Stretch Marks!!

[James Barnes4]

Sorry if I'm ignorant at some point, just reading a lot of c**p around the internet about stretch marks is so depressing and misleading. Could you please bring me back to the basics as why can't the body differentiate normal tissue from scar tissue? As I know, then the body works in the way to survive, it doesn't care about the aesthetic look, so when the stretch mark occurs, it just seals it off as if to protect from blood loss. What can be done to help the body find that ''bad'' tissue? Also, why are there raised and sunken stretch marks? Is it just because some people's bodies generate more scar tissue than others? What would happen it a laser was used to melt the scar tissue away, would it end up looking like a regular, sunken stretch mark? I just think it is so simple, yet so complicated, because the science of using lasers like Fraxel and ActiveFX is that it removes the damaged tissue causing microscopic wounds for the body to heal itself, thus the damaged tissue is replaced by the body with new, undamaged tissue. What seems to be the problem with this, shouldn't it make the stretch mark go away, not just improve it?

[James Barnes]

So yeah, I'm now completely in this thing to resolve this stretch marks problem of mine. I've read that a user going under the name ''J'' is currently doing TCA peels for stretch marks with great success. I don't want to make you repeat yourself time and time again, but what percentage acid are you using? What is your skin tone and what has been the improvement so far? Is it really safe to do it on your own? Just that the word ''acid'' scares me a bit, I don't want to get permanent scaring because I have pale skin and I easily get sunburned (Haven't really been on the beach some years now although my stretch marks are less than a year old). Anyway, I have scheduled a visit to a local dermatology clinic (some kind of beauty clinic), and I'm still thinking on what are going to be my options. (My visit is scheduled on Sept. 11th). My goal is to resolve my stretch marks problem until the next bathing season and if not till then, then until the one after next year. My plans include a total body ''makeover'' - I have started losing weight, but I don't know should I deal with my stretch marks problem before or after my weight loss (Well, not weight loss but fat burning, because I don't want to be skinny). Any, I really mean ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
James

P.S. Yeah, I previously signed a bit wrongly, sorry for that, this looks like a more decent signature.

[James Barnes]

First of all my ''posting-spree'' is not caused by the fact that I'm a teenager or some sort of depression, lol. I'm just preparing for my visit to a dermatologist. Anyway, I was thinking (and hoping someone would answer, thus making this a discussion, because that's what it should be) if people have improvement after 6 sessions with lasers and the improvement continues after the treatment, why are they stopping after these sessions and saying ''stretch marks are permanent, you can just improve them, not eliminate them''? I figure that if a person has 50% improvement after 6 treatments, then the person should take more treatments until he/she reaches that 100% mark. And that is not just for laser treatments but with any other treatment you are trying. Am I missing some important point?

[James Barnes]

I just need to let it all out and be heard because I believe that there are people here who hold a lot of knowledge and experience about stretch mark removal. How does TCA peel for stretch marks work? It removes the top layer of the skin but I don't understand how that gets to the dermis... Someone here wrote that the stretch mark scarring is pushed upwards with each peel, how is that possible?

[James Barnes]

Since it's getting kind of late here and I still have some stuff to attend to I'm leaving this until tomorrow, and hopefully someone will give me some answers. The one question I forgot to ask is, which to choose if I get the chance, Fraxel laser treatment or chemical peels (AHAs vs TCA)? Thanks to everyone who, hopefully, will answer my cries for help.

Cheers,
James

[Guest]

james youve come at a bad time. J is in the process of leaving the forum, and the answers to all your questions are in the previous 10-20 pages

looks like this forum is falling apart and my hope with it.

J or anyone else (regulars or not) could you please post links to any other forums you post on or visit regularly cos im so depressed about things at the moment and this forum gave me a bit of hope and now it looks like its dieing

[Guest]

I havn't posted before but i feel like i have to say somthing. I only recently developed these marks and i did about two months ago attempt suicide. this forum has single handedly brought me out of a whole. i feel realy positive that there is hope for me dramaticly reducing, if not ridding my marks. i don't why people have to keep rubishing those who have success. although it was really helpful to know that things such as the carbon therepy thingy was a scam. its not helpful to dissmiss those people who are hopeful they are making progress unless you have really tried the method yourself. there are enough people on here who have had success through various methods beleive that it is possible. i really enjoy hearing peoples success stories - especialy j's. i really hope you come back if its not too late! you have to rise above those very few negative people who after destroying this forum have now pissed off. if not i hope other people start posting. i wish had somthing more i could contribute myself but im currently waiting for everything iv ordered to start my routine. but i will keep posting! i have i beleive already seen improvment in the tone and texture of my skin from dry skin brushing and liberaly moisturising my skin. i just think it would be a real shame if this forum dies because then it wouldn't be there for someone else the same way it was there for me!

[Mai]

James,
there have been a few people on this board (many many pages back) who have tried fraxel, I don't recall that they were very pleased with the results. I believe they said it let to improvements but not near the ones they had been told to expect or hope for.
There are a couple people here trying the new active FX laser. Tracy, who said she got about 50% improvement after 6 months and another poster who got the treatment but then forgot to return, lol. There is now hope that a laser that works on the same premise of Active fx but goes deeper into the skin (called deep fx) might have better results but thus far no one on this site has tried it. The laser is fairly new and VERY expensive, but it is something to discuss with your dermatologist.
As for the peels, right now I am using glycolic, I may upgrade to TCA but I am waiting to see how others fare.

I am also experimenting with a very risky treatment detailed by a brave user on skinbio involving having someone inject my stretch marks. Thus far, its not working but I keep trying.

as for the rest of you. I wasn't even being that negative. yeesh. at least in comparison to some other posters who won't leave their name. But if thats the way you all feel about it, I too will leave and you can all discuss tca peels with no dissent in perpetuity.

[James Barnes]

Sorry to hear this, I really hope this forum can get back together. From reading the previous 10-25 pages I've found out that this is a place with people who really can help. People like J are the gold of this forum, and should be held on to like oxygen! J is probably the rare user here who is really taking this thing seriously and really trying to fight this thing, and if I know one thing then that's that the one person who is going to get rid of these things we call stretch marks once for all is J. The part of the users who are arrogant, plain mean and not to mention ignorant and stupid, are most likely a couple of fat people, who have nothing to do better while waiting for their porn sites to load up. I'm sorry, but I think this is one of the rare places which really can and WILL help you get rid of the things you really don't want to see. I hope everything here gets back on track, because we're all here for one reason, and working together everyone here could benefit.

Best wishes,
James

[Mai]

Wow James,
That was really nice of you. I am the one person who tries to answer your question and you write a nice note about how fantastic J is and about how other people are looking at this site while waiting for porn to load.
your welcome.

And if you had really read the past 25 pages, you would see that I was really not that rude to her, at all. Like I said, I applaud what she's doing but I've been here a long time so I am waiting until final results are in.

However it's nice to know that my contributions are appreciated, seeing as how I take valuable time away from waiting for my porn to load to post them. LOL

[James Barnes]

Wow James,
That was really nice of you. I am the one person who tries to answer your question and you write a nice note about how fantastic J is and about how other people are looking at this site while waiting for porn to load.
your welcome.

And if you had really read the past 25 pages, you would see that I was really not that rude to her, at all. Like I said, I applaud what she's doing but I've been here a long time so I am waiting until final results are in.

However it's nice to know that my contributions are appreciated, seeing as how I take valuable time away from waiting for my porn to load to post them. LOL

I didn't mean you, by any means, how could I say that you were rude, if you answer my questions? Really, sorry If I expressed myself incorrectly, I'm not from an english speaking country but I'm trying my best to write correctly. I don't think YOU were rude, or ignorant and not one of the ''fat porn site people''. Again, sorry, no offense intended. I was refering to the guests, who just come in and say ''stretch marks can't be removed'' and stuff like that, which I think are idiots. And yes, I haven't read the last 10-25 pages thoroughly, what can I say, I'm a guy which is a synonym for lazy.

I can't really express how sorry I am if I offended anyone. It was not my intention to offend anyone (maybe only the guests who don't even leave a name, just some unnecessary comments). I hope I didn't make the matter worse.

Really sorry,
James

[Mai]

Thank you.
It did look a little strange that your reply, right after mine was a little rant.
Just in general I am getting tired of some of the replies though - with a very exceptions people have been polite about voicing their disagreement and they are getting jumped on more than J was.
I have been polite and I admire what she's doing and all the help she provides (and unlike most others I ALWAYS leave my name) and yet I know that some of this is directed at me.
There's no reason to be rude, and there's no reason to be here if you don't believe stretch marks can be cured but we are only hurting ourselves if we all blindly jump on one bandwagon after another.

[Guest]

Mai-
Isn't the topic here stretch marks????? It was obvious that James wasn't singling you out yet you are making this forum about you. Get back on track-stretch marks are why we come here.

[Guest]

Just in general I am getting tired of some of the replies though - with a very exceptions people have been polite about voicing their disagreement and they are getting jumped on more than J was.

Exactly! There are definitely a couple of unnecessary posts like the ones that call people stupid but even those that very politely disagree with the bandwagon of the month get told to move along or not to post if they don't believe the current method on trial is going to work. Those people are just as ignorant as those doing the name calling.

I also agree we do need to stay on track and focus on the real topic of stretch marks. I just hope we can do so and at the same time respect ALL opinions.

[James Barnes]

Might not be the best time to ask but...
Can someone here please direct me to a reliable source from which I could buy a TCA peel kit? I've read around a lot and people who actually have tried it say that their stretch marks are gone, so I decided to take matters in my own hands and not wait my visit to the dermatologist, which could turn out to be quite expensive.

If I messed up (As I often do) and started asking questions too soon, then you really don't have to answer, just ignore me, and please, don't remind me that I should've shut my mouth (stop my fingers?) for a little more time...

Best wishes,
James