Has anyone EVER managed to prevent stretch marks?

[carlablack]

I want to know if it's possible for someone to avoid stretch marks using creams and oils. I have them everywhere but my belly. Mom says she avoided them by applying creams but then again, she doesn't have any stretch marks on her body.

Has anyone who had marks before managed to prevent them from happening during pregnancy? If it's not possible I won't bother with creams and all...

[Napqueen1234]

I didn’t get any but my family and I aren’t prone to them. I did use the secret saviours support belt which is meant to help- not sure if it did or not but it was a lifesaver anyway with the big bump for support! I wore it every day and used the Creams religiously and was sceptical about it but one day when I didn’t wear it god I ached a lot! I am a nurse so on my feet all day but I would 100% recommend a support band anyway to all pregnant women!

[Drivingdownthe101]

For the people who say ‘it’s definitely genetics’, that doesn’t really explain why I didn’t get them with my first, did with my second and didn’t get any new ones with my third!

[Molocosh]

I soaked myself in expensive cream and still got stretch marks. My mum used nothing and got none. I was a small baby so I think that’s what made the difference. My body is ruined now, I have to stay covered up all the time.

[Cheesecakejar]

I haven't heard of any miracle cure to avoid them but if it helps my deep red ones faded really fast and are not that visible now, 18 months later.

[pjmask]

I think it's hormone related. I saw them under my boobs before I even knew I was pregnant. The size gain had been no more than a normal period.

[doadeer]

They are genetic. I used oil twice a day religiously and I was absolutely riddled with them everywhere. My sister used oil less and didn't get a single one.

They occur much deeper in the skin than cream penetrates

[fiadhflower]

I think it might be luck of the draw. I have some stretch marks on my hips from my teenage years, but nothing from pregnancy. I did use an organic oil - no idea if it helped but it did help with the itching. I am tall and bump measured along the 50 percentile mark throughout pregnancy. Was overdue and had a slightly bigger than average baby.

[Ginfilledcats]

I used bio oil twice a day and kept incredibly well hydrated.

My belly is covered in purple stretch marks. I hate it but no one bar my husband will see that part of me anyway and it's a sign I carried my baby into this world.

As others have suggested, its entirely genetic. I only got stretch marks in the last 8 weeks too

[cliffdiver]

I used Bio Oil twice a day and didn't get any.

My mum didn't get any.

[TooMinty]

I think it's genetic. My mum didn't get any with 3 kids, including one fairly big baby. I didn't get any either. First pregnancy I applied Bio Oil, second one I mostly forgot!

[Lockdownmum1010]

I got loads as a teenager. Didn't get any from pregnancy! I moisturised my tummy with my normal cream as the skin felt quite tight and dry, and that's it. Bump wasn't massive though and I lost weight overall due to bad morning sickness so that may have helped

[MeadowHay]

Yes genetics and there's no clinically proven way to reduce, prevent or remove them. I got a few on my boobs during pregnancy but none on my belly. I did hardly put any weight on though other than baby so that's probably got something to do it with whereas I went up a few bra sizes. During puberty I got a few on my boobs and bum. My mum had three kids and has never had a stretch mark in her life.

[cooldarkroom]

I did nothing to prevent them, & have none

[20viona]

I have stretch marks on my thighs from my teens. Didn't get any stretch marks during pregnancy at all. I used lush cream cream and bio oil but maybe once a week at most I just forgot. Think it's genetics but also I had a tiny bump and a 5lb baby.

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

I think it must be genetic, I did bugger-all and didn't get any, my sister used lots of oils and didn't get any, my Mum hasn't got any.

Luck of the draw I guess!

[endoflevelbaddy]

I've had them on my thighs since my teenage years but didn't get any from pregnancy. No idea why but I did moisturise a lot because I was itchy.

[PregnantPorcupine]

I'm not going to count my chickens yet (only 34 weeks) but my mum says she moisturised her tummy daily with Palmer's cocoa butter and avoided stretch marks there, but forgot her hips/thighs so still got stretch marks on them.

My hips are already covered in marks from adolescence.. I've been moisturising all over daily and so far no new ones so we will see.. 🤞

[borntohula]

I got a couple on my boobs and none on my belly with any of my 3 DC. I didn't use anything. 🤷‍♀️

[sarahc336]

I thought they were genetic and to do with your skin so even if you use every cream under e sun if your going to get then you'll get them etc, I know last time I tried everything to stop then and still got loads right at the very end, they just fade over time xx

[tubbatops]

I thought it was hormone related?

[MadgeMak]

I've had two babies, sporadically used bio oil during both pregnancies, more often with my first purely due to having the time and energy to do so. I don't have a single stretch mark. Not sure about the genetic link though as my mum was absolutely covered in them. I did read something once about age being a factor, that your skin is looser the older you get so you're less likely to get stretch marks. No idea how true that is but it does bear out as an anecdotal theory where my mum and I are concerned as she was early twenties when she had her babies, and I was mid and late thirties.

[tubbatops]

Yes @MadgeMak age plays a factor, younger women are more likely to get them.

[november90]

I have stretch marks on the inside of my legs from my late teens (I have no idea why I got them as I wasn't over weight 🙈).... but then none in either of my pregnancies and I had a 9lbs4oz and a 9lbs13oz baby 😬
I used bio oil in my first pregnancy but really neglected it in my second. I did use aveeno moisturiser/oil occasionally!

[User214934514]

A friend used moisturiser religiously on her bump every single day and didn't get a single stretch mark. I didn't do anything and only got a few tiny ones on my hips which are totally faded now.

I think it depends on the speed at which your bump grows and whether you carry high or low. If baby gets a growth spurt "upwards and outwards" then it will stretch the skin too far. My bump was extremely low and grew fairly slowly so my stretch marks were only on the hips where the skin was dragged down by the weight.

[Theforest]

I dont have any - two pregnancies. I always used bio-oil though I think it is genetic. My mum didnt have any, but my brother had horrific stretch marks on his back from growing so quickly in puberty.