Hi all,
I was in the restroom just now and noticed another stretch mark on my left hip. Not sure if the previous one was on the same spot, but that one went away and I remember. Now, there is another one bright red and short. I can't believe this is happening and I feel very self conscious right now. When I was growing up I got a lot of stretch marks on the back of my hips where the sacrum is and all around it and upwards. A lot. I believe that when I first started on HRT my E injections were going into the upper outer quadrant of the glutes and I've always believed that the concentration of the E caused my body to deposit more adipose there (muffin top) and I got some stretchmarks there too. I haven't had a stretch mark in years, but last month I bought an over the counter progesterone usp cream from amazon and over the weeks I've noticed my body getting plumper looking. At first I just thought it was me over thinking things, but it's been a month and I believe the changes are really happening. My breasts feel fuller and heavier and I can sometimes feel almost like an expansion. Today it also looked like my body was 'carrying' my breasts. I have small breasts like A cup or maybe B cups and the look to them made me think like my body is almost carrying them instead of like before. I have been watching my weight, but I still am within my usual range which is between 185 lbs to 192 something ish. I have been floating around that weight for a while now, so for whatever reason it makes me think I'm not really gaining weight. I have been a little less active and maybe there is a muscle to adipose conversion going on, maybe I don't know. Since using the progesterone I have been feeling more hungry and more sleepy which is good because I usually don't eat much and sometimes I have problems sleeping. I did feel a little moody on the first week, but now I feel more mellow and seem to laugh more with people. Also, I think I suddenly start random conversations which is a little odd since I normally don't do that. I do feel 'happier'. My nipples have felt a little itchy and I think have become more 'firm' or robust?
Anyway, I really want to try and control the stretch marks. A few weeks ago I bought some bio-oil from amazon and also palmers cocoa butter formula with vitamin E for stretch marks. Also burt's bees mama Belly butter with shea butter and vitamin E. To be honest after the first stretch mark on my hip went away I stopped using the creams and oil :(. Now it's back and I feel bad about it. I think online it also recommends drinking lots of fluids which I'm going to focus on now. I also have extra virgin olive oil and I think that was also recommended as direct application. I actually eat a lot of foods with olive oil :(. Oh, I'm 5'11" well last I checked a few years ago anyway :( At some point I shrunk down to 5'10" but that was before I started to exercise... and I have been exercising for the past, uh, 6 years I think. Which has been very good for my health. No running though. I just practice a lot of martial arts :(. I don't get too excited around sports and at one point I had a bad experience with a guy that was bothering my mom and so I thought I'd better learn to defend myself somehow :(. I'm not an athlete but I exercise and work up a sweat and that is good.
Maybe I'm blowing up and I am not noticing it? I wonder if maybe I eat too much salt? Could it be fluid retention?
QuoteCan progesterone cause fluid retention?
Progesterone Reduces Fluid Retention. When Estrogen levels are not balanced out by adequate levels of progesterone, women tend to retain more fluid than usual. Progesterone is a natural diuretic and can greatly reduce bloating and swelling.
Well google says no for progesterone?
I have the same problem. I am not gaining weight but everything below my waist is expanding outward at an alarming rate. I have asked all of my friends about it and it pretty much came to this.
Bio-oil
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Two of my friends swear that when they started taking prenatals the stretch marks stoped. So biotin maybe.
They have ALL said don't gain weight. Duh, thanks geniuses.
My primary care physician at the VA is an exclusive female doctor, kind of annoying actually. Every single time that I see her she looks at my chart sees that I am not on birth control and asks if I am sexually active. Yes I am. You know that you can still get pregnant at 48, you really should use birth control. Um.... Not likely but I will take that under advisement. Anyway she said that there is good evidence that stretch marks are hereditary. People that get them, get them, period. They can use whatever they want and it will help with the itching but they will still get the stretch marks. I don't know if I buy that and I don't think she does either because she still told me to use bio-oil.
I do all of that and still get tiny marks, nothing like before though.
Vitamin E serum and microneedling are supposed to help.
Hi Michelle,
So I did the right choice on picking up bio oil thank god. When I first opened it an tried it I was not too fond of the strong perfume like smell. I'm not a perfume girl sometimes those just smell too strong. Bio oil has some sort of fragrance that smells like perfume. I think it is on the border of what I can tolerate :(. I might be dehydrated more often than not due to the exercises and driving and having to do a bunch of stuff. I really need to focus on the hydration. I've never herd of prenatals vitamins. I wonder if I would need something like that? I am a vegetarian and I eat, I think, an all right number of veggies. I also cook 99% of the time in a cast iron pot and skillet which I hope is helping me with Iron deficiency from vegetarianism. It looks like some mixes have lactation/breast feeding goodies and that would be something I'd want to take lol.
Viktor I recall reading on the microneedling and serum E I just don't think I have the space or the time to really do it consistently :(. I think you have to buy a roller, right?
Maybe not what you wanted to hear but most women have stretch marks. And cellulite. No biggie :)
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Stretch mark come with this....
Quote from: Asakawa on January 20, 2018, 06:18:17 PM
Viktor I recall reading on the microneedling and serum E I just don't think I have the space or the time to really do it consistently :(. I think you have to buy a roller, right?
You do, but they're very cheap online and the procedure only takes a few minutes (unless you go to a professional parlor maybe).
I'm happy to report that the stretch marks seem to have stopped and the last one, I think, is now almost invisible like. I think the bio oil and palmers strech mark lotion have reall helped. I was really considering the micro dermal approach with serum E, but right now the marks seem to have stopped. If they do come back I'll have to add the micro dermal approach :).
Welcome to womanhood! When I started transitioning at age 17 I was 115 lbs, couldn't gain weight to save my life and didn't have a single stretch mark. Now I'm 23, 135 lbs (and it takes work to stay there) and have both stretch marks and cellulite on my butt, inner thighs, breasts and love handle area.
Estrogen results in more fat, which is actually what feminizes your features. It's a two edged sword.
Embrace your stretch marks....It means you are gaining in the right places....
Yayo you started so young you must have experienced some really good feminization effects from estrogen. At age 17 is that past or post male puberty? I know girls get them much earlier which also causes their stature to be short.
Mako you look so good in your avatar! Just like a cis woman :) interestingly I have stretch marks there on my hips, but no stretchies on my butt or thighs or boobs :(. Does that mean I am not gaining at the right places?