Stretch Marks!!

[mogdor]

Hey everyone, first post here. I'm a 31 year old guy from the US and have very bad stretch marks all over from being on prednisone long-term. I'm pretty sure I have it worse than most of you so I definitely feel your pain! Anyway, I've been reading through the thread and it's giving me hope, though I gotta admit, some of these remedies sound pretty complicated, not to mention painful! For now I'm just trying out this bio-oil stuff I found at walmart, anybody have any success with that?

[kraym]

quote]Hey everyone, first post here. I'm a 31 year old guy from the US and have very bad stretch marks all over from being on prednisone long-term. I'm pretty sure I have it worse than most of you so I definitely feel your pain! Anyway, I've been reading through the thread and it's giving me hope, though I gotta admit, some of these remedies sound pretty complicated, not to mention painful! For now I'm just trying out this bio-oil stuff I found at walmart, anybody have any success with that?[/quote]

Mogdor,
First off, as for your bio-oil question, sorry no, I haven't heard anything convincing about its effects. But I wanted to chime in that I share your issue... 6 years of prednisone use left me ripped head to toe with stretch marks as well. I've been off the drug for 4 years, and still feel like I'm seeing new ones everyday, but my doctors think it's largely due to the weight loss I saw after going off the drug. It's hardest during the summer when it feels like literally everyone else can expose gloriously normal skin; it gives me moments of feeling truly disfigured. And it angers me that this isn't a side effect that my endocrinologist reviewed with me prior to prescribing the drug. This forum has been a godsend, allowing me to look past the current marks and into the future of normal-ish skin. I've been doing the dry brushing, emu oil, and copper peptides and seeing some results. Nothing remarkable. I want to start TCA peels, but I'm motivated to finish losing weight, and with all the sweating and friction that come with the exercising, I feel like the TCA-affected skin would be more injured. I need another 6 months to whip myself into shape. I'm assuming that's necessary based on what I'm reading here. Anyone routinely jogging, swimming, etc. while doing peels?

My other strategy that I'm thinking of introducing is to try to replicate the castor oil wrap method, but with a health club twist... I read that heating pads (like those used in the method posted on the long hair forum) get to around 175 degrees. Since I've tried that method and it's a huge pain to get all my various body parts coated in oil, wrapped in plastic, then strapped in heating pads (such a great look, btw, which inevitably guarantees unbidden visitors to ring your door bell), I didn't keep up with that strategy. But sitting in the dry sauna at the health club made me check out the temp... 175 degrees! I'm thinking that post swimming, I can lube up with castor oil, park myself on a towel in the sauna, and roast for a good 20-30 minutes with the hope that castor oil will have some positive effect on my marks.

Just a note, you're not alone with this. I'm sure there's a lot of us as prednisone is a highly prescribed drug.

[RK]

Hi...


Well I kind of thought 'why not' when J told me to try once more... I took the bottle of TCA I had left (Oh - I didn't get it from platinum skincare, I read the bottle - it's from Yavonnae. Not sure if I've said this already but wanted to be honest). Anyway - the percentage was 100% - not wanting all the hyperpigmentation I got from the last set of peels (which I still have) I diluted it down to about 30-40%. I applied it only to the backs of my arms to start with - this area is now almost completely peeled & nothing has improved A few days after doing that peel - I received my Retin-A 0.1% from Pharmacy2u (3 tubes). I took the newly diluted TCA (the backs of my arms hadn't peeled yet) & applied it to my tummy (which has been looking a bit worse recently), biceps, & hips. Because the backs of my arms have now almost finished peeling without result, I don't expect the other areas to be any better either.

HOWEVER - I'm now applying Retin-A everyday to certain areas (all the areas mentioned above, plus breasts, bum, & knees).

This is expensive but it's not something I've actually tried before & it is the only internationally lauded product that can help, so..... I don't have the money to afford DeepFX at the moment, so.......

Again.. I'm also considering ordering Trilastin to apply over the top of the Retin-A, but am a bit undecided now...

I will also continue doing TCA peels (if this lot doesn't cause my hyperpigmentation - it didn't frost at all at this percentage, so I don't think it will).

Unlike my previous post where I said I'd use the dermaroller with the Retin-A, I've decided not to, as I had too much irritation with the Obagi 0.05% & roller when I tried.

I still want to get some more Accent treatments done.

As for the guys with stretchmarks all over their bodies. Please do not worry TOO much. If you're after an airhead like someone of Beauty & the Geek, then, yeah, you probably wont get one, but for the average (and still beautiful) girl, it really wouldn't be a problem. Trust me.

I look okay with clothes on, have been asked to model etc but with clothes off about 50-60% of me is covered in marks too - perhaps more after the pregnancy... & they do cause me a lot of day-to-day trauma.. but guys generally don't notice them, or don't care & don't say anything when it comes to 'bedroom' time. I think the only thing that pisses them off is obsessing over them to them (so that they're forced to notice). & I'd imagine that would work the other way round too.

& Tracy - I'd love to know what the 6 month verdit on the ACtive FX treatment was too.

Many thanks,

Rhianna

[Guest]

Hi...


Well I kind of thought 'why not' when J told me to try once more... I took the bottle of TCA I had left (Oh - I didn't get it from platinum skincare, I read the bottle - it's from Yavonnae. Not sure if I've said this already but wanted to be honest). Anyway - the percentage was 100% - not wanting all the hyperpigmentation I got from the last set of peels (which I still have) I diluted it down to about 30-40%. I applied it only to the backs of my arms to start with - this area is now almost completely peeled & nothing has improved A few days after doing that peel - I received my Retin-A 0.1% from Pharmacy2u (3 tubes). I took the newly diluted TCA (the backs of my arms hadn't peeled yet) & applied it to my tummy (which has been looking a bit worse recently), biceps, & hips. Because the backs of my arms have now almost finished peeling without result, I don't expect the other areas to be any better either.

HOWEVER - I'm now applying Retin-A everyday to certain areas (all the areas mentioned above, plus breasts, bum, & knees).

This is expensive but it's not something I've actually tried before & it is the only internationally lauded product that can help, so..... I don't have the money to afford DeepFX at the moment, so.......

Again.. I'm also considering ordering Trilastin to apply over the top of the Retin-A, but am a bit undecided now...

I will also continue doing TCA peels (if this lot doesn't cause my hyperpigmentation - it didn't frost at all at this percentage, so I don't think it will).

Unlike my previous post where I said I'd use the dermaroller with the Retin-A, I've decided not to, as I had too much irritation with the Obagi 0.05% & roller when I tried.

I still want to get some more Accent treatments done.

As for the guys with stretchmarks all over their bodies. Please do not worry TOO much. If you're after an airhead like someone of Beauty & the Geek, then, yeah, you probably wont get one, but for the average (and still beautiful) girl, it really wouldn't be a problem. Trust me.

I look okay with clothes on, have been asked to model etc but with clothes off about 50-60% of me is covered in marks too - perhaps more after the pregnancy... & they do cause me a lot of day-to-day trauma.. but guys generally don't notice them, or don't care & don't say anything when it comes to 'bedroom' time. I think the only thing that pisses them off is obsessing over them to them (so that they're forced to notice). & I'd imagine that would work the other way round too.

& Tracy - I'd love to know what the 6 month verdit on the ACtive FX treatment was too.

Many thanks,

Rhianna

I'm so sorry Rk that it does not work on you. Perhaps you should post something on skinbiology's site to see if Dr Pickart has any suggestions as to why you would not get any improvement?

It must be really disheartening to hear other people having success with it when you are not. I hope you find an alternative that does work.

J

[cr]

Hi Kraym,
I exercise on a daily basis and do the TCA peels. I think that it is best to follow the advice of the person who had success with TCA and she stresses the importance of not sweating during the application and peeling stages. Nonetheless, my lifestyle is highly active and it is impossible for me to remain sedentary for that long. I would never want to encourage actions that would make someone's skin even worse, this is simply my experience. I have not had any problems with the outcome of my skin while exercising during the peeling process. However, from the time of application and the 7 to 8 days it takes for my skin to start peeling the skin is very sensitive. I try my best to do low-impact cardio during this phase, and do more weight-lifting, etc. I did make the mistake of bicycling for an hour just two days after I applied a 20% TCA peel and the skin where I had applied the peel had developed small bumps where beads of sweat had accumulated underneath the skin. Sorry, I know it is gross, but just to forewarn you of the complications of sweating while doing these peels. Thankfully, these bumps disappeared after 2 hours of inactivity. It probably isn't the best thing for me to do, but my skin still continues to improve with each peel even though I exercise regularly. Also, twice a week I use the wet sauna, I try and minimize my time in there and I apply emu oil on the skin that is peeling. Again, it is probably not the best thing for me to do, but so far so good. If you do choose to start using peels, you may want to first experiment with glycolic acid and see how your skin responds with this peel while exercising. Again, this is just my experience and in no way want to encourage more harm than good, so please follow your discretion and take it slowly and cautiously. Also, I wanted to add that for the men that have stretch marks, I have never heard a woman complain about men's stretch marks, even the super hot women. Being that the majority of women have stretch marks, I think that we are more consumed with our own marks. I see men at my gym who develop stretch marks from weight-lifting and I would never consider them less attractive because of them. But, understandably, we all want to remove our marks and fortunately there is hope for the removal. All the best, CR

[american]

I saw this on another site and thought id post it....

You can't peel away stretch marks! Why would anyone have a tummy tuck when they can just buy a bottle of miracle acid that removes stretch marks? BECAUSE you can't burn off a stretchmark, thats why. Stretch marks are comprised of skin that is deficient. It has sustained an injury that did not cause a wound but it left the skin void of glands that secrete dna. So why would anyone want to burn this skin if it is in disrepair? The secret to getting rid of stretchmarks is to work on getting the skin back to good health by forcing it to secrete dna again. You can smother a stretch mark with silicone pads or even tape (not recommended because you can get silicone in scar kits). By cutting the air supply off to the stretch mark you are forcing it to hydrate itself through sweating. There are glands and folicles but they are very weak from being pulled apart but they can be repaired! The more you commit to doing your own treatment on these marks using silicone scar patches,.wearing them to bed and under clothes, the faster you will see promising results. Some stretch marks however are very deep and cannot be smoothed over due to atrophy. When we speak about skin miracles we are always addressing skin that has not suffered huge atrophy (loss of firmness from weight gain/loss/regain). If the skin is taut and has elasticity and the marks are not measurably deep, you can get a good result by using the silicone (suffocation) method. If your skin can produce sweat and oil and grow a folicle, it is capable of 100% recovery.

[Guest]

Hi Kraym,
I exercise on a daily basis and do the TCA peels. I think that it is best to follow the advice of the person who had success with TCA and she stresses the importance of not sweating during the application and peeling stages. Nonetheless, my lifestyle is highly active and it is impossible for me to remain sedentary for that long. I would never want to encourage actions that would make someone's skin even worse, this is simply my experience. I have not had any problems with the outcome of my skin while exercising during the peeling process. However, from the time of application and the 7 to 8 days it takes for my skin to start peeling the skin is very sensitive. I try my best to do low-impact cardio during this phase, and do more weight-lifting, etc. I did make the mistake of bicycling for an hour just two days after I applied a 20% TCA peel and the skin where I had applied the peel had developed small bumps where beads of sweat had accumulated underneath the skin. Sorry, I know it is gross, but just to forewarn you of the complications of sweating while doing these peels. Thankfully, these bumps disappeared after 2 hours of inactivity. It probably isn't the best thing for me to do, but my skin still continues to improve with each peel even though I exercise regularly. Also, twice a week I use the wet sauna, I try and minimize my time in there and I apply emu oil on the skin that is peeling. Again, it is probably not the best thing for me to do, but so far so good. If you do choose to start using peels, you may want to first experiment with glycolic acid and see how your skin responds with this peel while exercising. Again, this is just my experience and in no way want to encourage more harm than good, so please follow your discretion and take it slowly and cautiously. Also, I wanted to add that for the men that have stretch marks, I have never heard a woman complain about men's stretch marks, even the super hot women. Being that the majority of women have stretch marks, I think that we are more consumed with our own marks. I see men at my gym who develop stretch marks from weight-lifting and I would never consider them less attractive because of them. But, understandably, we all want to remove our marks and fortunately there is hope for the removal. All the best, CR

That's really helpful feedback cr! So how often are you doing new TCA peel? You do the peel on day one and for that day the next 7 or 8, you focus on exercises where you're not sweating much, then crank up the activity after your peeling starts?

[cr]

I do the peel every two and a half weeks or so, depending on how long it takes for the skin to fully peel. You are suppose to wait 4 to 5 weeks, but after reading J's posts I decided to speed it up because my skin has responded so well with very little irritation. Yes, I try to stick to as low-impact cardio as I can and less intensive strength training. Yes, once the peeling begins, I kick it up a notch and do my regular cycling, running, etc. Although, it is advised to not exercise during these phases, this is the best compromise for me, and I have not had an adverse reaction. All The Best, CR

[Guest]

hey! i've read quite a no. of posts on tca and ga. i bet these will help.. just need dedication. a suggestion ppl.. do try castor wraps atleast on less deeper marks. i tried it for about 2 weeks or so and saw 10 to 15% improvement. it was just a trial. the marks shrunk on the calves and the ones on the back(the horizontal lines as many have) fainted and shrunk too. i had to discontinue bcoz my exams bt will start next month. i would be glad if it helps someone...tc

[Guest]

I do the peel every two and a half weeks or so, depending on how long it takes for the skin to fully peel. You are suppose to wait 4 to 5 weeks, but after reading J's posts I decided to speed it up because my skin has responded so well with very little irritation. Yes, I try to stick to as low-impact cardio as I can and less intensive strength training. Yes, once the peeling begins, I kick it up a notch and do my regular cycling, running, etc. Although, it is advised to not exercise during these phases, this is the best compromise for me, and I have not had an adverse reaction. All The Best, CR

Hi cr

I have noticed since that the areas that improve the most are the ones I leave longest before I do them again. Also like I said in the past, stopping the peeling process for as long as possible gives you better results too. I am taking a break for a few weeks now maybe 1 month then i will start again.

J

[Guest]

I saw this on another site and thought id post it....

You can't peel away stretch marks! Why would anyone have a tummy tuck when they can just buy a bottle of miracle acid that removes stretch marks? BECAUSE you can't burn off a stretchmark, thats why. Stretch marks are comprised of skin that is deficient. It has sustained an injury that did not cause a wound but it left the skin void of glands that secrete dna. So why would anyone want to burn this skin if it is in disrepair?

It isn't a miracle acid by any stretch of the imagination!

It takes a lot of time & effort to do. Which will take months of healing & peeling & a lot of sacrifices in this time. You can't do certain things. Need to be careful about sweat getting onto the peeled/peeling area. Have to avoid friction/bangs on the peeled area etc, etc. Whereas a tummy tuck can be done much quicker & only need to be done once!

The other factor is far too much loose skin around the tummy. Acid can shrink some of it back in, but not all. Not everyone who goes for tummy tucks does it to remove marks. It's to excise all the loose skin, if marks happen to be there, then they'll go as well. Trade off it a big scar.

What if you don't have marks on your tummy with loose skin. Say on the back of your knees with no loose skin around them.

To the last part. Marks ARE wounds. Only difference is they go from bottom to top, while a scar will go the opposite route. You don't burn off the stretch mark. You burn off the top layers of skin. When new skin grows back, it comes in fresher & healthier. It won't come back at 100%, because the marks are deeper down. Which is why you do as many peels as necessary. It's like using a chisel to chip away at it slowly piece by piece. You keep stripping off the top layers of skin. New fresher skin comes in to replace it. TCA stimulates new skin growth & also collagen production as well. This can take months (even up to 6 months).

The more peels you do in the sohrter period of time, the better results you have. You need to strip the skin down as far as possible. A deep peel will give you better results, but also increase chances of hyperpigmentation & in some cases, scarring. So you do lesser strength peels at quicker intervals. Your supposed to wait 6 weeks before doing another TCA peel. The problem is that the skin has grown back fully in this time. So depending on how quickly your skin has recovered, try & do one every 3/4 weeks if possible.

[Guest]

Hi cr

I have noticed since that the areas that improve the most are the ones I leave longest before I do them again. Also like I said in the past, stopping the peeling process for as long as possible gives you better results too. I am taking a break for a few weeks now maybe 1 month then i will start again.

J[/quote]

Hi J,
Thank you for your insight. I actually did my last round of peels for a while. I get a little impatient at times, especially since I am going on vacation in a few weeks. I will give my skin a break for a month and then begin again. I agree that breaks definitely speed the healing process along. Plus, my stretch marks aren't nearly as visible when I leave them alone. Thanks again! All the best, CR

[rae ann]

hi J

as for your improvements are they areas of your stretch marks that have completely gone and look just like the other skin that does not have stretch marks?

[Guest]

hi J

as for your improvements are they areas of your stretch marks that have completely gone and look just like the other skin that does not have stretch marks?

I got rid of some stretch marks using the filing method. I now think they must have been new stretch marks as most simply improved but did not go. Since using tca they have all improved, though some areas are a little bit slower than others, but none have actually gone yet. However, I have not been using it that long, so I suspect that given time it will remove them all as the improvements so far have been excellent.

J

[Guest]

hi J,

is the TCA and olive oil the only things that you are using at the moment?

im extremely short on cash at the moment and im desperate to start a routine as soon as possible as my sms are severe and it is going to take a while to get rid of them, so i best start as soon as i can. my only problem is i can just about afford the TCA and olive oil/emu oil. is this enough or are any other creams needed?