Stretch Marks!!

[DGerf]

I've just posted some new progress photos at http://www.stretchmarksbattle.blogspot.com . Progress is slow, but I still am going to give this method a few more months.

I am wondering if anyone else has used photos to document their progress with stretch mark treatments. Does anyone have any encouraging photos to share?

have u given up weight lifting as a result of the marks??are u using tca peels?

I did stop lifting completely for a few months earlier this year as I was trying to get my stretch mark situation under control. A couple months ago I started doing chest exercises again and a couple new ones have appeared in that area, although the older ones have not gotten worse. I am still not doing any arm or leg lifts, because I just know that would cause horrible new stretch marks to appear again. When I find something that works at removing existing marks, I will start lifting again like I used to.

I'm also not using tca or any other chemical peels at the moment. Maybe when I decide that my current method isn't working that is what I will start.

[sk 81]

Hey everyone! I was at Harrods yesterday and they had an exclusive machine on display called Wellbox. I got a brochure since nobody was there at a time to explain the procedure to me. Anyway it's about face and body rejunevation (cellulite, tissue renewal). The main action is based on vacuum and rollers I think (plus something else which I don't remember) and it works mainly on the dermis layer. They don't mention stretch marks but it got me thinking that it might help? The downside is it costs £1000! Apparently, celebrities swear by it. I do have £1000 to spare as I was planning spending them on microdermabrasion treatments, which I doubt I will continue. What do you think? I'm going back again today to enquire.

[Guest]

I've just posted some new progress photos at http://www.stretchmarksbattle.blogspot.com . Progress is slow, but I still am going to give this method a few more months.

I am wondering if anyone else has used photos to document their progress with stretch mark treatments. Does anyone have any encouraging photos to share?

have u given up weight lifting as a result of the marks??are u using tca peels?

I did stop lifting completely for a few months earlier this year as I was trying to get my stretch mark situation under control. A couple months ago I started doing chest exercises again and a couple new ones have appeared in that area, although the older ones have not gotten worse. I am still not doing any arm or leg lifts, because I just know that would cause horrible new stretch marks to appear again. When I find something that works at removing existing marks, I will start lifting again like I used to.

I'm also not using tca or any other chemical peels at the moment. Maybe when I decide that my current method isn't working that is what I will start.

Looking at your marks (the red ones are underlined by old white horizontal ones) which are very faint. I think you could easily remove those using tca for a few months. Obviously this is just an opinion though, but having gone through the GA method myself, I would go straight to tca if you want to use acids. Get advice if you decide to try it though, but its such a small area I cannot believe you would not get significant improvements very very quickly or a complete resolution.

I am now toying with the idea of upping my next tca order to 30% (I know I said I would not but I don't want to lie on here). I am now doing 4 and 5 layer tca on some areas using 20% so am considering that with the next order it would be prudent to move up to 30% and do one layer, then work my way up again. I will do a test area first though if I decide to just in case. I want a quick resolution to the marks and will worry about hyperpigementation afterwards, I don't like the peeling process so do not fancy doing any more multiple peels to each area than I need to, especially if I can avoid it. Anyone who has used 30% and can give advice, well it would be appreciated.

Marks still improving significantly but not gone. I do not want to be on here posting next year so I really want to push now for resolution.

J

J

[Guest]

Hey J, will you explain what you mean when you said you were doing a 4 and 5 layer TCA? Is that a peel on top of a peel with no wait in between?

Just curious
Shoo

[Steph241188]

I am 19 years old and have stretch marks on my arms from my elbow to my armpit, on my legs from my hips to my knees and on my stomach and around the bottom of my back. I feel so embaressed i cant wear thin strap tops, skirts or shorts as i feel so uncomfortable. i have all of these stretch marks cuz i was it hospital for 5 weeks and had to be put on steroids because i was having ashma attacks and i went from a size 12 to 18 in them 5 weeks and am still a size 18. i hate the way i look, when i go to a night club i have to wear three-quarter lenght tops and long jeans or trousers, because everyone looks at you because the stretch marks are so visible and red, i hide all of the time and haven't been in a relationship for almst 3 years because i am so insecure. What should i do? HELP!!

[lauraInUSA]

Hi Steph,
I can TOTALLY understand how you feel! I too have SM on all those areas and I also wear 3/4 length shirts, etc in the summer when it's 90+ degrees (F) and everyone is wondering and asking, "Aren't you hot!?!" - Of course - but I don't want to show my SM.

But - I am going to win the battle and it is not going to interfere with my life anymore. I recently watched a video on YouTube for Nick Vujicic - he doesn't have any arms or legs and he is such an inspiration!!!

Know that God created you and you are beautiful - regardless of the SM! We are wonderful women and can mentally "beat" these!! Don't let the enemy win! We're here for each other.

CR - thanks for your reply - greatly appreciate the kind words and support. I may have time in a year so I'll keep the tca peels/copper peptides in mind.

Thanks so much!!

[Guest]

hi J,

i believe i have fairly tough skin (not sensitive) in the areas where i have stretch marks. i read a post suggesting to use glycolic for a couple of weeks before using TCA but i really just want to hit the nail on the head and start with the TCA (doing a test area first ofcourse).

Do you think the glycolic is necessary for a couple of weeks or do you think going straight onto TCA would be ok? i would of course patch test before doing any larger areas and then start with a low percentage of TCA.

Thanks any help is greatly appreciated

[Guest]

hi J,

i believe i have fairly tough skin (not sensitive) in the areas where i have stretch marks. i read a post suggesting to use glycolic for a couple of weeks before using TCA but i really just want to hit the nail on the head and start with the TCA (doing a test area first ofcourse).

Do you think the glycolic is necessary for a couple of weeks or do you think going straight onto TCA would be ok? i would of course patch test before doing any larger areas and then start with a low percentage of TCA.

Thanks any help is greatly appreciated

I think the idea is that glycolic preps the skin and also loosens the epidermis so that the tca will have more effect. I don't see why you can't start with tca so long as you do a test area and wait 24 hours to see if you have an adverse reaction. Buy a reasonable strength tca (20% say) and water it down a bit, you can get instructions on platinumskincare website on the amounts to dilute it. There is no point buying a really low strength, just buy a higher strength and dilute it down until you skin is able to take it neat. However, please use common sense as I am not responsible for anything you do to your skin, you are.

J

[Guest]

Hey J, will you explain what you mean when you said you were doing a 4 and 5 layer TCA? Is that a peel on top of a peel with no wait in between?

Just curious
Shoo

1 layers is one applicaton of tca, 2 layers are 1 application, then wait for 4 to 8 minutes then apply a 2nd layer of tca and so on. The idea is you work up to doing 5 layers over time, so you start with 1 layer, then next time you do 2 layers and so on.

You should start with 1 layer then the next time you do that area do 2 layers etc. Don't start with multiple layers as you do not know how your skin will react to it it is something that should be built up to, though I did start doing multiple layers but I did them a few hours apart the first time to gauge my skins reaction.

I can't stress enough though how important it is to take vitamins whilst doing tca peels. I take large doses of vit c, as well as recommended amount of zinc and vit b to aid the recovery process.

J

[dondon]

oops. I just posted this as a new thread by accident.
I found another clinic offering Active FX/Deep Fx treatments. They're based in the center of Manchester.

Seems like they're only applying the treatments on the face. I've enquired twice in the last couple of months regarding the use on stretch marks, and seems like they haven't had any trials with this.
They're called skinmedical .co.uk

Feel free to share some news if you have any luck with them.

[Guest]

I'm not sure why there is this sudden interest in peels again... it seems to come up every couple of months....and with no huge sucess stories to speak of in the end..even though everyone praises it in the beginning. I tried the whole peel thing... Looked like it was working at the start... but months and months later... it's done nothing.

I'm interested in the castor oil method. If you go through all of the posts (and theres alot of them clearly!) the one thing which two or three people have tried and with success is castor oil.. it sounds a bit too simple to be true, but the posts came from people that were on the board for ages, so they weren't scamers, and they all had success... are there any more success or failure stories about castor oil?

[sk81]

Thanks for the DeepFX link! I was looking for a UK clinic for ages! Too bad I've just spent my money on that Wellbox endermologie machine this weekend! I guess we'll see if it makes a difference or I was a fool buying it quite soon...
Have you enquired about a possible price for the laser? I'm guessing it must be be quite expensive, especially if you're treating large areas. I've got them on my hips and thighs so I wouldn't want to imagine the price, especially if doing the combo Deep/ActiveFX. I've just spent the last of my money and only option to gain more would be to prostitute myself. lol

[beautifulsunset]

shea butter is great for stretch marks

[sk 81]

I came across this ad when reading a magazine on the train today. It's a surgical product called Surgiwire, which releases depressed scars from the subcutaneous tissue anywhere in the body. I was intriqued, do you think it can have any applications in stretch mark treatment, too?? Of course, I don't think its something you would do by yourself, it would require a doctor to perform the procedure.

http://www.advantechsurgical.com/Surgiwire.html

http://www.lbps.co.uk/non-surgical_procedures/non-surgical_wrinkle_-_scar_release_-_surgiwire_incisionless_procedure/

[dondon]

Thanks for the DeepFX link! I was looking for a UK clinic for ages! Too bad I've just spent my money on that Wellbox endermologie machine this weekend! I guess we'll see if it makes a difference or I was a fool buying it quite soon...
Have you enquired about a possible price for the laser? I'm guessing it must be be quite expensive, especially if you're treating large areas. I've got them on my hips and thighs so I wouldn't want to imagine the price, especially if doing the combo Deep/ActiveFX. I've just spent the last of my money and only option to gain more would be to prostitute myself. lol

Sorry I hadn't enquired about the prices. I'm guessing it'll be very expensive too but I'm willing to pay for a treatment if I know results are promising. They did mention a clinical paper was being written on stretch marks but last time I enquired, they still hadn't gotten anything back. I'm looking forward to gloomy winter