what is the most beneficial/effecient way to remove stretch marks?

[Nirokun!]

Echoing that nothing can be done about stretch marks. I've never seen any comparative tests for products that affect the pink/purple stretch marks and regular fading to the silver color (on light skin.)

iirc, skin lightening wont help with stretch marks, because the issue isnt the melanin, it's the skin itself. If you're like me and HEAL FUCKING DARK AS SHIT, you can lighten it. I have fair skin, but I'm part BROWN PEOPLE, so I was unfortunate in getting skin that leaves marks. I'm currently lightening my skin with a combination of an alpha hydroxy acid lotion (Amlactin) and a cream that contains 2% hydroquinone, morning and night. It works, but it takes a long time. I had lightened before with prescription hydroquinone (thanks mama~), but gave up because it took so long applying it to EACH AND EVERY MARK with a Q-Tip/cotton swab.

Some years later (now), I'm just spreading it all over the general affected area, and it doesnt have a noticeable affect on the unaffected skin, probably because it mostly affects the melanin... and there's a lot more melanin in the dark spots than the light ones. (Could have worded it better I'm sure.)

And for anyone reading, because I like sharing my (google) discoveries, I love witch hazel. Because my face is so oily (yay for no wrinkly future, but that's so far ahead), I've been using it to cleanse my face and it feels gooooood.

Also, witch hazel combined with rubbing alcohol and crushed, uncoated aspirin makes this amazing elixir that clears up pimples! Google "tendskin recipe" and there you have it. Just get the 3 (cheap) ingredients, cotton balls, and one of those $1 3oz travel-size bottles to mix it all up in. Someone should have shared this with me when I was a teenager, I would have been so happy. I need to make more today, I just used my first batch, and I filled that 3oz bottle a month or so ago (use nearly everyday because I shave and I touch a moistened cotton ball to every red spot I think might cause trouble.)

[richardd]

ill look more into those creams even if it is a temp fix for the most part lol. i know its blending in just from my fish oil supplements, but its taking such a long time. this will make it less grueling i hope. ill also start taking in some vitamin E

[Wulfgang]

Nothing works as well as you would like. I have an eight inch and three inch scar on my knee from tearing my ACL/MCL/LCL and nothing seemed to help.

[Caiti]

You'd probably have to use it for a while, but a product with collagen in it would probably help.

[gt_killa]

Where's wop! He probably knows a lot bout this kind of stuff to help you out.

[Sirenia]

I think it really has to do with your genetics too. I know some women who don't have many stretch marks from pregnancy....but then there is people like me who just got them everywhere and in numerous amounts.....I applied that cocoa butter crap religiously and it did absolutely nothing.

[altwight]

from my understanding, cocoa butter only helps prevent them like during a pregnacy it's best to rub the chick's belly with cocoa butter throughout the entire thing to help prevent stretch marks cause it loosens the skin? i dunno.

[Shazaam]

from my understanding, cocoa butter only helps prevent them like during a pregnacy it's best to rub the chick's belly with cocoa butter throughout the entire thing to help prevent stretch marks cause it loosens the skin? i dunno.

This helps the world consume more cocoa butter. Hooray cocoa butter.

[SpeckledStoat]

Nothing I've ever tried has worked (I have a ton of stretch marks over my hips and belly from pregnancy), but over time they faded from an angry red colour to silver like old scar tissue - they're not too noticeable now but I'm white as white can be so there's not much colour difference between the scar tissue and my skin.

[toonces]

cocoa butter is preventive not a cure. If you got the scars is to late to use that.

and gotta stay away from the sun when you apply it or you gonna get dark spots in your skin.

I think your only bet is most likely cosmetic laser. Good luck.

PS: cocoa butter is a black thing for a reason too, very rarely hear it work on your white dudes.

[Kuya]

I wear the stretch marks near my shoulders like a badge of honour.

[Chen]

i have this problem! although they're not as big as yours richard, that said yours don't look pretty bad.

shame this thread has gotten negative replies on success of this stuff, was looking up lolwiki about it a while ago.

oh well, if you don't like 'em, you can just gain all that weight back, that'll hide 'em!(or not)

[Mizango]

Sun, they will darken over time. Keep rocking the wife beaters and flexing in the sun and they will be less noticeable.