Stretch Marks in Teens
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Stretch Marks in Teens
Aug 2009
My very fair skinned 14 year old son just went through a huge
growth spurt and it seems as if overnight he has gotten many,
many stretch marks in his breast area. He is quite upset about
it and I must say they look pretty bad. His pediatrician
referred us to a dermatologist but we cannot get in for 6
weeks. I heard that there was a treatment (laser?) that helps
them fade but it works only if you treat within a short time
period after getting the stretch marks. Has anyone heard of
this or does anyone out there know of anything that we can do,
asap?
anon
Stretch marks occur when we grow faster than our skin can manage.
Small tears occur in the deep layer of the skin, leaving permanent
scars. There is nothing to repair them, unfortunately. However, if
they are red and angry looking, that redness can be removed with
treatment with a V-beam laser. This may require more than one
treatment to get the maximum benefit, but the stretch marks will go
from red to silvery white and will then be alot less noticable.
Also, careful sun protection with a zinc oxide containing product
will help to keep the stretch marks from turning darker red. Hope
this helps.
Elizabeth
To the mom whose son is dealing with embarassing stretch marks: My
daughter was developing stretch marks during a growth spurt and we
used StriVectin-SD (5 % Striadril Complex three times a day. The
brand we used was KB (Klein-Becker) and she achieved an amazing
result - completely disappeared after a few months. I wish I'd
known about it sooner. I still have my ''stripes''.
Ren
Hi there. I also got stretch marks as a teenager due to a growth
spurt but at that time didn't know what to do about it so now I'm
stuck with them (on my upper thighs and hips). But what I'm going
to recommend to you is what pregnant ladies use to treat their
stretch marks. Try rubbing Vitamin E oil on them and also cocoa
butter (pure). You can get the Vitamin E oil at any supermarket
or drug store and I got my cocoa butter roll-on at The Body Shop.
It worked great! I didn't get any stretch marks from either of my
two pregnancies and I've heard the Vit. E oil can actually work
long after the stretch marks have surfaced. Good luck!
Jennifer
March 2009
My dark-skinned teenage daughter has a lot of stretch marks,
including on her shoulders and legs. She is embarrassed to
wear not only bathing suits, but even spaghetti strap tops and
shorts. Now that summer is coming, this has become a major
source of anxiety for her. Does anyone have experience with
lotions (prescription or non-prescription) that might help?
Has anyone had laser surgery? Any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Mom is trying to help
As a young black woman, I struggled with stretch marks around my calves,
midsection, breasts, and underarms when I was in high school. I wanted to cover
them up and was pretty embarrassed by them as well.
I tried Mederma (with little success, but I think it made me feel better for a
while),
cocoa/shea butter, retin-a, etc...but nothing really worked well, at least for dark
skin. I know when fair skinned people get stretch marks, they are less noticeable.
Also, most lasers are not compatible with dark skin either.
So, I am not really offering any solutions to get rid of the marks, but I can tell
you
what made me feel better about them: My Dad called them my ferocious tiger
stripes! I know, It's corny, but I started to see them as ''scars'' from the rapid
body
change I endured, and the ''stripes'' I earned for dealing with the change like a
warrior.
Maybe this exact scenario won't work for this teen, but overall I believe looking at
them positively, or accepting them as a part of a growing changing body may help
move away from wanting to get rid of them and learning to deal/accept/love them
as a part of who he/she is?
Tiger-Stretch-Mark Mama
Hi -- I am a dark-skinned woman with stretch marks who was once a
dark-skinned teenager with stretch marks. i was really
embarrased and hated them. but as i got older, i just got over
it, and now i think they're beautiful!! Tell your daughter that
these marks are like a map of all the wisdom she is gaining, like
rings on a tree. Tell her these marks are like embroidery, or
quilting, they only make her more beautiful. She won't believe
you, she'll think it's dumb, she'll beg for you to pay for lasers
or expensive cream. and when she's in her 20's she'll get it.
beautiful and confident with stretch marks
Take cooler showers (i.e., not hot hot) and moisturizing really
helps the skin. I would recommend that she use some type of
moiturizure as soon as she gets out of the shower, and maybe
even moisturize twice a day. There some natural streach mark
creams I used when I was pregnant something like mama bee.
They sell it at whole foods. That helped, and I think it helps
to minimize them too.
annon
Oct 2006
My teenage daughter has really noticeable very red stretch marks
on her breasts. She is really bothered by them. Does anyone know
any remedy, either prescription or herbal, that might help? Or
any doctor to suggest? Thanks for your help
worried mom
Stretch marks are deep scars caused by overstretching of
the deep layer of skin called the dermis. This can happen
during periods of rapid growth like pregnancy or breast
develpment. Because the body grows faster in these
situations than the skin can, the dermis tears. The outer
layer of skin remains intact, so there is no wound, but the
tear in the dermis makes a stretch mark. Initially these
marks are red and angry looking like any new scar. Over
time, they generally fade and turn white which makes them
less noticeable. Once there though, they never go away.
Because they are deep in the skin, there is no effective
topical treatment for them. Elizabeth
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