Stretch Marks!!

[Guest]

thanks alot cr and J i really feel like were getting somewhere now you've both been a great help

[Kojiro]

The only thing TCA will not do is tighten the skin in. So if you have them on your stomach or whatever, you can remove the marks, but the loose skin will remain. Unless you do something else to get rid of the excess like RF skin tightening, or using tightening cream/lotion/serum etc.

Actually TCA is supposed to be quite good at tightening skin.

[cr]

thanks alot cr and J i really feel like were getting somewhere now you've both been a great help

I'm happy to be of any help.

[Guest]

The only thing TCA will not do is tighten the skin in. So if you have them on your stomach or whatever, you can remove the marks, but the loose skin will remain. Unless you do something else to get rid of the excess like RF skin tightening, or using tightening cream/lotion/serum etc.

Actually TCA is supposed to be quite good at tightening skin.

For lesser ailments like wrinkles yes. It can temporarily tighten the skin in, but in a matter of months, years, your skin will age & they will come back.

With more serious skin stretching like deep SM's, then it can't pull it back into what it once was. So even though after multiple peel's you can't see the mark. The skin may still be a little bit loose.

It simply depends on how deep the mark(s) themselves are & where on the body they are located. If they are on the tummy, then chances are more often than not, they're gonna be of the looser variety. If they are on your leg, arm or whatever, then they're probably gonna not need anything extra to taughten up the skin after you've finished your peels. If skin is slack then you'll need to use something extra for the skin. Expensive option is RF skin tightening, or you could try something like the Mama Mio one specifically for tightening loose/saggy skin.

TCA is great for removing them, BUT you need to prepare your skin properly before applying it. Then once it's done you need to look after & treat it exactly right after you've done the peel.

Small shallow marks can be removed in 2/3 TCA peels. Medium 4/5. Deep ones could take up to 8 applications to totally remove.

Once you've had your course of TCA peels & can no longer see them, they will not come back within a few months/years if you stop the TCA. The only things that will come back after a peel is wrinkles, acne or things of that nature. Recurring skin conditions.

Scars, Stretch Marks, Freckles or anything like that one gone, will not come back. What may happen though is your eyes play tricks to begin with. You take the peel, skin is red, inflammed. You look at the marks & find it hard to spot them. So they must be gone. Skin begins peeling, then within a week. You you look & can see them again. Oh no, they must have returned. Which is not the case. You have to accept that it's gonna take multiple peels & a few months. The skin will get worse before it gets better. The trick is to persevere with it & keep on going!

you should aim & prepare yourself for a minimum of 4 peels before starting with the possibility of it taking up to 8 of them. TCA peels take a lot of time & effort. No point doing 1, seeing them still there at the end of a week or 2 post peel & giving up hope.

By your 4th peel, your results should be very very good & shallow ones gone, medium ones gone or just about gone. By number 8, even the deepest ones will either be gone, or almost gone. If you need another peel or 2 to finish things after this, then wait 4/6 weeks till the skin heals & then do it again & get rid of the things once & for all.

[Guest]

To the guest above, thanks for your input. What kind of TCA strength are you talking about??

Also, I have an appointment next week starting a course of microdermabrasion/laser treatments in a Harley Street clinic. I'll probably spend £1800 per session of six treatments! So imagine when they told me that to totally remove me it would take me around 18-24 treatments!! At least I don't have to give all the money now. The reason I decided to go with it is that they sounded extremely confident my marks would be removed by the end of the sessions (by next summer probably) and they also had lots of good testimonials. Just wondering though if TCA would save me a lot of money if I used it instead...? I used a 10-20% in the past and I got some peeling, but I didn't stay on it long enough I guess to see a difference, so that's why I'm going with a professional treatment...

[Guest]

By your 4th peel, your results should be very very good & shallow ones gone, medium ones gone or just about gone. By number 8, even the deepest ones will either be gone, or almost gone. If you need another peel or 2 to finish things after this, then wait 4/6 weeks till the skin heals & then do it again & get rid of the things once & for all.

If only it were that easy. By reading back over the hundreds of pages on this site it looks like many people have been doing peels for at least a year or more but are still here trying to find more solutions to rid themselves of stretchmarks. The above analysis does not seem to match the actual experiences of most of the peelers on this forum.

[Guest]

To the guest above, thanks for your input. What kind of TCA strength are you talking about??

Also, I have an appointment next week starting a course of microdermabrasion/laser treatments in a Harley Street clinic. I'll probably spend £1800 per session of six treatments! So imagine when they told me that to totally remove me it would take me around 18-24 treatments!! At least I don't have to give all the money now. The reason I decided to go with it is that they sounded extremely confident my marks would be removed by the end of the sessions (by next summer probably) and they also had lots of good testimonials. Just wondering though if TCA would save me a lot of money if I used it instead...? I used a 10-20% in the past and I got some peeling, but I didn't stay on it long enough I guess to see a difference, so that's why I'm going with a professional treatment...

For your first time, I'd recommend 15%. Left on the skin for 2 minutes maximum then rinsed off.

1st) 15% at 2 mins
2nd) 15% at 2 1/2 or 3 mins
3rd) 18/20% at 2 mins
4th) 18/20% for 3 mins

2nd treatment is done 4 weeks after the first. 3rd treatment is given an extra 2 weeks, so will be applied 6 weeks after the second. 4th treatment done 4 weeks after the third.

The maximum you should ever use on your skin is 30% & that's only once you've used the lower strength versions multiple times. The most critical factor isn't the acid itself. It's pre & post treating your skin which is more important. You can't just buy TCA, splash it on, wash it off & everything will be rosy. If yoy apply TCA, then you have to take good care of it for a couple of weeks to make sure that you aren't left with any hyperpigmentation etc.

I'd strongly advise using 30% Glyolic to pre-treat your skin for 6/7 weeks prior to actually applying the TCA Peel. Combine this with Emu Oil, Copper Peptides, Vitamin E gel/cream & a good body moisturiser (you can get Johnson's 24hr body cream in Boots for just over 2 quid.)

This next bit is critical!!!!! You put on the Glycolic, then WITHIN 30 seconds, rub on some Emu Oil over it. Within another 60 secs, some Copper Peptides on top of the Emu Oil. Basically a triple layer.

You need to do this quick, because it'll stop your skin from burning & flaking. Glycolic on application isn't strong, but try doing it every night for a month or more & it soon builds up. So if you get on the Emu Oil & Copper Peptides right after. Then you won't have anything to worry about!

Every morning, wash/rinse it off when you first get up. PAT dry the skin. Then apply the body moisturiser. Get dressed & go about your daily business. 60mins before the Glycolic at night, apply the Vitamin E cream/gel.

Do this for 6/7 weeks (if you can't wait that long, then 4 weeks at the absolute least).

That's how you pre-treat the skin. After that your now ready to do the TCA. Once that's been washed off. You do a strict post-peel regime for the next couple of weeks.

The most effective way (as a result much more expensive) to do is is to incorporate Glycolic & a form of abrasion into your treatment. In this case since you can get to London. The best is called the Salt-A-Peel. It's Macro-Abrasion instead of Micro-Dermabrasion. The treatment uses positive pressure, instead of vacuum pressure that you'd get from normal Micro-Dermabrasion.

[Guest]

By your 4th peel, your results should be very very good & shallow ones gone, medium ones gone or just about gone. By number 8, even the deepest ones will either be gone, or almost gone. If you need another peel or 2 to finish things after this, then wait 4/6 weeks till the skin heals & then do it again & get rid of the things once & for all.

If only it were that easy. By reading back over the hundreds of pages on this site it looks like many people have been doing peels for at least a year or more but are still here trying to find more solutions to rid themselves of stretchmarks. The above analysis does not seem to match the actual experiences of most of the peelers on this forum.

[Guest]

Care to point out some for me to go & read then because I highly, highly, highly doubt people have been doing 10/12 applications of TCA, then are still looking around at the end of a year looking for something else because it isn't working.

Umm, the half dozen or so people on this forum who try one type of acid then switch to the other then switch back then try different strenghts and on and on and on. Many have been posting for at least a year or more. Some have left and just pop in every once in a while to say hi and say they were just checking back in to see if anyone has found anything new to try. I do not have time to go back through the hundreds of messages to give you specific examples. Feel free to do so since you appear to have a lot of time on your hands if you are searching stretchmark forums given you have already cured your own.

[Guest]

Care to point out some for me to go & read then because I highly, highly, highly doubt people have been doing 10/12 applications of TCA, then are still looking around at the end of a year looking for something else because it isn't working.

Umm, the half dozen or so people on this forum who try one type of acid then switch to the other then switch back then try different strenghts and on and on and on. Many have been posting for at least a year or more. Some have left and just pop in every once in a while to say hi and say they were just checking back in to see if anyone has found anything new to try. I do not have time to go back through the hundreds of messages to give you specific examples. Feel free to do so since you appear to have a lot of time on your hands if you are searching stretchmark forums given you have already cured your own.

is it such a crazy idea that someone just wants to help, maybe because theyve been through the same thing we have and knows what its like. as to the 'already cured your own' comment, where would we be if people who have had success didnt post or participate in forums. we would never get anywer if the succesful people didnt post.

i myself find it extremely encouraging to hear that there is something out there that has worked for someone else and that there is someone willing to help and inform us. to the guest who has posted this information i would just like to say that you have been a huge help and have answered many of my question so thanks you very very much.

thanks alot

p.s. please stick around

[cr]

That peel routine posted above sounds like a great strategy, and seems like it could be highly effective. I have just started doing a revised routine where I do the Jean Wu method then just after that I apply a diluted 20% TCA peel solution and then layer on copper-peptides. On the days when I do not do the Jean Wu method, I dry brush then layer on the TCA solution and copper-peptides. I have seen a beneficial reaction to my revised routine. Layering with peels and copper-peptides truly does reap benefits. The reason I switch my peels and routine every few months is simply because I do not want my skin to get used to the same routine and the same order of the routine in the case that my skin/body builds up a defense to my strategy. Also, since removing stretch marks is a slow and steady process it is nice to mix it up after a while. I believe that most people whom use a routine of abrasion, peels, copper-peptides (and a derma roller for an added boost for stretch marks and loose skin, although not always neccessary, especially, if using emu oil) will see major improvements in their stretch marks, if not complete resolution of them if done over an extended period of time. Best, CR

[Purple Jen]

Someone posted that exact long routine email on here about a year ago. I believe the writer of the email was "purplejen" or something like that.

Wonder if she ever got rid of those last 12 stretch marks!! Would love to hear an update from her.

Tracy

Funny how I found this forum... I was Google searching my name (out of sheer boredom) and didn't come up with a whole lot. So I started Google searching my old Usernames and here I am!

Tracy, I don't know if you still come here, but since you're post led me here I feel I should respond.

I DID get rid of my last dozen or so stretch marks! BUT, it wasn't as a result of my "method of madness". Shortly after I posted that I became unemployed and my old routine was a bit (Ok, really) spendy! During my time of unemployment I went on a 40 juice fast to detoxify my body. I did this under the supervision of a naturopath so I was monitored. And after the juice fast I switched over to a diet of approx. 90-95% raw foods and have been eating that way ever since. During all of this my remaining stretchmarks, which were barely visible to begin with, completely disappeared. As did my cellulite, which I'm thrilled about!!! I still do dry skin brushing every day and I still take my daily MSM supplements. I never stopped taking those, even during my detox.

As for the oils/lotion, I had become sort of attached to those in the course of my routine. I loved the way my skin felt when using them. But since money was tight I switched over to using a lotion called "Glucosamine, MSM & Arnica" (NOW is the brand name) I started using that because all of those ingredients are great for the skin and it's affordable. I would take that 8 oz bottle and combine it with 2 ounces of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 2 ounces of Emu Oil. I use that every day after my shower. And I still use the microdermabrasion cloth in the shower too. So that's all I did! My "new" lotion after every shower - My MSM - Dry Skin Brushing and - Eating/drinking raw.

I never thought for one second I could ever eat raw food, I used to HATE vegetables. After my juice fast though, I craved them.

I'm so glad to see my post a few years back touched so many people. I now know that persistence pays off. I truly believe that by nourishing my body on the inside, it was able to heal what it needed to. I don't think any cream or lotion out there will work without it. As they say "Healthy skin is the reflection of a healthy diet". And YES it did take a long time! Over a year and a half total.

But I've been there. I was one of the suicidal ones. My stretch marks ran from my armpits down my arms and halfway down my forearms. I had them on my stomach, my back, my sides, my breasts, my thighs and on the front and back of my knees. I was covered! I know what it's like to be continually asked "Aren't you hot?" all summer long because you're in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Forget intimacy, it was non-existent! I pushed men away because I was afraid of getting too close. I wasn't living I was hiding. Yes, I've been there and I understand the pain. All I can say is don't give up. YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS!!!

For those interested about raw food....
Curious about the raw food / stretch mark connection I did some searching. Here are some encouraging posts from raw food websites:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=20084

http://goneraw.com/forums/7/topics/4496?page=2

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=39258&highlight=stretch+marks

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=21784&highlight=stretch+marks

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=31645&highlight=stretch+marks

*Hugs To All*
Jen

P.S. I went to visit the old Yahoo site a few times but all I saw were posts for porn stuff.

[Guest]

God I am really getting sick of the negative people that come on here and post "helpful" information saying that marks cannot be removed. I mean, its hard enough to stay positive with all these marks without people trying to put you on a downer. Sorry but I am just getting fed up of it.

Purplejen, thanks so much for posting, reading of your success inspired me to stick at it. I hope it will pay off for me as it has for you. Please stick around as your input would be great.

J

[Purple Jen]

God I am really getting sick of the negative people that come on here and post "helpful" information saying that marks cannot be removed. I mean, its hard enough to stay positive with all these marks without people trying to put you on a downer. Sorry but I am just getting fed up of it.

Purplejen, thanks so much for posting, reading of your success inspired me to stick at it. I hope it will pay off for me as it has for you. Please stick around as your input would be great.

J

Thanks J!

I know for a fact that they can be removed. And I'm not here to sell anything. My information is free and I have nothing to gain. I tried for nearly 17 years to find something that actually worked before I finally did. But I always believed there had to be some way to get rid of them. So I guess people can chose to believe what they wish. And I'll leave them with one of my favorite quotes:

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford

So think positive! I know it's hard, but try.

[Guest]

purple jen thats amazing! i think this is the first post iv seen where someone has made a real positive improvement! you say the raw food diet was what helped get rid of the remaining shallow stretchmarks... were they always shallow or did you acheive this through a different method? how did you get from having them everywhere to just having 12 remaining?
thanks!