I don't think either my sister or mum got stretch marks during pregnancy either. I used baby oil, but I doubt that worked.

I smothered myself in bio oil twice a day and didn’t get any so I’d recommend sticking with that. I don’t know about genetics as I actually have quite a few on the top of my legs from pre-teen growth spurts but I do have a long torso and had a distinctly average sized baby at 38+6. Also this doesn’t have any scientific basis but just an observation that my friends that got a lot of stretch marks all went significantly overdue and/or had big babies.

I have lots of stretch marks at the top of my legs from a teenage growth spurt, so I was very worried about pregnancy marks. I used bio oil and the secret saviours thing and can happily report no stretch marks at all! If you're quite slim the band likely won't fit till the 3rd trimester, I didnt show till 28 weeks so used it from then.

I used it and didn't get any stretch marks (have them on my bum and thighs from puberty) though my bump was pretty small and my DM didn't get any with me - I had an ELCS at 37+2. I only started using it (small) at around 28 weeks, and sized up to a medium at about 31/32 weeks.

The science behind how it is supposed to dissipate pressure across a larger area made sense to me (I'm a scientist) and there is a clinical study backing it. It may not prevent them, but the study showed that those who still got them didn't get them as badly. Whether it's worth the investment is going to come down to personal preference though - to me, it was worth the expense but if you're not that fussed about stretch marks then you might feel that it's not worth it.

@Weathergirl1 yea I saw the clinical study but I'm always a bit dubious when the company funds the study themselves. But from what everyone has said independently it sounds like a good product, even if it just reduces stretch marks and offers a bit of support.

Elemis oil! Is incredible expensive but worth it.

I'd save the money and buy a BB hug me pillow instead. My best ever pregnancy investment!!

I’ve been wearing my band since just after 12 weeks so over 2 months. I saw it advertised and was dubious, as genetically speaking I should be prone to stretch marks from pregnancy. However I then saw it advertised in the hospital whilst waiting for my scan so invested and I LOVE it.
Whereas other Mums to be who are due around the same time are starting to experience itching I haven’t had a thing and actually find the band really comforting.
I didn’t really have a bump or anything for the band to cling on to initially so the band did roll underneath but it didn’t really bother me.
Will definitely be purchasing the size up
When/if the time comes.
Xx
PS. The creams smell delicious

I ordered one, general feeling I have got from comments on here and online reviews is it's worth ago. I'll tell you all how it goes in June

I've got white tummy stretch marks because my weight has yo-yo'd for years but more have come that are dark since about 20 weeks. I've been using the Palmers stretch mark cream and they've definitely faded quicker than they would have done otherwise.