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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Stretch marks - is there anything you can do to prevent and/ or cure them?

53 replies

justiner · 01/07/2003 11:23

Hi all,
Am approaching the depressing subject of stretchmarks for the forthcoming Mums on Pregnancy with a weary heart and a laddered belly. Anyone got any prevention, cure or cover up tips and if not can anyone tell me how to live with them?

OP posts:
TheOldDragon · 01/07/2003 14:08

Stop eating NOW!!!

Actually, I got them on the tops of my legs at puberty so I do realise it's not just a pregnancy thing

pie · 01/07/2003 14:11

I quite like the idea of small people though. I have often said to DH that I never wanted DD to grow up, that I could force her to smoke, stunt her growth and the make a super light neon sign that would sit on her head notifying all those who couldn't see her due to her size that she was there.

So she would have no stretch marks and be my baby forever.

I think DH called the doctor quite soon after that episode

TheOldDragon · 01/07/2003 14:12
Grin
aloha · 01/07/2003 14:18

I wonder if the cause is partly hormonal?

josiejump · 01/07/2003 14:47

I remember reading that you were less likely to get them the older you were, and also that zinc intake could help to prevent them. I know I didn't get any even with my twin pregnancy at age 35, so maybe theres some truth in it?

fio2 · 01/07/2003 14:49

well I was 21 when I had my 1st and got loads-so maybe age has got something to do with it

fio2 · 01/07/2003 14:50

1st child not 1st stretchmark!

Bron · 01/07/2003 15:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tinyfeet · 01/07/2003 15:36

I agree with some here that it is genetic, although I think it odd that some people have them on thighs, but didn't get them on stomach. I have a bunch and they are deep red - horribly ugly. I put Palmer's cocoa butter on my belly and below the bikini line every morning, but they didn't really prevent the lines. I heard that Mustela (?) makes a good cream. Has anyone tried that??

aloha · 01/07/2003 16:22

did a bit of research. There is a hormonal connection - the hormones that loosen your ligaments do so by softening collagen. This happens to varying degrees in different women (hence Pie's awful SPD). it also softens skin collagen, so it is more vulnerable to tearing when the skin is stretched by weightgain or pregnancy or adolescence. Retin A cream and lasers have been shown to be effective at reducing stretch marks, but work best when they are still red.
They are also inherited.

lilymum · 01/07/2003 16:52

Interesting about hormones. I had SPD pretty badly 2nd PG and got horrendous stretch marks on belly. Post-natally was told by serious obstetric physio that when I had completed my family, I could qualify for skin surgery on NHS if the tone of my skin remained bad!!!!!

Just don't think there is anything realistically that can be done to stop them. I have a friend who is oldest of 10 children, and his mum swears she hasn't a single stretch mark. Aaargh! I'm so jealous!

spacemonkey · 01/07/2003 16:54

lilymum, that's interesting, I have wondered about paying my GP a visit and asking him about plastic surgery on my belly, but always think it seems to frivolous a request. I wonder what they can do though - can only assume it's skin grafts??

lucy123 · 01/07/2003 17:01

Blimey, skin grafts?

I wear my strech marks proudly as the war-wounds they are. They did put the midwife off her stride a bit, though and I never did wear bikinis.

But I'm not sure about the Retin A cream: DP made me buy some v expensive cream with Retin A which i used from when they first started to show. If it made a difference I dread to think what those marks would look like!

aloha · 01/07/2003 17:29

I suspect it wasn't proper retin-A as that's prescription only - it's serious stuff and not usually recommended in pregnancy. Retinol is different. I think he must have been talking about a tummy tuck to draw up the skin and reduce the area of scarring. I don't have stretch marks on my tummy but wouldn't wear a bikini as my flab is just as worth hiding!

spacemonkey · 01/07/2003 17:45

I wish I could wear mine proudly, but they are quite bad, and have had a seriously negative effect on my self-confidence. I know it's vain and silly, but I can't help feeling hideously ugly when I see myself in the mirror.

lucy123 · 01/07/2003 17:52

You could be right Aloha - it was from a Spanish chemist's so I'm not sure (and I've thrown away the box). Prescription-only means nothing here though.

Space-monkey I was being flippant. I think I would be very bothered by my strech marks if it weren't for the fact that my translucent and blotchy skin prevents me from wearing a bikini anyway. I might try it is high waist, low legged bikinis come into fashion!

Bron · 02/07/2003 10:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lilymum · 02/07/2003 14:26

It was a tummy tuck that the physio was referring to - I'd jokingly mentioned that I was relying on plastic surgery as the only thing to get my tummy back to some semblance of normality, and she seriously said it was an option. My belly was so bad 2nd time round that I actually had midwives wincing when they saw it!!! And they're supposed to have seen it all!!!

suzyj · 02/07/2003 16:09

not a sensible suggestion or anything but story that always makes me smile when I survey the crepey mass that is my belly: a friend's young son (aged 3 at the time) saw the silvery marks on his mum's tummy and asked "Was it a tiger that got you, mummy?". She said, "No, it was your sister". He said, "I bet you smacked her for that". It's making me laugh even as I type this!

Linnet · 02/07/2003 22:37

I have stretchmarks on my breasts and hips from puberty, they're all silvery now and I never give them a second thought. I didn't get any stretchmarks on my stomach when I was pregnant, not sure if I added any to the other areas as I wasn't paying that much attention, but I don't think I did. When I was pregnant I used cocoa butter cream from Tesco's every day after my shower, whether or not that helped or if I'm just one of the lucky ones I don't know. I'm hoping that I don't get any on my stomach next time round but we'll see, I'm prepared for almost anything.

anais · 02/07/2003 22:39

I didn't have any with my first pregnancy, and I only have 4 from my second (thats a bit feeble isn't it?). I love my stretch marks as they are testiment to my pregnancy. Learn to love them, that's my approach.

patriciaebbs · 30/05/2015 13:36

I am so late on this thread but I wanted to share a product that I used for anyone else who comes across this hoping to find some good answers.

I tried a lot of things after my first child to help lose the weight and avoid the stretch marks. An expensive combination of Bio-Oil and a personal trainer did help! But that's not a realistic thing to keep doing as more kids = many more expenses so after my second i ended up trying this:

www.landyschemist.com/mustela-stretch-marks-double-action-150ml

I had heard of the brand from a french friend and I think it's expensive for a cream whilst the packaging os not the most desirable but the results are simply amazing. this cream helped to firm up my tummy and I don't plan to have a third but if I ever did then I would go straight for this cream again!

Hope this helps someone out there someday!

na5ima · 30/05/2015 14:32

I'm 40+5days and I've not got any stretch marks.. I started using bio oil before trying as I was worried I will be getting stretch marks.. I mix and match.. I used mama mio, bio oil, olive oil and tummy butter by palmer.. So I don't even know which one is effective lol
I used bio oil at night and mama mio during the day.. For the first 3 month but after it was more oil base and now it's mixture of bio oil and olive oil.. All the best Smile

Cheshirehello79 · 31/05/2015 18:44

I've always used Palmers coco butter it's brilliant in making your skin soft and good for stretch marks I apply every night after shower or bath - I also use bio oil you can get the 200ml bottle of group on for £9.99 bargain . I've also discovered new mum to be treat my friend got me it its champneys blissful baby bump package ( it consist of shower cream that prevents and massage bump/ stretch mark oil/ sheer butter that prevents stretch marks etc) it's lush and £20 . Hope that helps

ConnieGriggs · 10/06/2017 12:06

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