Stretch Marks!!

[Guest]

I agree you should proceed with caution, however I would buy the stronger tca peels (like 50%) and dilute them, they will last much longer that way. YOu should get dilution instructions with them, its just a case of adding water to the mix before you apply it.

You might not peel with 12.5% as its quite weak. If you don't peel buy stronger ones next time and dilute them to whatever percentage, then gradually work your way up to stronger peels.

Always do a test area the first time you use peels to see if your skin has an adverse reaction to them.

J

hi J to dillute do you use tap water or purified water to dillute?

i heard you have to use purified but im jst wondering if its necessary

The instructions I have just say water, no mention of which type. I use tap water to dilute 30% down.

J

[Guest]

Hey guys thanks for the feedback I am going to start of with 12%, to be safe.

So i'm purchasing from Nova clinic but it doesn't come with any copper peptides or emu oil like platinum skin cares products. Are there any alternatives to these two that I can just purchase from the pharmacy?

Kelly

[Mai]

I got the idea for injection of the skin-bio website where a poster named edward nigma said he had tried it.

Also, I am curious, because according to skin-bio website- the only reason copper peptides would not work would be if they could not penetrate deeply enough and injecting them must count for penetration!

I have had no results thus far, but the guy on the skin bio website said he had to do it 6 times for resolution. Also, he was injecting a glycolic acid solution prior to the cps which I have discovered to be just way too dangerous.

of course, I will keep everyone updated, but even despite the risk of burns, tca seems like a MUCH safer option than what I am doing and I would never advise anyone to try what I am doing, especially as there is still no guarantee it works and tca does seem to causing improvement for some.

[Guest]

I got the idea for injection of the skin-bio website where a poster named edward nigma said he had tried it.

Also, I am curious, because according to skin-bio website- the only reason copper peptides would not work would be if they could not penetrate deeply enough and injecting them must count for penetration!

I have had no results thus far, but the guy on the skin bio website said he had to do it 6 times for resolution. Also, he was injecting a glycolic acid solution prior to the cps which I have discovered to be just way too dangerous.

of course, I will keep everyone updated, but even despite the risk of burns, tca seems like a MUCH safer option than what I am doing and I would never advise anyone to try what I am doing, especially as there is still no guarantee it works and tca does seem to causing improvement for some.

why dont you try tca mai? as you say its far less dangerous, it must cost less or at least be roughly the same amount, and with tca there are a number of people who have seen positive results.

[Mai]

I will try TCA in a few months if other people post positive results and my current methods continue to be fruitless. I am waiting though because I spoke to the people at platinum skin care and they say that to see an improvement for the sheer amount of stretch marks (and their depth) I have that using TCA would cost me about as much or more than laser. Its an expensive process to embark on. I have the copper peptides left over from trying the routine before so right now thats not costing me any money.

[Ginobili]

I will try TCA in a few months if other people post positive results and my current methods continue to be fruitless. I am waiting though because I spoke to the people at platinum skin care and they say that to see an improvement for the sheer amount of stretch marks (and their depth) I have that using TCA would cost me about as much or more than laser. Its an expensive process to embark on. I have the copper peptides left over from trying the routine before so right now thats not costing me any money.

That don't make sense a bottle of TCA acid cost like 40$. And it take a while to use them up.

[Guest]

I will try TCA in a few months if other people post positive results and my current methods continue to be fruitless. I am waiting though because I spoke to the people at platinum skin care and they say that to see an improvement for the sheer amount of stretch marks (and their depth) I have that using TCA would cost me about as much or more than laser. Its an expensive process to embark on. I have the copper peptides left over from trying the routine before so right now thats not costing me any money.

i find that absolutely bewildering. so basically platinum skin care told you that you are going to need over a hundred bottles of tca to make any decent improvement on your stretch marks, even though there are a number of people saying they have had great results after just one use. and since you get upwards of 10 treatments per bottle of tca (some claim for it to be closer to 30), platinum skin care are telling you you need in excess of a thousand treatments.

im sorry but if that is true platinum skin care are talkin absolute bollocks. if you do 10 strong treatments of tca i would be amazed if your stretch marks are still there. $40 dollars for a bottle where you get a number of treatments is all it costs, yes you will probably have to buy a few bottles, 3 who knows maybe 4 or 5, maybe just the 1, but sure as hell not 100 plus.

[Guest]

Well Mai good luck with your treatments. I know you have taken the Carboxy therapy route and it proved to be worthless for you. I hope this works out. If your routine is successful in improving depth then everyone is one step closer.

I wanted to update on my peeling process though. I did 12.5% peel on Thursday Oct. 2 and I started peeling on Sunday. I have not seen any vast improvements but I believe that is because I chose to do a lighter peel my first bout with TCA. I guess it will take a few more days to peel completely, but I will keep updating through this process. I think I will only wait 3 weeks between these peels and not the rec'd 4-6 inbetween peels.

[Mai]

Keep in mind that a lot of you are doing this on one area of your body. My marks are everywhere, so I would be applying the TCA (in layers) to almost my entire body. A 2 ounce bottle of 30% cost 120 bucks. That would not last long, at all. People who say they get 10 treatments out of one bottle don't have them on their ENTIRE BODY. Not to mention, my stretch marks are pretty deep. I know some of you have them on your arms, etc, but the ones on my arms are pregnancy sized, not the tiny ones most of you have.

If you guys are getting cheaper TCA, then please share where. I don't want to buy it off e-bay for the first time because when I start it I want to KNOW that I am using the real stuff and I have heard buying it off e-bay has no guarantee.

[Guest]

I'm in much the same boat as you, treating a large proportion of my body. In hindsight, I should have bought 50% tca and diluted it from the start, you get a lot more acid for your money that way.

I think for most people using the lighter tca peels (25% and below) you will need to do multiple peels to remove marks (unless you are lucky). Deep marks would take a long time to remove using light peels, but then using strong peels carries risk of scarring.

I still think tca is a cheap solution though, compared to some others. I'm happy that I am still having good improvements. One thing I will say though, it is better to leave it for 4 weeks between peels, the results are better when you space them farther apart than close together, at least on me anyway.

J

J

[Guest]

I would also add that I think for someone with deep stretch marks over a lot of their body they would need multiple bottles, even if they were diluting 50%, probably around 6 to 9 bottles would be needed and a year for the treatment.

I am on my 4th bottle now which is 30% and I normally dilute it to 25%, I wish I had bought 50% because I would probably only be on the 2nd one.

J

[Guest]

Where do you find 50%? Are you getting your TCA from platinum skin care or have you found a cheaper place?

[Guest]

Keep in mind that a lot of you are doing this on one area of your body. My marks are everywhere, so I would be applying the TCA (in layers) to almost my entire body. A 2 ounce bottle of 30% cost 120 bucks. That would not last long, at all. People who say they get 10 treatments out of one bottle don't have them on their ENTIRE BODY. Not to mention, my stretch marks are pretty deep. I know some of you have them on your arms, etc, but the ones on my arms are pregnancy sized, not the tiny ones most of you have.

If you guys are getting cheaper TCA, then please share where. I don't want to buy it off e-bay for the first time because when I start it I want to KNOW that I am using the real stuff and I have heard buying it off e-bay has no guarantee.

bear in mind that a hell of a lot of us are coverded head to toe, i have them absolutely everywhere, i promise you, name a body part, i have it. and for you to say that it would cost as much as laser is quite frankly the most bullshit thing i have ever heard. if your covered like you say you are, your talking between 20,000 to 50,000 pounds for a full body treatment minimum.

you can get tca off ebay for under $10 and if you want to go a more expensive way nova peels cost $40 dollars, hardly bank breaking. so lets go above J's estimate and say you need 10 bottles (personally it would take me a lot less than 10 bottles and i am covered but for hypothetical reasons), that is $400. for a stretch mark treatment that is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. want to go the cheap way get stuff off ebay, 10 bottles would set you back $100. and in my opinion you wont need this many bottles, remember we are over estimating here.

[dreaming of porcelain]

Hi Everyone

I've been reading this board for months, but today is my 1st time posting. I see that you all are trying to deal with these awful things by peeling, scrubbing, and doing those types of things..I'm doing that too - actually having profractional laser treatments done on my arms (I've had 2 and wil have 2-4 more).

How do you guys try to keep a positive outlook day by day as you're dealing with the marks? I'm finding this really difficult. Although I've seen a good improvement with the treatments that i've had, I just keep thinking that "they're still there" or "they will always be there and I'll feel miserable and have to cover myself forever."

I'm young, only 22, so I really do have faith that I won't have to feel/look this way forever, but I don't know how much longer I can stand myself in this state. I have marks all over the place - my breasts, to the point that they sometimes look like deflated saggy balloons, my arms, from elbow to armpit, my back and hips. I'm most bothered by the ones on my arms and breasts because I eel the need to cover them up by wearing long sleeves and camisoles with lower cut tops.

I just don't feel like the young woman that I should. I think about this everyday and I feel like I just go through the motions, waiting for the next weekend that I can hide in my PJs. It just doesn't seem fair; yes, I gained 40 pounds, but I'm not the 1st person in history to do it, I won't be the last. I've lost it all, but I feel like I'm going to be distressed everyday by these physical reminders of the fact that I used to be 170 pounds (I'm 5'2).

It makes me sad when people congratulate me on my weight loss and say things like "you look fabulous" or "you must feel like a million bucks" because I just don't feel that way. I know I don't look as bad as I feel I do, but I just can't stand to look at myself now.

I actually stayed home from work today because I couldn't sand the thought of finding something to wear that would cover up my arms and chest.

If you guys can tell me what you do on a daily basis to actually enjoy your life (because I know there is life beyond SMs) do tell.

[Mai]

I live in Asia, so don't inflict your laser prices on me, ok honey?
Thanks

I am not getting tca off ebay. Rk, who said that TCA didnt work for her was using stuff bought off ebay. If i try it, I want to make sure I give it a chance, meaning I get it from someone who can guarantee that it's real. I mean sure if it turns out that it works, I may consider trying the stuff off e-bay, but thus far, two of the people who said it didn't work got if off ebay.

Its 120$ for 2 ounces at somewhere where I know its real. It's even more expensive in asia, for reasons I don't understand. I dont want to try something that may be fake and then have it not work and be like, well that didnt work like everything else. If i try TCA, I am giving it a fair shot and that means purchasing it from somewhere where it can be guaranteed.

You could have recommended nova without being so caustic.

I wonder why their TCA is so much cheaper. If it's the same stuff the price shouldnt vary so much from place to place.

The first time I try it, i will try it from platinum skin care, so at least I have some sort of guarantee. If that works then I would love to find it more cheaply. And if you are so for your cheap TCA go and get it! no one is stopping you! go and cheaply remove your stretch marks, trust me when I say we would all LOVE to see it. <- not being facetious there, not trying to be sarcastic or mean but if you can do it in 100$ I'm sure everyone would love to know about it. so please, go and get it wherever you want, just let us know how it works out.

To the poster above, I think the best thing you can do is start a routine, maybe speak to a counselor. A lot of people say that doing something, anything eases their depression a little bit, it empowers them, doing something does help. there is a lot of information on this board, scan through it and decide what works best for you. We all know where you are coming from and I wish you luck.