Stretch Marks!!

[Haveachat]

Hello girls and guys,
It's gonna be one of my goals for this year as well - to look good in a bikini (even if I still have a couple of marks left)-Im in Australia so it is summer here now, so I have a good 3/4 of a year before next summer....
I have seen some encouraging results already and have been making efforts ever since I came across this site
I tried a bikini on today and am NOT ready for one yet...was a bit depressing actually....I think because of the marks I have kind of given up a little bit on my body and exercising etc.....so I want to get fit as well.......but most of all get the marks going.....I have done my 3rd castor oil treatment today and will be keeping it up all week.
Next week I'm going back to the dermarolling..(ouch!)
I've also bought cps serum today and emu oil and bought a cocoa butter stick
read on the net somewhere that the stick alone has cured someone's.
I would say that the ones on my stomach look 60 % better than they used to....but still need quite a bit of work...after that, I will be turning my hand to the ones on my breast and hips/butt....but am not too worried about the marks on my hips & butt ....I want stomach and breast gone by next summer and when I set my mind to something firmly I usually do it....I appreciate everyone's posts & personal stories, they are inspiring and encouraging.

[determined]

Hi all,

I am also going to be joining this stretch mark battle for 2009!!

I have quite a few stretchmarks on my breasts, stomach, hips and thighs which were caused by pregnancy, well i dont blame the pregnancy i blame myself as i over ate and put on a whoping 40kg on my 50kg frame, shamefull, if i could only go back and been smarter about what i ate and took better care of myself...

as i had stretchmarks i couldnt deal with losing any weight, just felt sorry for myself...but not anymore! im going to do something about it, like J has said you feel better doing something about them.

well i tried the TCA peel, on the 3rd of january this year, i am still peeling, from what i can see there are improvements. the fine stretchmarks on my inner thighs seem to have gone, we'll see how that goes though in a few more weeks when the skin has healed more. the ones on my tummy seem to be about the same, but i will report on them in a few more weeks.

I was doing some research and came across this very interesting article....its about using the "cupping method" to clear stretchmarks, i'd be interested to see what everyone thinks.... its on pages 5-9

http://www.lifeessentialscenter.com/WhatIsTCM.pdf

[Haveachat]

Hi, just wanted an answer to a question I have:
I have bought MSM - I think it is in powder form (for internal use) but am not completely sure as yet because it hasn't arrived....& I was thinking that I would like to apply some topically....would anyone know if putting the powder into some other cream e.g. cocoa butter/similar and applying it would work? Thanks.

[Guest]

I found this pictures of the effects of tca (at least for some people) on acne scars. Thought it might be of interest.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/before ... 23133.html

J

[Guest]

just done like a patch peel(?). i just picked a few marks around my body (3 or 4) because i just had to do something. i cant do any peel of significant size because the hyperpigmentation im getting is just ridiculous. dark brown. even though im not getting anywhere with my peels i would still carry on doing them if i wasnt getting the hyperpigmentation problems. so i just picked a couple of marks to treat to as a bit of an experiement to see if helps anywhere else on my body. im not feeling optimistic at all. even if tca cured my sms in 1 peel it would still be an absolute nightmare with the amount i have and where they all are. as it is i really do think its a lost cause for me. i just wish i wasnt getting this colouring problem aswell on top of it all.

also i was doing a bit of research and came across a company who where heavily into stem cell treatments. they cut a tiny piece of skin out from behind your ear then did some stuff with it (sorry cant remember exactly what) and once theyd extracted what they were aafter they injected it into your skin. turns out they had to stop treating people because it was costing them more then the money they were making. it was a very expensive treatment (2500-4000) yet they wer still losing money. so they stopped working in Europe and in the US im not sure what happened exactly but i think due to new laws and regulations they had to stop treatment aswell. now there developing their technique further and going through the whole system. they had a website but i cant remember it right now. im not saying it would cure sms but it may help at least or be a step in the right direction.

one quote i remembered reading was that one of the main guys at the company said (something along the lines of) 'a cure will come from stem cell research. if someone can take our ideas and develop them and create an infrastructure where they can treat people economically they will be very successful'.

ill try to find the link. the worrying thought is though that we find a cure and it will cost these ridiculous prices. im 100% certain that i wouldnt beable to get rid of them/improve them for anything less than £50,000 if a cure does come in the form of laser or stem cell technology

G

[yin yang]

J

can you post pictures of your results so far ? its been a few months there must be some improvement even a littel bit so that we can get some hope knowing that TCA does work even a little bit.

thanks

[marta]

it looks good but several people in that forum say this:

"How long after your last TCA Complex peel did you take the 3rd pic on your initial post? The reason I ask this is because I have had 2 TCA Complex peels and my skin always looks really good right after my skin peels for a few days, and then of course the results begin to disappear and my normally scarred skin returns."

I" have also used TCA complex several times and at first, my scars look a lot better. But then over time, my scars (boxcars and a few ice picks) look like they did prior to the peel"

"I have to concur with the majority here in regard to the TCA Complex. I only did two of these peels and it did made my skin look glowy and much smoother for a few days post peel. There were no long term effects."


for some people it works for some it doesnt

[Chic]

I've just found out by chance this website about skin replacement for burn wounds and people who have lost both their epidermis and dermis. It's supposed to regenerate the whole dermal layer. The only problem is I'm not sure how much it costs and if you'd need to totally remove your old skin (which sounds scary I admit). This is the link: http://www.burnsurvivorsttw.org/burns/s ... ement.html

By the way, I've also heard about cocoa butter sticks are better than butters and creams. I have actually ordered a bulk order of pure unprocessed solid cocoa butter, which I will combine with a few oils I already have such as emu oil. I've made the mistake to buy the Palmers stretch marks formula and I hate it as it smells HORRIBLE! The only reason I bought it again is because I read someone who applied the new formula at least twice a day had her marks disappear in 3 weeks. Hard to believe but I had to try it.

[Haveachat]

Not to worry, I've found some stuff to answer my own question.-(ON MSM)

Quoted from http://www.evolutionhealth.com/msm-powder.htm
"MSM Powder can be used both internally and externally. When applied on the outside of the body it penetrates through the skin (or scalp) very rapidly and improves the health of that area where it is absorbed.

MSM is also a "carrier." It carries other substances along with it as it penetrates through the skin. Thus, MSM is the ideal substance to combine with other nutrients which are intended to be taken directly into the body through the skin.

MSM is often referred to as a "penetrant." It makes the walls of individual cells more "permeable." This means that the cells can more easily get rid of garbage that is constantly being created inside the cell, and the cell can also absorb nutrients more easily.

Different uses for MSM powder:

Put MSM in your bathwater and it will leave your skin getting smoother and smoother -- and even help eliminate minor rashes, infections and skin conditions.
Use about 2 full cups of MSM Powder in a full bathtub for a long soaking (20 minutes) bath -- and don't worry about getting it in your eyes. No problem.

Put MSM in your favorite cream or shampoo. We personally, mix the MSM powder with Jojoba Oil. Jojoba oil is the best carrier oil and has no chemical or synthetics. Just pure bliss for your skin."

This could be why people using MSM cream have had good results.

So you know what I am going to be trying:

[Guest]

J

can you post pictures of your results so far ? its been a few months there must be some improvement even a littel bit so that we can get some hope knowing that TCA does work even a little bit.

thanks

Hi

I have said before and will say again that I won't be posting pics until the results are conclusive. Its not me being awkward, but its not easy posting pics and taking critcism and I would rather wait until I am satisfied that I have all the improvements, or close to all the improvements I am likely to get.

Also, my leg is not my priority, I am treating large areas of my body and legs are just one area. I want to post pics as soon as possible, but I can't make my skin heal any quicker than it is so it has to wait until I get to the point its healed.

I have some glycolic acid left, I am going to start pretreating each area for at least 1 week before tca with this to loosen the epidermis. Hopefully this will work the same as abrading would, but without any additional pain.

With regard to tca being permanent, I agree that it may look better initially then return to a similiar state as before, but I can see that each use does bring some permanent improvement. Its a step by step thing as far as I am concerned.

Soon as I can post pics I will and that is a promise.

J

[queenofpeels]

Hi, just wanted an answer to a question I have:
I have bought MSM - I think it is in powder form (for internal use) but am not completely sure as yet because it hasn't arrived....& I was thinking that I would like to apply some topically....would anyone know if putting the powder into some other cream e.g. cocoa butter/similar and applying it would work? Thanks.

MSM powder is usually taken internally...sprinkle it on your cornflakes in the morning, for eg.

You can get MSM cream to apply topically.

[Guest]

just getting ready to go on a night out, went for a shower, caught glimpse of my sms, started to study them further under bright light....cant tell you have pissed off i am. they just look horrendous, theyre EVERYWHERE FFS! i punched my mirror in frustration and now ive gotta clean that up. the discolouration is making them look even worse. its just problem after problem. i have pale skin with huge great dark brown marks over. there has to be something out there for gods sake this is absolutely ridiculous. was really looking forward to tonight now i dont even want to go, i just wanna stay on my computer till the early hours of the morning looking for a cure (as per usual with no success).

there has to be something, anything. even if i cut my sms out i dont think they would look anywhere near as bad. i know your left with a scar after you have your stretch marks cut out but it wouldnt be as bad as literally hundreds of stretch marks covering each area of your body. cant explain to you all how frustrated i am. i wouldnt even care if i had sms to the degree most other people do, just a few hear and there, or just in a few areas, but over my entire body its a f*cking joke.

how f***ing depressing

G

[Haveachat]

Thank you Queenofpeels...yep I know, (just experimenting a bit -like we all do on here) - yes am taking the same stuff internally as well so I guess hitting it from both sides - just thought it might be okay to make into a cream by adding it to basic carrier (as in the excerpt I copied & pasted)...a bit like people do with Vitamin E capsules..
(G) - sometimes I think it is best not to look at them under harsh lighting, it's what always gets me down too....anything looks bad under those lights.
I did a firm dermaroll last night and I have to say I am really seeing results from this and the castor oil routine (only on my stomach so far)- this has taken a LOT of work -after this area I will start on other ones on my hips & butt.
J, Queenofpeels, I know you have been doing this for a while now -how are you guys progressing? I still haven't read every post on here but I have read the majority of it and am very impressed with your dedication.

[Godistheanswer]

just seeing if this will post cuz it's been givin me a hard time

[Godistheanswer]

Okay now I know this is posting so here goes...

Hello Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1I have been reading here a few times..getting lost in the endless hope of tca peels...wondering if they would miraculously work on me...turns out you guys are in the same spot as me..except I'm not using peels.

I had a few sm before my son. After my son...I have plenty..and they are permanent. I called docs and the peels won't work y'all....sorry...you are probably doing more damage than good. but there is hope and hope is in God!!!!!!!!!!!

I think about sm's every day of my life and am consumed by them. I feel sometimes like a nut case and I have nightmares where I meet a guy and he sees them and gets disgusted. Then I realize that that relationship wouldn't last long anyways because he would be superficial.

I don't know about the dermarollers...but I live in a state where not alot of cool treatments are offered. I am going to San Fran where my son's father lives and getting tattooed...without ink on my stretch marks. I will post before pics of course. It is supposed to make it to where the marks can tan with the wrest of your skin...they will never go away completely...I learned to accept that and work on getting them to where they are hardly noticeable.

If I don't achieve the results that I want...with needling with a tattoo gun..not a roller..than I will consider getting a girly..flower organic type of tattoo over them. I think that would be better than having stretch marks...at least then I could wear a swimsuit. I found a cool at home treatment which I have used once...well some of it more than once of course..

apple cider vinegar mixed with honey, sugar, and a little lemon to make a scrub...you don't need to measure it just make it however you want. you can use any oil you wish instead of the apple cider but apple cider is really good for curing skin issues.

use this scrub every other day...the lemon works as a acid so it might burn or leave a rash...this is good...it means it is working...you can also rub a lemon over your marks between treatments until it dries...it work to lighten the skin to match the marks. The scrub I used but I used olive oil..extra virgin in place of the apple cider and I also took some zinc and broke the pill open and added them to my mix...I don't know why but I did.

My marks are really improving..not disappearing..but I've also bought a wood pegged scubber and used that to massage the oil into my skin instead of my hands beacause it does a better job.

The main problem with me y'all is that when I try something if it doesn't work right away..I tend to move on. Well..I have faith that if God feels that my being vain should pay off and my sm will improve then they will.

My plan..pray ever night...get the tattoo needling done..tan..after treatment..it's reccommended afterward to improve the color of the sm...I'm going to use my scrub mentioned above every other day and apply emu oil afterwards. Of course I will also apply a retin A cream prescribed by a doc after the needling as well...and drink lots of water too.

I know that so far my marks are still there but it takes time...I'll keep y'all posted..I feel your pain but realize that maybe you can just date someone who has stretch marks too...then you won't feel ashamed.