Stretch Marks

[BOHICA]

I know this topic has been asked manytimes, but I am about to put on about 20-30 pounds above the most I have ever weighed. I develop stretch marks pretty easy on the inside of my arms, and was wondering what I should put on or do to at least slow down the process while working out or when ever I need to do it.

 

[scarfacebling]

I know this topic has been asked manytimes, but I am about to put on about 20-30 pounds above the most I have ever weighed. I develop stretch marks pretty easy on the inside of my arms, and was wondering what I should put on or do to at least slow down the process while working out or when ever I need to do it.

Try some coco butter oil lotion its made for stretch marks for pregnate women

 

[BOHICA]

when should I apply it? beofre workout after workout after shower

 

[Deific]

take your multivitamin. Apply the Coco butter morning and night preferably after a shower. Its partially preventative and isn't a cure. Good luck!

 

[BOHICA]

yah i know there isn't a cure, I just dont want the **** to spread all over my arms like it looks it could do. Thanks gonna have ot pick up a huge tub of it lol.

 

[Neuromancer]

yah i know there isn't a cure, I just dont want the **** to spread all over my arms like it looks it could do. Thanks gonna have ot pick up a huge tub of it lol.

The biggest thing imo, is not to lather on the deodorant to the point where it is getting all over the front of your arm and up on the corner of your arm and pec. It obviously really dries you out and can make the situation much worse. I know I get in a hurry and sloppy with the deodorant, but be more careful putting it on and keep the area well moisterized with oil or lotion or cocoa butter, they all pretty much do the same job, and it will keep it to a minimum.

 

[Wedgylx]

i usually use cocoa butter when i wake up, and again later in the day after a shower. I like Palmer's stuff.

I also apply Vitamin E oil to my stretchmarks before bed.

I usually only do this while bulking since thats when my stretchmarks are the worst


EDIT - i asked my doctor once if there was a prescription strength lotion or medication i could take for them. He said no and proceded to lecture me on the "risks of steroids" - despite the face i have never used AAS.

 

[bond697]

i use "palmer's cocoa butter and vitamin e formula". i found it in cvs, and it seems to be pretty good stuff.

 

[Wedgylx]

i use "palmer's cocoa butter and vitamin e formula". i found it in cvs, and it seems to be pretty good stuff.

yeah thats the stuff i was talking about. You can get it in unscented which is nice

 

[bond697]

yeah thats the stuff i was talking about. You can get it in unscented which is nice

wow, i didn't even see that you had written palmer's in your post. it's high quality stuff!

 

[JonesersRX7]

Does HGH increase collagen synthesis? I know it helps overall skin appearance. Would running it durring cycle help prevent them?

 

[asap nutrition]

I've read that applying cocoa butter and preparation H really helps tighten the skin and remove some stretch marks.

 

[DR.D]

Once they are already there, you need an exfoliant. Any beta-hydroxy acid works, but caprylic acid cream and tretinoin 0.1% cream EOD for a few months woked best for my stretch marks and is good for scar smoothing in general.

 

[Wedgylx]

DR.D do you have any contact information? I'd like to talk to you about that exfoliant.


I'm going to make a donation so i can get pming back

 

[DR.D]

DR.D do you have any contact information? I'd like to talk to you about that exfoliant.

If you could either post up your contact info or email me at [email protected] or IM me on AIM as wedgylx or on yahoo as robwedge19 I'd really appreciate it.

I'm going to make a donation so i can get pming back

[email protected]

Anytime bro. But get that PM going anyway like you said.

 

[Wedgylx]

[email protected]

Anytime bro. But get that PM going anyway like you said.

thanks alot, i really appreciate it. My girl has paypal so I'll have to get her login info and donate some

 

[DR.D]

thanks alot, i really appreciate it. My girl has paypal so I'll have to get her login info and donate some

:thumbsup: I know Bobo could use the money right now! (LOL)

 

[Wedgylx]

:thumbsup: I know Bobo could use the money right now! (LOL)

hahaha. well the $20 he's going to get from me isnt going to be a huge help

 

[DAdams91982]

The only Over the counter proven effective is exactly what Dr.D said Trentrion (sp?) .1% ... or Retin-A. And I bet you all didnt know you can get that EXACT formula from one of our board sponsers (IBE). Words of advice though.... I believe the protocol as laid out from my dermo when I used it through him... was twice a day... preferably 45 minutes or so after a shower... and this part is from me... use Cocoa butter AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE... cause it seem to dry out skin badly if you dont... also... something that helped me speed the process of diminishing them was a glycolic peel.. used once a week.

Adams

 

[size]

To prevent stretch marks use the coco butter and vit.e as mentioned. I would apply it a fews times daily

To get rid of stretch marks, retin A works.

 

[Grifter]

So, would Mederma work as good as Retin-A or Trentrion for healing stretch marks?

 

[Wedgylx]

So, would Mederma work as good as Retin-A or Trentrion for healing stretch marks?

i had a big BBQ today and my work schedule doesnt permit me to bein the sun much. I didn't want the reflection of the sun off my white skin to blind my friends/family so i used some self tanner. That hid my stretch marks almost entirely. Obviously this is only temporary, but it worked well for today up until probably 2 weeks

 

[JonesersRX7]

Once they are already there, you need an exfoliant. Any beta-hydroxy acid works, but caprylic acid cream and tretinoin 0.1% cream EOD for a few months woked best for my stretch marks and is good for scar smoothing in general.

What OTC products can these compounds be found in?

 

[DR.D]

What OTC products can these compounds be found in?

Oh man, they're all over. Go to the lotion section at the store and look for an exfoliant or "alpha-hydrox" product. The main ingredient of these will usually be retinol, lactic acid, glycolic acid or caprylic acid. Retin-A is a common one I believe, IBE sells a tret 0.1% cream, and Oil of Ole' (sp?) has several versions probably. Tret is the strongest and most fast acting IMO.

 

[Boozy]

The best thing I've seen to prevent stretch marks is called calendula. It came in a little can and goes on like a moisturizer. My wife used it daily when she was pregnant and got NO stretch marks AT ALL. And she gained 60lbs and looked like an alien was trying to burst out of her! That stuff works like a charm. I don't know where you can buy it but it isn't that hard to find.

 

[JonesersRX7]

Hmm... I dunno about this stuff.

http://www.ihealthtree.com/calendula.html Anything to prevent more for me tho.... I am going to the dermatoligist to see if there is anything that can be done. Since gaining a couple inches on my legs my groin area has really deep ones and on my upper front quads I am getting more and more... same with biceps for that matter. This sucks majorly.

 

[Rx Lift]

i had a big BBQ today and my work schedule doesnt permit me to bein the sun much. I didn't want the reflection of the sun off my white skin to blind my friends/family so i used some self tanner. That hid my stretch marks almost entirely. Obviously this is only temporary, but it worked well for today up until probably 2 weeks

What brand sunless tanner did you use? I have never had much success with them.

There are quite a few studies on Retin-A being used on stretch marks, however it may or may not work for you. And yes it is pretty irritating so be sure and to keep your skin mosturized and stay out of the sun. If anyone does have feedback on using it, I would love to hear it.

 

[Rx Lift]

What brand sunless tanner did you use? I have never had much success with them.

There are quite a few studies on Retin-A being used on stretch marks, however it may or may not work for you. And yes it is pretty irritating so be sure and to keep your skin mosturized and stay out of the sun. If anyone does have feedback on using it, I would love to hear it.

Bumping this for Wedgylx

 

[Wedgylx]

Bumping this for Wedgylx

Hey sorry, i didnt see this the first time.

Thats the first time I've used it, I've used it 2X now

Coppertone Endless summer Bronzing Foam (medium/deep)

 

[darius]

Oh man, they're all over. Go to the lotion section at the store and look for an exfoliant or "alpha-hydrox" product. The main ingredient of these will usually be retinol, lactic acid, glycolic acid or caprylic acid. Retin-A is a common one I believe, IBE sells a tret 0.1% cream, and Oil of Ole' (sp?) has several versions probably. Tret is the strongest and most fast acting IMO.

Dr. D,
About how long would tret 0.1% cream take to see results on old (3+ years) stretch marks?

Would tret 0.1% cream work for old acne scars? If not, what is a better treatment for old acne scars?

Thanks.

 

[darius]

Dr. D,
About how long would tret 0.1% cream take to see results on old (3+ years) stretch marks?

Would tret 0.1% cream work for old acne scars? If not, what is a better treatment for old acne scars?

Thanks.

I guess so..

Int J Dermatol. 1999 Feb;38(2):149-53. Related Articles, Links
[size=+1]Tretinoin-iontophoresis in atrophic acne scars.[/size]

Schmidt JB, Donath P, Hannes J, Perl S, Neumayer R, Reiner A.

Department of Dermatology, Institute of Clinical Pathology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.

BACKGROUND: Atrophic acne scars are a frequent problem after acne. Hitherto, mainly invasive treatment measures were possible. In a recent paper, we demonstrated the positive effects of iontophoresis with 0.025% tretinoin gel vs. estriol 0.03%. OBJECTIVE: In this further study, the recording of the clinical effects of iontophoresis with 0.025% tretinoin gel in atrophic acne scars was supplemented by immunohistochemistry investigations of collagen I and III, proliferation markers, and the estimation of epidermal thickness. METHODS: The treatment was performed twice weekly in 32 volunteer patients for a period of 3 months by application of the substance under a constant direct current of 3 mA for 20 min. Skin biopsies prior to and at the end of treatment were performed in 32 voluntary patients in order to investigate collagen I/III and proliferation markers by immunohistochemistry methods. RESULTS: Clinically, at the end of treatment, in 94% of patients a significant decrease in the scar depth was observed. Neither epidermal thickness nor proliferation markers revealed a significant increase at the end of treatment. Furthermore, collagen I and collagen III showed no common trend, as expressed statistically by a lack of significance. In some cases, increases in collagen III became evident at the end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Tretinoin-iontophoresis is an effective, noninvasive treatment of atrophic acne scars without causing disturbing side-effects.

 

[Wedgylx]

do coco butter creams have oil? I need a moisturizer that is oil free cause i get acne sorta ezily

they feel oily

 

[DinoTrainer]

I read where alot of people (mostly women after there pregnancy or great weight loss, so I would guess it would work for a guy) had success in using an exfoliant like Dr. D suggested, but also using copper-peptide bonds also. Dr Loren Pickart found these copper peptide bonds. He says the exfoliant will do what Dr. D says, then the copper peptide bonds will repair the skin deep down.This guy sells copper peptide bonds for hair loss, and Will Brink recommends them for that.

Heres his link, look thru page and you'll see a link to help with stretch marks and sagging skin (as well as sun damaged skin, hair loss etc)Skin Biology

 

[DR.D]

I read where alot of people (mostly women after there pregnancy or great weight loss, so I would guess it would work for a guy) had success in using an exfoliant like Dr. D suggested, but also using copper-peptide bonds also. Dr Loren Pickart found these copper peptide bonds. He says the exfoliant will do what Dr. D says, then the copper peptide bonds will repair the skin deep down.This guy sells copper peptide bonds for hair loss, and Will Brink recommends them for that.

Heres his link, look thru page and you'll see a link to help with stretch marks and sagging skin (as well as sun damaged skin, hair loss etc)Skin Biology

I'd read this was true due to improved collagen synthesis or elastin integrity. I'm glad you reminded me. It sounded interesting but I forget my reference now.

 

[DR.D]

Dr. D,
About how long would tret 0.1% cream take to see results on old (3+ years) stretch marks?

Would tret 0.1% cream work for old acne scars? If not, what is a better treatment for old acne scars?

Thanks.

It does, it's smooths them. Not as dramaticly as it will prevent fresh scaring but it does help on old ones for sure. Anywhere from twice a day to one EOD for 3+ months. Do as much as you can. If you start peeling or turning red, back off a few days and resume at a lower dose.

 

[darius]

It does, it's smooths them. Not as dramaticly as it will prevent fresh scaring but it does help on old ones for sure. Anywhere from twice a day to one EOD for 3+ months. Do as much as you can. If you start peeling or turning red, back off a few days and resume at a lower dose.

Thanks

Looking forward to trying it out.

 

[Cuffs]

I guess I'm lucky in this category. My skin is naturally oily, which bothers me sometimes. However, I have not one stretch mark. Seems the key for those who want to prevent stretch marks need to make sure their skin is well conditioned during growing phases. My wife has dry skin and some stretch marks on her hip area. I'm going to get the retin-a for her to try out.

 

[Rx Lift]

Hey sorry, i didnt see this the first time.

Thats the first time I've used it, I've used it 2X now

Coppertone Endless summer Bronzing Foam (medium/deep)

Thanks. How deep and long are your stretch marks? A bronzer can help hide them but it usually only last a day or two. The self-tanning porition of the cream won't do much for the marks, it can actually make them look worse because it will darken up the surrounding skin making the stretch marks more obvious. But if you have had luck with this sunless tanner then keep using it.

I have tried colorblend concealer on my marks on my shoulders and they are just too big, even with the concealer you can still notice them.

 

[Rx Lift]

It does, it's smooths them. Not as dramaticly as it will prevent fresh scaring but it does help on old ones for sure. Anywhere from twice a day to one EOD for 3+ months. Do as much as you can. If you start peeling or turning red, back off a few days and resume at a lower dose.

Retin-A can be hit or miss. Some people notice dramatic improvement where as others notice nothing. I would reccomend starting EOD to see how your skin responds, my skin became very red and flaky when I used it and my stretchmarks became very noticeable. Even after I came off of it my skin was still a darker tone which made the marks look worse.

I have four long deep marks on both of my shoulders, one starting from my bicep and going up to my trap. The biggest problem with them is that they have been there for 4+ years and are still bright red. I am going to start using rosehip oil to see what kind of improvement I can get, i mean **** if they will even fade that is something.

 

[Wedgylx]

Thanks. How deep and long are your stretch marks? A bronzer can help hide them but it usually only last a day or two. The self-tanning porition of the cream won't do much for the marks, it can actually make them look worse because it will darken up the surrounding skin making the stretch marks more obvious. But if you have had luck with this sunless tanner then keep using it.

I have tried colorblend concealer on my marks on my shoulders and they are just too big, even with the concealer you can still notice them.

mine are getting better. You almost can no longer see them, but if you go back a few months ago they were really long, really deep, and REALLY red

 

[darius]

Mine are like light colored. Like tan with a little bit white.

 

[Rx Lift]

mine are getting better. You almost can no longer see them, but if you go back a few months ago they were really long, really deep, and REALLY red

Are you applying anything to them? Thats great progress.

I picked up a bottle of coppertone endless self tanner, and well it really had no effect on me. I think its because my surrounding skin is dark as is (i have brown complexion) and my marks are too deep.

 

[Wedgylx]

Are you applying anything to them? Thats great progress.

I picked up a bottle of coppertone endless self tanner, and well it really had no effect on me. I think its because my surrounding skin is dark as is (i have brown complexion) and my marks are too deep.

cocoa butter and Vit E for a long time. I'll post some pictures of the progression of my stretch marks in a week or so

 

[darius]

cocoa butter and Vit E for a long time. I'll post some pictures of the progression of my stretch marks in a week or so

Palmers?

Pics would be great. Thanks.

 

[Wedgylx]

Palmers?

Pics would be great. Thanks.

At first i was using some other brand of cocoa butter (who's name escapes me) and some liquid Vitamin E. For the past 2 months I've been using palmers though

I'm taking some pics just to have in a week or so. Every once in a while I'll take some pics and put them on disc to track my progress.

I'll post some old pictures now though. Trust me, they dont even begin to show you how TERRIBLE my marks were. I had one in my right armpit riding along my pec which was about 3/4 inches wide and 3 inches long. It was deep and bright red. Whenever people saw it they would freak out

 

[Wedgylx]

02-02-04

 

[Wedgylx]

03-27-04

 

[Wedgylx]

05-11-04

 

[Wedgylx]

12-16-05

this is my most recent pic (from december) and you can see that they are fading. Now they are pretty much invisible. I'll post new pics eventually

 

[Wedgylx]

heres my most recent picture I have on my computer from January 29th, after my first cycle and a LONG bulk.

Just to explain something, a few weeks after the photos I took on 5-11-04, I broke my collarbone and tore my sternocledomastoid as well as caused serious injuries to my scalene muscle group in my neck. I went from 200lbs ~14%bf in May of 04 to maybe 210lbs at 25-30%bf in September of 04. I was real depressed about the injury, and time i should have spent researching supps and perfecting my diet I spent gorging on fast food and junk. I did a quick cut in september until about the 2nd week in October and lost about 20lbs. I then spent from Mid October until the end of February bulking up which explains the added fat on my frame. I just thought I'd clear that up for anyone who didnt understand why the photos dotn show that much progress from May until the following October lol.

This shows how bad my stretch marks got, and you cant even see the worst ones in my armpits in this picture.