Stretch Marks

[Joe.]

I'm ashamed to say that I put on so much weight in a short amount of time because of comfort eating that it's left me with horrific stretch marks. They're everywhere and I'm not exaggerating. I have them from my arm pit down on each side, all over my top arm, on my elbow joint going down into my wrist, all over my stomach, on the sides next to my man boobs, on my back below my shoulder blades, all over my thighs and behind my knees. I hate them, yet it's all my own fault. I feel ugly looking at them or feeling them, they make my skin so uneven. Usually I can disassociate from the body reflection in the mirror but I can't hide from the stretch marks. I won't even wear a t shirt because they're so bad. I feel ugly, get upset and then comfort eat again. It's a vicious circle. Everyone is calling me fat and telling me how much weight I've put on, as if I'm not aware of it. Do any of you know anything that helps get rid of them? Also, if any of you have previously had stretch marks then top surgery, what happened? Did it look odd?

[Nygeel]

Cocoa butter can help make them look less obvious. I kinda like my stretch marks. I've had them since I was little (age 10-ish) and was shamed for them. My dad thought I was cutting myself at that age or somehow getting cuts on my legs and arms. I grew up with them, and I don't think they're anything bad. I have then on the inside of my upper arms, a few inches above my elbow joint to my armpit. I have them on my chest, which I questioned what I might look like if I get top surgery. They're all over my lower back, stomach, thighs, and behind my knees.

[King Malachite]

Yeah Cocoa butter can help shrink them some.  I've had stretch marks all over me since grade school.  I know of a guy who said he had giant breasts with stretch marks before top surgery and then afterwards, his chest looked amazing.  The stretchmarks were still there but I only noticed becaused he pointed them out.

[DriftingCrow]

Don't feel bad Joey, and don't be ashamed, the "ugly" things about us show that we're alive. I think everyone has some stretch marks. I've never had a weight problem, but I have big long purplish ones on my inner thighs and some wee little ones on my moobs. I've heard cocoa butter helps like Nygeel and Malachite mentioned though I've never used it, there's also this stuff that's marketed for post-birth mothers that I hear helps (I can't think of the name, but I've seen it in pharmacies), it probably has cocoa butter in it. And, if you ever have lots of dough one day, I think there's this machine thing dermatologist use to help get rid of them, have no idea how effective it is though.

Just try to break your cycle man, we're all here to support you. 

[CursedFireDean]

I have some bad ones on my thighs for the same reason and personally for me, cocoa butter only helped some of them. I'm interested to see the other answers the guys have.

[Devlyn]

You're getting good advice here, but you should come up with a solution. Have you tried keeping a journal of everything you eat and drink? Sometimes that makes a problem area easier to spot.

[KamTheMan]

Dude I've been comfort eating too and gained probably 50 or more pounds and I'm horrified by what I've let happen to my body. I have disgusting stretch marks on my stomach, tons of them rippling out from like my belly button. I'm scared I'll never look the same again. I used to be thin. I'm afraid I'll never look the same without surgery or something. I try to start exercising and I have no energy. I don't know what to do.

[KamTheMan]

I've always struggled with stretch marks on my thighs, butt, knees and some other places because I grew so fast as a kid to giant size. I've been able to deal with those, but my stomach, so obvious like that, I hate it so much.

[anibioman]

I had them on my hips and above my butt. they faded with time to the point where they're no longer visible unless you are looking for them.

[Adam (birkin)]

I have had the same experience as anibioman. I got some stretch marks when I gained weight, and a few remain, but the majority faded and I imagine the others will in time. I used to have really noticeable ones on my (ugh) boobs, but now they are completely gone.

[mangoslayer]

I don't really have any except on my thighs and they have mostly faded. Tell me if I'm wrong, but aren't stretch marks pretty much the same composition as scars? Because vitamin E lotion works wonders on breaking down scar tissue and lessening the appearance of scars. If Stretch marks are pretty much the same stuff, vitamin E lotion might help.

[Nero]

I had some above my breasts from puberty. They're still there after top surgery (possibly because they were above the breasts, not on them) but are very faded. They don't stand out or anything. You have to look for them. In fact I forgot they were there until I saw this thread and looked. 

I have a few on my gut from weight gain, but you have to look for those too. How long ago did you gain the weight? They should fade in time. I didn't put anything on mine, though I suppose it could help.

[Contravene]

You could try Mederma Stretch Mark Cream. I've used it on my stretch marks and have managed to fade them in a few spots with it. I've also used coca butter and it helps a lot. As long as you catch them early, the creams will work great but once they've been there for long enough there isn't much you can do about them. Drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated will keep your skin elastic and help prevent you from getting new ones too.

I have pretty bad stretch marks all around my thighs and hips. I got them when I was put on medication that had the side effect of being an appetite suppressant so I only weighed a sickly 90 pounds then when I was taken off the medication my weight went back up to normal too quickly. I'm thankful that most of mine can be covered by shorts but I've never minded them much anyway. I have some that kind of poke up just above the waist of my pants and have always secretly thought they look cool.

[Simon]

I have some on each side of my chest so it's nice to see guys say their top surgery results were good regardless of them.

I wonder if it is easier for people FAAB to get stretch marks than cis males? I think it probably is.

Once you lose weight I've always heard they fade. The guys have given good advice with cocoa butter and Mederma. I can't think of much else that can be done about them.

[Jamie D]

Oh yeah, natal males get stretch marks too.  Maybe a little less common, because stretch marks are often associated with pregnancy.

Lifters using anabolic steroids often get stretch marks.  They come from the skin not being able to catch up with the growth of the body part(s).

[Nero]

Oh yeah, natal males get stretch marks too.  Maybe a little less common, because stretch marks are often associated with pregnancy.

Lifters using anabolic steroids often get stretch marks.  They come from the skin not being bale to catch up with the growth of the body part(s).

Yep. Anyone who gains weight gets them. I've seen tons of cisguys with them.
I'm a little disappointed with the ones on my gut since I had the smoothest, nicest stomach before I gained a bunch of weight. Now my gut's no longer pretty. 

[Joe.]

Wow guys, thanks for such quick replies. I'm glad I'm not the only guy who has them bad. My rapid weight gain has been the past 6 months. I know it's what I eat and I eat bad, that's the issue. It's comfort eating. Nothing else makes me feel better so I eat, which obviously isn't good. I will try the products you all mentioned, cheers

[LordKAT]

For what it is worth, my son is covered in stretch marks from muscle gain. don't be too ashamed of them.He isn't and actually uses them as bragging points at times.

[VenomGaia]

I understand how you feel, Joey. I started going through my "first" (hopefully not last) puberty when I was nine, and to this day, I still have ridiculaously dark stretch marks along my hips because they grew so fast.
I don't really think they're all that bad, although they are certainly annoying. The reason I'm not too upset with them is because stretch marks occur when your skin isn't growing at the same rate as your body, and because that happens to everyone, technically everyone should have stretch marks. If you have skin, it's not really avoidable.
I can't say anything about cocoa butter, to be honest. I've never used it long enough to see any improvements.
But, I do know that fresh, concentrated parsley oil does kinda help with stretch marks, as well as pimples (I literally had acne all over my face and arms, and within one day of using it, almost all of them went away), weird skin shades, and more stuff like that. i can't guarrantee it, because the kind I found was handmade by some guy in africa, and he doesn't list all of his ingredients. But I'm sure it'll do something for stretchmarks.

[WorkerBeast]

You know, a lot of adults have stretch marks. Even the ones who have been fit for a majority of their lives. If it makes you that uncomfortable then lotion everyday is your best bet.