When did your stretch marks fade?

[Mummy1988]

I applied bio oil to my stomach twice a day religiously during my pregnancy, and got through 36 weeks of the pregnancy stretch mark free, and woke one day to find one pesky stretch mark on my belly. Within days my stomach was covered in them. :crying:

My son was born 7 weeks ago, and I cringe everytime I see my self naked. My stretch marks are very dark brown, and my belly button is very dark too for some reason.

Anyway, for those who got stretch marks, when did they fade to that silvery-white colour and become much less noticeable?

[bunintheoven12]

Bio oil did nothing for me. I didn't get any stretchmarks with my first and didn't use the oil and with my second I used the oil and got stretchmarks. My daughter is just over 18 months and only now have mine started to fade. I have very pale skin so I'm not sure if that made a difference as they looked red for so long. I don't seem to notice them now. I'm sure everyone heals differently and yours could fade much sooner than mine did. I came to terms with them a long time ago.

[SammieSnail]

I'm not one of those people who can embrace them, but I have accepted that it is beyond my control.

I think most women who get stretchmarks might have escaped them if they gave birth around 36 weeks. I know mine have only appeared both times from 36-38 weeks onwards.

Mine took about 1.5 years to start fading and if I hadn't got pregnant I think they would be about as good as they were going to get by now (2.5 years on).

I think the bio oil is meant to be good for speeding up the fading process so perhaps you should keep it up. I've never used anything as I've had stretch marks since puberty and stretchmark creams never helped me then.

:hugs: I hope they fade quickly for you.

[bootiful]

sorry to hear you are not happy with your current body

stretch marks are genetic, some people get them, some don't. looking at your mums tummy can give you some idea of how yours might be in the future, if her's faded quickly yours prob will too etc.

stretch marks only fade to pinky/silvery colour over time but will never disappear as the skin is permanently damaged.

maybe one day you will be comfortable with them and look at them as battle stripes signaling a massive achievement that is your child :yelclap:

my baby is nealry 7 months old and mine are getting quite light now so id say give it about 6 months before you really notice a difference, but again, everyone is different so just hang in there and don't think bout it too much.

[Lastcenturymum]

I don't know when mine faded, with 3 under 5 I didn't have time to notice and when the fog lifted, one day, they had faded away. Years later I honestly can't see them, maybe they have 'plumped' out :(:p They seriously never bothered me, though I only had them on my abdomen and breasts, not legs.

[squiglet]

I got though a lot of my 1st pregnancy without them showing up too.
Then they came. All over my bum and thighs:cool:
I also got heaps on my breasts when my milk came in.

They had faded to nothing within the 1st year. If I ran my fingers over were the stretch marks were I can feel them in my skin still, but they were just normal coloured skin again.

2nd time round I got the same streatchies back and some more new ones:dizzy:
My dd2 is 5 months old and they have just about gone again:)

[SmileyBJ]

I had horrible stretch marks all in the one place. It started with my belly button and then lengthened going both up and down my stomach...it got wider and darker... looked as if my stomach skin was ripping in half and was very painful. Even though from very early on I oiled and moisturised everyday and twice a day. Now a Year down the track its gone all white, still noticable... i've lost all feeling in my belly button but get nerves running up and down the stretch marks at times.

[Aries7]

I never got a stretch mark during my pregnancy & I put this down to using Olive Oil throughout my pregnancy. A friend recommended it to me after she used it the entire time without getting a stretch mark as did 2 of her other friends. I just used home brand olive oil & it was great!!

[Boobycino]

I've never touched bio-oil or any of the other conncotions meant for stretch marks.

Mine were an upsetting shade of purple when bub was first born, he's 8 months old and they're quite silvery now, still a bit pink, but not really an issue.

A couple more months and they'll match the silver ones I have on my hips, bum and thighs :rolleyes:

On an odd side note, I'd had my navel pierced years ago and still have quite a definate scar as it was half torn out on my clothes (ouch!!!!!!) and when I was pregnant I think somehow the scar made my belly 'run a seam' like a stocking, because I have two stretch marks that come up and out diagonally from my piercing scar... interestingly enough though... it looks JUST like the playboy bunny symbol - people who've seen it have asked me if I did it on purpose, but nope... just happened that way!

[NonnyMouse]

I only got one with my first (way down below the hairline) but heaps with my second. AT 4 months old, they're no longer the angry dark red/purple they were so I guess while they haven't started going silvery, they are definitely less noticeable.

IMO the only purpose things like Bio Oil and other "stretch mark creams" serve is to empty your wallet.

[Rebdot]

The exact same thing happened to me, one day i woke up with one and the next day it was like i was attacked in the night,

it took a good year to fade to a lighter color and now 7 years since i got them their the same color as my skin,

when i got pg the second time i they stayed light as well.

[Liddy]

I got some in my 41st week of pregnancy with my first baby, all on the lower of my belly and already had some on my hips which darkened as my belly grew. Mine faded very quickly (i had a c-section). I haven't gained any again this pregnancy just my previous ones got darker again. I never really bothered using anything, they say getting abit of sun on them can help though, so maybe in the summertime lay in your backyard and let the sun get on your belly abit?

[pegasus]

There's no evidence to support them being genetic. Creams and oils are just as good as each other - (ie research shows that bio oil / vitamin E cream is no better than sorbelene cream).

Using cream does help to a minor degree - due to helping keep the skin soft and with the massage that goes with it.

However, stretch marks are a lot deeper than just the surface layers of skin and so their formation is affected a lot more by dietary intake. Zinc and fish oils etc are good for prevention.

Once you get them, time will be your best friend along with some massage.

I never got stretch marks with my pregnancies (took supplements in both pregnancies), but still have stretch marks from my teens (over 20 years ago) which I can still see - silvery in appearance.

[BabelFish]

There is no cream, oil or anything else that you can use to prevent stretch marks. You'll get them, or you won't.

As a result, I didn't bother with any creams etc whilst pregnant and haven't afterwards either. Stretch marks cannot be helped with things like this. They are caused by tearing of the dermis and as a result nothing you put on the top of your skin is going to make any difference.

Mine faded really quite quickly. After a few months they were quite silvery and you can notice them because there are SO many there (I got massive stretch marks a week before my daughter was born) but it doesn't really bother me. I've got a beautiful baby, and I wear them with pride. Nobody's seen my stomach for years anyway, so hubby and I are the only ones who know they're there and neither of us care!