What do stretch marks actually mean?

[ruxandra]

I'm starting to have loads of stretch marks.. It's scaring me. My mate says it's because i'm losing weight and my sis says it's because I'm putting on weight..
O.o
I prefer the first meaning xD but hey, tell me the truth what does it all meeaaaan?
:P

thanks everyone! You're all so great...

[not2late]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

I'm starting to have loads of stretch marks.. It's scaring me. My mate says it's because i'm losing weight and my sis says it's because I'm putting on weight..
O.o
I prefer the first meaning xD but hey, tell me the truth what does it all meeaaaan?
:P

thanks everyone! You're all so great...

Stretch marks are scars. Our skin is elastic, in order to accomodate movement. However, it will only stretch so far. When we collect fat, our skins will stretch and stretch. Eventually it will 'run out' of the stretch. In order to accomodate the increasing fat, it will sort of tear in certain stress points. Mind you, the tearing isn't so sudden that you start bleeding, but it's slow enough that your skin will form little scars.

People who are rapidly gaining weight will notice purplish or reddish lines and the marks will be slightly puffy. Older stretch marks are whitish or lighter in color and the texture of that stretch mark skin is thinner than the 'normal' skin. So you'll have to look at those 'new' stretch marks of yours. Are they purplish or reddish? Or are they whitish/lighter and have a thinner texture?

It's possible to see 'more' stretch marks as you lose your weight. Think of it this way, at your fattest you were like a fully inflated balloon. Your skin looked firm and you probably didn't see any, or as many, marks. But as you lose weight, you begin to shrink---just like a balloon that's being deflated---and you'll lose that fat-firmness and you begin to see those stretch marks.

[Elsie150]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

I saw a few more as I lost my weight. Hang in there. And you would know if you are losing or gaining more than you friend.

[Lyssie]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

I thought I got out of pregnancy without any... until I had the baby, then they were all over the place. I needed to be deflated to see them apparently.

[tanyamadsen1974]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

i'll take the stretch marks over my big fat belly anyday! bring on the stretch marks!!! i'll show them off like a badge! (ok, maybe not...) but i do think they are a small price to pay for our health.

[presidentholmes]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Everybody Has Stretch Marks

[ttdriver]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

They Do???

[Profitweb]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

When I was pregnant, I couldn't see my stretch marks because they were under my belly (until my hubby told me one day). So, you may not be able to see them when your big. Plus, when we're big we usually don't take a really close look at ourselves in the mirror like we do when we're getting smaller. That may be why you never noticed them before, but they were probably there. New ones only occur when you're gaining wieght.

[I'mCurvin]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Well.. my input on stretchmarks..=). I am able to see some of mine now. They're white, and around my side and stomach. Not very visible but when I will like lean to the side and stretch my side, it's more visible. So it totally makes sense that you have to "deflate" to see some of them. You get them when you lose weight, and you get them when you gain weight, or just grow fast.. a lot of young teens get them in their breasts and then when they grow taller they tend to get them in their inner thighs. I went through Anatomy and Physiology and stretch marks have something to do with hormones as well.. the fibers that come together and break apart with certain hormones (I don't exactly remember the whole lessons, but it was totally interesting). Anyways.. there ya go.. lol
Sara

[presidentholmes]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Yes they do!

[jcapulet]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Oh stretch marks...that's what got me on to weight loss in the first place. I've NEVER had purple stretch marks, and started seeing them on my tummy. That told me right there, that I better get my arse in gear and do something about it. I started South Beach, went from 182 to 176..then decided to try Atkins and found I like it much better.

They're not purple any more. I have lots of stretch marks on my body, they're all white. And I agree with tanyamadsen1974, I'd rather have stretch marks than fat!!

[Lisa M]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

I consider my stretch marks as heroic medals of honor....2 kids and 28 pounds (gone) later.

[ttdriver]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

I must have the most elastic skin in the world because even after gaining 48 pounds with a pregnancy, I have NO STRETCH MARKS. Not to mention gaining 40 pounds when I hit 40 ... still no stretch marks. If I showed you my abs, you wouldn't believe it.


Betty

[Quitstretchin']

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Ruxandra,

You are not alone...I can't imagine too many people without them...some worse than others of course. I have tons!!! And I have ALWAYS noticed mine...from the prepubscent ones to the "I ate too much pizza and icecream" adult ones! My most recent ones have come from the rapid weight gain in the past year. The ones from my adolescent years are white. The most recent are redish-purple.

I've tried a lot of things to get rid of them. I've tried micro-dermabrasion and most recently, sandpaper. Yeah, it sounds rough (no pun intended) but it helps. I was actually told about this "off the record" by the esthetician doing my micor-dermabrasion. Some dermatologist had done a study using fine sandpaper and chemical peel combination. Seemed to work well according to his results. My esthetician said that they had been discussing it in their staff meeting and the closest a lay person could get to doing this was with an electric sander, fine grit sandpaper, betadine cleaner and if you can get access to it- salon strenght topical chemical peel. Otherwise, she suggested Retinol or Retin-A.

I tried the sandpaper part...hurt like a . After the redness and tenderness went down, they were less noticable. I was told you have to do it every couple of months for an extended period of time for best results. At the time, I didn't have Retin-A. I may have gotten better results. I also didn't keep doing it.

NOTE: I am not suggesting this or endorsing this way of removing them. This is just a way I learned about and something I was crazy enough to try.

My plan is to get a tummy tuck after I lose all of this weight (been promised it as a gift from hubby). That will remove a lot of the stretchmarks on my lower body and stomach. I also plan to get the smaller ones removed too by small incision (ones on my inner and outter arms and legs). I went for a consultation some time ago before the new stretchmarks, so the quote may be different now.

Couldn't tell you not to worry about them, because I know how appearance driven our society is. I will say that I would choose them over the fat stomach and hips they sit on!

They Do???

The majority of people have them ttdriver. Many would say you are lucky to not have any.

[LC_Dave]

Re: What do stretch marks actually mean?

Stretch marks are from your body getting bigger than the skin can tolerate at that time.

They are not from losing weight.

I once foolishly thought this!

I got my first stretch marks at age 18, when I wnet to work for McDonalds and I ate the food there everyday.

I would be very confident that when I say this, I would have more stretch marks than 99.999% of you guys on the board.

I got so many that the stretch marks joined up. So literally, everywhere on my troso (everywhere) has a stretch mark. Even in the arm pits, they then branched out and met the love handle marks, when they met my belly marks, that then shot up under the man boobs, then they joined up with the fat wings on the back etc.

eEah it's not a pretty site.

So I don't dream of one day going to the beach without my shirt one, because that is never going to happen for me.