Red stretch marks on teenager

[BarbieKew]

My daughter has developed quite extensive dark stretch marks on her front / inner thighs, and is upset as they look a bit like blood dripping down her legs.

I’ve been reading up on treatments and creams and came across Bio Oil, the reviews seem pretty good.

Anyone got experience of reducing red stretch marks or any other suggestions to help?

I had this in the same place when I was about 13.

i did use bio oil. Im not sure how effective it was, probably a bit. Time is all that heals unfortunately.

Do you think the oil made any difference? And how long did it take them to fade? She’s being pragmatic but at the same time they’re in such an unfortunate place.

Don't draw attention they'll fade in time.

I haven’t drawn attention, she came to me as she’s getting more conscious of them even though she accepts lots of people get them. We’ve just booked a holiday and she wants them to fade before we go.

I haven’t told her this but they do look pretty bad as stretch marks go, so I’d like to help her.

Do you know what's caused them/ have you looked into Ehlers Danlos syndrome?

Unfortunately it really is time. Could you look into makeup/ outfits that cover them?

I had these over my hips. They seem a bit alarming at the time but they do fade. You could try bio oil but they take a few years to fade completely. I didn't put anything on mine. They were silvery by the time I was about 16 and faded completely by my early twenties. Fake tan might help cover them for a holiday if she's self-conscious.

She’s put a bit of weight on, nothing major but hit puberty and filled out a bit. It’s not an issue in any clothes, but now she knows she’ll be in swimwear she wanting to do something about them.

Yes both self and dd got them on hips during growth spurts - bio oil will help and agree on fake tan as a good idea.

I have told her they’ll fade but I’m hoping oil or something will speed the process up.

It’s the location of them that’s bothering her because it really does at a glance look like it could be blood. She’s pretty level headed and I doubt she’d be fussed if they were on her hips or outer thighs.

She’s pale skinned so fake tan is a minefield! I think I’ll get her the oil and hope it helps a bit.

My son had them all down his back- bright red. They faded within weeks.

Us too but there is stuff like perfect legs by this works or self tanner for pale skin out there! But it is completely normal, they will fade - I swear DD's just appeared overnight when she was 13 she changed so quickly, and I remember noticing them at some point at about the same age.

I used bio oil, not sure if it helped or not. I had very visible ones down my thighs and over bottom as a teen and you can't see them at all now. They're not like pregnancy ones where they leave deeper lines which are noticeable after going clear.
They did take about 4-5 years to fade though.

She’s not shy about stripping off in front of me and we went swimming a few weeks ago and I didn’t notice them - she reckons they were just starting to appear around then. They’re very very noticeable now, so yes, gone from nothing to angry red in less than two months.

Good to know they’re not like pregnancy ones. I’ve never had them anywhere except my poor ravaged stomach after I’d had her, never fully recovered!

I had similar OP. I had always been tall and thin, but when puberty hit, I stopped growing taller and grew outwards! Boobs, hips and thighs seemed to spring out within months and I got stretch marks in ALL those areas!

My mum, who was always very petite and had never seen a stretch mark, took me to the GP to check what they were! OMG- the utter embarrassment at 13yrs showing the Dr my thighs etc and him explaining it was normal and I'd just grown too quickly! 😩

They are indeed from the skin growing too quickly, stretching and the underlaying structures not being able to grow at the same pace. They do eventually fade to a silvery, wrinkled stripes, but I tried everything to get rid of them. Rose hip oil, early versions of bio oil, and then years later- actual bio oil. Nothing worked and any changes were just the natural skin changes, or me being more accepting of them. I'm mid 40's now and can still see the ones at the top of my thighs and hips- although silvery.

Nowadays, there is laser therapy which can smooth the skin, but I'd guess this is only once she has stopped growing. Silicone gel and strips 'might' help, but I think they are best on raised marks such as keloid scaring, rather than indents like stretch marks.

Sorry this was long OP. I don't know of any treatment that would help if she is still growing and developing more stretch marks. Bio oil is worth a try, even if psychosomatic for her. I do sympathise with your DD though because its a difficult time with this also x

My body was covered in these as a teen. Very red against my pale skin. All over my breasts, inside my upper arms, my thighs from my hips to the back crease of my knees and over my bum.

Then my belly got them in pregnancy.

They are 95% invisible now.

it's often hormonal

Do you mean they might look better or worse at different times of her cycle? Or just general teenagery hormonal?

Thank you. She’s a different shape to me, I had barely an ounce of fat on me until I had kids - making up for it in middle age!! I also had no boobs and was so envious when my friends got big ones - though this was the peak of the wonderbra era so I was saved 😂

I’ve ordered some Bio Oil, happy to get whatever might help.

Bio oil is worth a try. Would she wear board shorts on holiday? My teen dd likes these as she prefers a bit of coverage and they can have a cool surfer vibe.

DD developed quite severe stretch marks after a big, sudden growth spurt aged 15. They were all over her thighs, hips, bum and lower back.

Honestly the only medicine is time! They will fade on their own and there is no need (or proven benefit) to be faffing around with Bio Oil etc. In my eyes that only emphasises to your DD that they’re a problem - they’re not. It’s natural and the vast majority of girls get them.

DD’s completely faded away within a year or two.

@BarbieKew as in a result of hormones. Hence why they occur during teenage yrs & pregnancy, it's not just skin stretching.

I got these on my breasts and hips when I hit puberty, I was so ashamed of them, and I'm sorry to say OP they took a couple of years to fade.

Once they'd faded I was still quite self-conscious about them—I thought no-one else had them, but when I went to see Titanic, I noticed Kate Winslet had them in the nude portrait scene. I was so relieved.

I've used bio oil on other scarring (healed surgical wounds) and maybe it helped! Hard to say, but it's a good moisturizer and smells great. For the sake of feeling like it might help, I'd say it's worth a try - it won't do any harm. Growth stretch marks fade quickly.