Getting rid of stretch marks

[brina]

In my freshman year of college I rapidly gained about 20 pounds, which unfortunately caused the skin on my inner thighs to develop stretch marks. They aren't too noticeable because I'm in better shape now, but if I stretch the skin under the right light the marks appear silvery. Has anybody had any luck getting rid of these?

[bobalina77]

I see ads on tv all the time for Bio Oil.. says it's supposed to get rid of stretch marks. You could try that I guess.. but really, is anyone gonna be stretching the skin on your inner thighs in the right light to be able to see them?

[Ajax]

Moisturizing every day helps but I've never been able to make mine go away completely. You can always foundation to cover them up if you're really concerned.

[Aussie Willy]

Welcome to womanhood. It happens to all of us. Like cellulite.

[Veronika]

If they only look silvery when you stretch the skin, that's not too bad. I have had tons of stretch marks (first from puberty, then from gaining weight) and most of them are faded. The texture of the skin will never be the same--AFAIK, the only thing that gets rid of stretch marks is surgery (removal of the skin.)

I think cocoa butter can help, but that's more for preventing stretch marks from forming.

[Nekatiivi]

I think there is not mutch you can do once you have got them. I think it is because some of your deeper layers of skin have "broken".

My thigst are compleatly covered to stretch marks, got them when my puberty begun even thought I was very very thin and lean. They were burning red at first, nowadays they are same colour as my skin but it still looks bit wierd and ugly. It is not so ad, once you get used to them...

[barbk]

Once they're silver I don't think that there is a whole lot you can do -- but they're really a lot less visible than you probably imagine. If they're bright red, a dermatologist can zap them with a laser -- almost to the point of blisters -- and that can get rid of a good deal of the redness, though the healing from a deep laser treatment can take eight to ten weeks (during which time it looks worse than before.) I understand that there is a different laser treatment that is more diffuse and may have a shorter recovery cycle.

[DynamicMutation]

Barbk is right...once they are silvery it is too late. Generally the topical solutions like Bio Oil, cocoa butter, and other moisturizers work only on the red (fresh) ones.

Consider them a reminder of those 20 lbs and then forget about them. I have many more than you and some are in much more visible places than my inner thighs . You'd be surprised how many people have them, though!

[Anita18]

Barbk is right...once they are silvery it is too late. Generally the topical solutions like Bio Oil, cocoa butter, and other moisturizers work only on the red (fresh) ones.

Consider them a reminder of those 20 lbs and then forget about them. I have many more than you and some are in much more visible places than my inner thighs . You'd be surprised how many people have them, though!

EVERYBODY has them. Well, aside from the truly lucky ones who've got strong skin layers. But women of all shapes and sizes get them. Seriously. I'm underweight and have been all my life, and I have stretch marks all over my thighs and butt. It looks like a cat tried to climb up them. I looked like an anorexic stick pre-puberty and gained 15 lbs during puberty...and it all went to my upper thighs.

I think they're awesome though, because it totally tears down the stereotypes about who gets stretch marks. "You think only overweight women get stretch marks? Well check these out! "

[John 3 17]

Barbk is right...once they are silvery it is too late. Generally the topical solutions like Bio Oil, cocoa butter, and other moisturizers work only on the red (fresh) ones.
<snip>

If Bio Oil or cocoa butter is used on new, red ones, does it get rid of them or just help them turn silver faster? TIA!

-Bridget

[Jodi]

I have some stretch marks deep enough to look like scars (yeah, they *are* scars, but you know what I mean) which aren't massively attractive though I don't worry about them, but I think the silvery marbling across my belly and hips is actually rather beautiful

[orbitz]

Judging from the Octomom bikini pics on one of the tabloids, she somehow got rid of her stretch marks. Either that or the mag's photoshop department was kept very busy for that cover shoot .

[Satellitegirl]

Trust me, if someone is close enough to your inner thighs to see the stretch marks, it won't be the stretch marks they're concerned with

[bobalina77]

^^

[barbk]

A 6'2, 120lb. skinny, skinny friend of my daughters got stretch marks on her back. Her dermatologist told her it was genetic. (This kid is skinny to the point that people worry about anorexia, and she's never been even close to normal weight for her height.)

[MOIJTO]

Sadly nothing much, they do lighten over time but never go away. Excess weight and pregnancy being the biggest culprits but not always!