Stretch Marks Everywhere, Depressed!

[quote]Egg Head wrote:

[quote]jjayoo wrote:
Please explain how that’s funny. If you want advice about how to reduce strech marks seek advice from big business designed directly for that reason?[/quote]

Well that “big business” is BIG BULLSHIT.

Folks, anything that disrupts the structural integrity of the DERMIS is here to stay permanently! Doesn’t matter if it’s a slash of a knife, a deep burn from acid or the increase in muscle and/or adipose tissue. No amount of topical ointments or lazer therapies are going to fix anything as it pertains to the DERMAL layer.

The only “formula” that works is TIME. They will (as many have already mentioned) diminish in prominence. Hopefully in the meantime your focus will shift to physique progress while you “wait” for them to fade. In other words your priorities and value system will change to the point where you may wonder why you ever gave a shit about the stretch marks in the first place.[/quote]

Exactly. It’s a fucking SCAR. You don’t reduce it any other way than time and by not getting any bigger…which is exactly what a BODYBUILDER would not do.

http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/8624148/reload=0;jsessionid=omQbfK7U52YwWCtVlVNT.12
Abstract
"RESULTS: After 2 months, patients treated with tretinoin had significant improvements in severity scores of stretch marks compared with patients who received vehicle (P <.05). After 6 months, eight (80%) of the 10 tretinoin-treated patients had definite or marked improvement compared with one (8%) of the 12 vehicle-treated patients (P =.002). Targeted stretch marks in patients treated with tretinoin had a decrease in mean length and width of 14% and 8%, respectively, compared with an increase of 10% (P <.001) and 24% (P =.008), respectively, in patients who received vehicle. There were no significant differences in various measures of quality and quantity of dermal collagen and elastic fibers in stretch marks when tretinoin and vehicle treatments were compared.

CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of tretinoin significantly improves the clinical appearance of early, active stretch marks. The processes that are responsible for the clinical improvement remain unknown."

[quote]jjayoo wrote:
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/8624148/reload=0;jsessionid=omQbfK7U52YwWCtVlVNT.12
Abstract
"RESULTS: After 2 months, patients treated with tretinoin had significant improvements in severity scores of stretch marks compared with patients who received vehicle (P <.05). After 6 months, eight (80%) of the 10 tretinoin-treated patients had definite or marked improvement compared with one (8%) of the 12 vehicle-treated patients (P =.002). Targeted stretch marks in patients treated with tretinoin had a decrease in mean length and width of 14% and 8%, respectively, compared with an increase of 10% (P <.001) and 24% (P =.008), respectively, in patients who received vehicle. There were no significant differences in various measures of quality and quantity of dermal collagen and elastic fibers in stretch marks when tretinoin and vehicle treatments were compared.

CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of tretinoin significantly improves the clinical appearance of early, active stretch marks. The processes that are responsible for the clinical improvement remain unknown."

[/quote]

Prime example of why internet-knowledge alone sucks ass.

How many of those patients were BODYBUILDERS and did you notice that a 14% decrease in mean width doesn’t exactly get rid of a stretch mark?

Can you quantify 14% and have you in something like that? Do you think this equals something a bodybuilder should focus on WHEN THEY ARE GETTING BIGGER?

We are talking about stretch marks full stop, doesn’t matter if they were body builders. Actually X explain how a stretch mark differs on a bodybuilder to say a pregnant woman or someone with obesity? Explain the physical difference?

[quote]jjayoo wrote:
We are talking about stretch marks full stop, doesn’t matter if they were body builders. Actually X explain how a stretch mark differs on a bodybuilder to say a pregnant woman or someone with obesity? Explain the physical difference?[/quote]

The results from the study you posted are pretty minimal, its going to take a long long time to really make a big difference, and thats important because BODYBUILDERS GROW, therefore offsetting any treatment.

I guarantee i have stretch marks that have easily grown more than 14% in a couple months. Hell, i have some that seemingly popped up over night.

I cant believe there are people on here making this big of a stink about their stretch marks. Go be a nancy somewhere else.

"In an open-label, multicenter, prospective study, 20 women applied tretinoin (retinoic acid) cream 0.1% daily for 3 months to pregnancy-related stretch marks in the abdominal area. Efficacy was evaluated by analysis of one preselected target lesion, which was rated on a six-point scale (−1 = worse to 4 = cleared). At week 12, significant global improvement was noted from baseline in all stretch marks, and the target lesion decreased in length by 20% (P = .01). Erythema and scaling, the most common adverse events, occurred in 11 patients, decreased in severity after the first month of treatment, and were controlled with continued application of tretinoin and petroleum jelly ointment.

In this small study, topical application of tretinoin significantly improved the clinical appearance of pregnancy-related stretch marks"

[quote]jjayoo wrote:

"In an open-label, multicenter, prospective study, 20 women applied tretinoin (retinoic acid) cream 0.1% daily for 3 months to pregnancy-related stretch marks in the abdominal area. Efficacy was evaluated by analysis of one preselected target lesion, which was rated on a six-point scale (−1 = worse to 4 = cleared). At week 12, significant global improvement was noted from baseline in all stretch marks, and the target lesion decreased in length by 20% (P = .01). Erythema and scaling, the most common adverse events, occurred in 11 patients, decreased in severity after the first month of treatment, and were controlled with continued application of tretinoin and petroleum jelly ointment.

In this small study, topical application of tretinoin significantly improved the clinical appearance of pregnancy-related stretch marks"[/quote]

20% in three months. If i stop working out right now for the next 3 months, my stretch marks will probably diminish significantly. So how much of that can honestly be attributed to the treatment?

If youre so passionate about preggo stretch marks maybe you should take this over to the maternity forums you speak so fondly of, rather than a bodybuilding forum.

lol doctor x cmon don’t misread it so badly, a 14% DEcrease is a big deal when the others had a 24% INcrease. But yeah, I’d agree with you and say I’d rather spend the cash on protein than I would tretinoin.

[quote]jjayoo wrote:
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/8624148/reload=0;jsessionid=omQbfK7U52YwWCtVlVNT.12
Abstract
"RESULTS: After 2 months, patients treated with tretinoin had significant improvements in severity scores of stretch marks compared with patients who received vehicle (P <.05). After 6 months, eight (80%) of the 10 tretinoin-treated patients had definite or marked improvement compared with one (8%) of the 12 vehicle-treated patients (P =.002). Targeted stretch marks in patients treated with tretinoin had a decrease in mean length and width of 14% and 8%, respectively, compared with an increase of 10% (P <.001) and 24% (P =.008), respectively, in patients who received vehicle. There were no significant differences in various measures of quality and quantity of dermal collagen and elastic fibers in stretch marks when tretinoin and vehicle treatments were compared.

CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of tretinoin significantly improves the clinical appearance of early, active stretch marks. The processes that are responsible for the clinical improvement remain unknown."

[/quote]

Tretinoin is Retin A.

I remember a Flex magazine article from back in 1990 that highlighted Retin A as a possible “stretchmark cure.” I knew guys (lifters) who immediately went out and got a prescription for it and lathered it into their skin as directed.

The result: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

All of them got irritated/itchy skin which lingered long after its use and their skin peeled. When all was said and done and the irritation cleared up, the stretch marks were still there in all their glory!

Just thought I would throw out a first hand account from 22 years ago. Again, there is no subtitute for the fading effect of TIME!

Tretinoin can help REDUCE stretch marks if applied EARLY. It’s not a magic fix but it can help and isn’t expensive so meh look into it if you want.

Well who needs published papers when we have a “first hand account from 22 years ago”

AudioGarden I don’t really care that much, it’s a forum, people chat back and forth. I was told that there was 100% no way any cream could reduce a stretch mark and I replied, not a big deal.

Why the massive debate over nothing?? Seems like every thread these days is full of opposing opinions AND THEY ALL HAVE TO BE RIGHT

stretch marks suck but they are inevitable for anyone gaining weight and given the chance to go back to my skinny fat days of no stretch marks I would not.

To answer the OP I used bio-oil but as said by others, time was the best healer

[quote]jjayoo wrote:
Well who needs published papers when we have a “first hand account from 22 years ago” [/quote]

Because empirical evidence from the trenches just might hold an ounce of weight? Perhaps in the last 2+ decades droves of bodybuilders would be praising the accolades of Retin A?

[quote]Sayonara wrote:
So iv been lifting for 2 years now, most of my stretchmarks i got even befor i started lifting, i have them on my waist, lower back, ass, shoulders,lats, biceps,

how do you guys deal with em ? im even scared to wear a fucking tank top these days

im currently 227lbs at 6,5ft befor i started lifting i was 170lbs

im currently bulking and i can see some small ones appearing on my chest, where it connects with the bicep … makes me never wanna bulk up again, they just keep coming :([/quote]

Grow some balls and stop caring about them. That’s what everyone else did.

LOL … to be honset, i give 0 fuks if i really cant do anything about it, iv gotten much more used to them now , and i wont stop lifting just because i risk getting more, just wanted to know if theres anything to do about them, also wanted to get some motivation to not care about them, if keep lifting means that i will get stretchmarks in my fuking forhead, than so be it!

For everyone saying stretch marks are “cool”, if you only have a few in select places, its a badge of honor.

But…

some fuckers like me who got the shitty end of the dermotological gene pool…my upper body looks like a road map…I have stretch marks ALL over my chest, shoulders, arms, lats, and Abs…ironicoly I dont have them on my legs…

I would do anything or pay any amount of money if I could have “normal” skin.

Most of the time they are caused by a mineral deficiency. This is probably the case you you. If you don’t want more try taking 1 tbsp of unrefined Celtic Sea Salt with breakfast lunch and dinner for a couple months. It contains 82 trace minerals your body needs depending on the source. You not going to get rid of the ones you have although you will hardly be able to notice them given 5 years time. They will almost turn the color of you natural skin pigment.

Even if you eating and supplementing has been perfect a lot of the time minerals are lacking in the diet. Make sure it is completely unrefined or you will run into problems eating this much salt.

[quote]ElevenMag wrote:
Most of the time they are caused by a mineral deficiency. [/quote]

Que?

LOL. You guys are a hoot.

A bodybuilding forum afraid of stretch marks to the point of recommending going to pregnancy websites for help.

Most of the time they are caused BECAUSE THE SKIN GOT STRETCHED DUE TO A SIZE INCREASE OF EITHER FAT MUSCLE OR BOTH.

I guess if “size” now constitutes as a mineral deficiency, then yes.