While I was pregnant I gained a LOT of weight which resulted in a lot of stretch marks. I've got them on my hips, thighs, stomach & lower back. When I was pregnant I used the Palmer's cocoa butter stretch mark cream every day & I'm still continuing to use it daily. It's been a month since I gave birth, but I haven't seen an lightening or subsiding of the stretch marks. I know that stretch marks don't go away, but does anyone know if or when these may fade? Also, will tanning darken the stretch marks? With summer upon us I would really like to get a little color, but I don't want to make the stretch marks appear even worse. Thanks in advance for any advice or help!
-Katrina
no the sun makes them worse i got sun burned last summer and girl they was so red and ugly bye the stuff that helps takes scores away that helps
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was the opposite, I hardly gained a thing (due to being sick alot) but I got just as many stretch marks. These marks were dark red and purple up until about the third month after birth. Then they slowly started to fade. Now, my little girl is 13 months old and I can hardly see them anymore. Feeling them with my fingers, well that's another story. Now I just want to get rid of the saggy stretched out tummy...
As for the tanning...I don't know anything in that area as I'm a burner, and I've never really done salon tanning.
Good luck..and don't worry, they'll fade right before your eyes and you'll wake up one day and say Hey, they're gone!
your stretch marks will get worse with sun. I dont remember what company has it but there is now womething to help with stretch marks I know its new there are advertisments about it right now. for now I would suggest little sun in the areas your worried about because that skin is sinsitive and will/could burn easier then the other parts. give your body some time to heal.
I got stretch marks really on my lower stomach and sides. It has been 4 months and they are still red and very noticeable. I dont think the sun would be good for them until they have healed maybe after a year or so and with sunscreen. Avon makes a good product for them I have heard.. I used cocoa butter before and after and it never seemed to help me very much but I still do it and will try the avon when I am done nursing
OK let's clear up the sun issue. Stretch marks are actually scar tissue. Scar tissue is more delicate and more susceptible to sunburn, so no the sun will not make them worse, but they may burn or seem more noticeable as your skin tans and the stretch marks don't.
Next, since stretch marks are scar tissue products like Maderma may help. What really worked for my ugly angry red stretch marks is 100% cocoa butter in a little yellow stick. You can find it at Walgreens, and it is a yellow stick. This really worked to fade my stretch marks and now they are hardly noticeable.
Scar tissue or stretch marks may not fully go away, but they will fade so hang in there. It may take a few months!
Their is a product from Avon called Avon Solutions Refine Stretch mark Smoother or Super Shape AntiCellulite Stretch Mark. I used the Refine for a whole year and it faded out my stretch real light. You can see them but mine were tore up over and over after I had a ce section because they had left it open and had to care for it myself but the only way was with a clear duct tape and it stripped my stetch marks every day for 3 months. But this cream has helped me tremendous. I like it it is not sticky and does n't smell bad. I heard there is a new one but I have not seen it yet. Good luck.
Sorry to disagree with everyone....but the sun does not make mine look worse!!!!! I tan to make it look better. Sure they will burn just like any other sensitive part, but if you are use to tanning....you know how to do it. Just start out slow and work your way into longer periods of tanning. And always use lotion after. I'm sure the others will say don't believe her...but everyone is different. I am not one of those orange glowing year round tanning people......but in the summer I'm tan. In the winter I'm not wearing shorts and tank tops, so I don't care about my white skin. Just remember.....you don't want to burn....take your time!!! Enjoy the sun or tanning bed. When I used a bed it was the only time I had to myself.....now we live on the coast so we all go to the beach. And YES....before anyone says it...I put sunblock on all of my kids!!!!
My boy was born a month ago and the darker parts are just starting to wear off (I can actually, at this point, scratch the pigment off...but I wouldn't suggest this as it leaves the skin really raw. I did that with my first son and it hurt). Don't worry...you'll always have them but they will fade.
I also had stretch marks and it wasn't because I gained lots of weight, but 2 and 1/2 years later you can still see the marks. They haven't lightened a whole lot, but you can definitely see that they aren't as purple. From a physicians point of view, the creams out there don't really reduce the marks. Time does
I believe they are hereditary (it makes sense to me that your skins texture/thickness/elasticity comes from your heritage) and basically my genes are so bad that my stretch marks have stretch marks. I have yet to conquer the ones brought on by my pregnancy but when I went through puberty, my breasts went from an A to a C cup overnight. After about 2 years, they did finally "fade" from the silvery-pink to a shade lighter than my skin color. I noticed that when they were newer, they were much more sensitive to the sun. I have light skin but I can tan very easily and after they began fading, they practically disappeared when I tan. When my tan fades, they are more noticeable. I think it all depends on your skin type. Try it out just a little at a time.
I sell avon and they have a product that works great. Many of my customers swear by it. I just ordered some to try myself. If anyone is interested you can go to www.youravon.com/yhernandez9956 to check it out.