Stretch Marks!!

[answergirl]

The TCA peels 25% work for peeling after about 4-7 days but they lighten darkened areas so I do not think it would help your wht S. Marks may just lighten them more. Now if you had dark scarred stretch marks it may improve them somewhat

Have any persons of color tried TCA peels?

I was told during a recent consultation that due to our darker pigmentation, they ( Peels) only cause more harm than good. I am african american with white stretch marks ( at least 10 years old fairly thin and not too deep) on my calfs among other places that came from growth spurts during puberty and tired of hearing that nothing can be done to correct/improve them.

I am not ready to give up hope that I can at the very least dramatically reduce their appearance. but cosmetic surgery appears to be out of the question based on my most recent consultation.

If anyone has had success with such peels please share your routine/ experience.

[Guest]

I don't understand the skepticism. What would someone, who never posted here before and whose method was copied here by others years ago, have to gain by updating everyone on the final chapter of her success story, especially one that is not linked to the sale of a particular product or service? We've all seen our fair share of scammers on this forum, but those tended to be linked to products or services.

I hope Purple Jen sticks around. She's given me a much needed boost in my quest for stretch mark free skin.

Tracy

Its just human nature to wonder. I hope she understands and does not take it personally and comes back, as I said, I have had my fair share of grief on this site and so have others. Having someone come on with positive news is a good thing, better than having loads of negative people saying we can't do anything about them.



J

[Guest]

Hi purple jen

I was just wondering, was it the tca method posted a few pages earlier that you used to get rid of the sm's? Also were you as keen on raw food when you were carrying out the routine to get rid of the bulk of your marks...thanks for any help.

[Guest]

Well for over a month now I've been doing a routine with consists of exfoliating in the shower, then when dry I use lactic acid. This is in the morning. In the evening before bed I use 30% glycolic acid, trireduction and emu oil. Then i wash it off in the morning. About 2-3 times a week I use a 1mm dermaroller.

I take daily doses of Vitamin E, C, Zinc, kelp, sawpalmetto, a multivitamin and a baby asprin.

I haven't seen any improvement, but my husband says he can.

When my glcolic acid is gone I'm going to switch to tca

Does anyone know what the caster oil routine is? And what is the theory behind it?


Shoo

[Guest]

Does anyone know what the caster oil routine is? And what is the theory behind it?

Someone posted here several months ago that they had success from using cold pressed castor oil and a heating pad on their stretch marks. Generously rub the castor oil onto the marks, cover with saran wrap (plastic wrap), and apply heating pad for 20 to 30 minutes. They did this a few times a week. Don't know the theory behind it.

[cr]

Thanks J I will start with the 15% first. My skin tone matches Gabriel Union's for reference.

What is your application procedure.

I want to first try this on my calfs, which is where they are the worse in my eyes. I was thinking of taking a q-tip and using the mirror to make sure I applied to the stretch marks only ( though I have so many I may end up touching the unaffected skin)

Have you found that it's best to do both the stretch marks and unaffected skin?

Hi,
If you go to platinum skincare's website they have detailed instructions on doing the peels. Once you go to their main page, in the left-hand column at the very bottom it will say "peel directions," click on that and it will take you to the different types of peels to choose from. Once you click the desired peel, click on the peel percentage direction sheet and you will have a long page of instructions. In their instructions, I believe it says to use cotton swabs, but I would use gauze pads because cotton is way too absorbent; and since peels are so expensive it can be a waste to use cotton. I would also suggest if this is your first time using peels to start off very slowly and get a 10% TCA (if using TCA peels and have already done glycolic acid peels), but definitely no stronger than 20%. Whichever strength you decide on, I would then dilute it with water. If you choose the 20% TCA you have more options with a bottle to adjust the strength as your body adapts to it if you so choose to dilute it with water. A couple of pages back somebody posted a good routine where you start off with glycolic acid first in order to prepare your skin for TCA. Since TCA is a deeper peel, if your skin is not ready it can leave permanent scars. For this reason I would start with a 30% glycolic acid first, then 50%, then 70%, and then from there begin a 10% TCA peel, or 20% diluted down with water. I would take it very slowly at first in order to gauge your skin's reaction to the peels. I hope this helps!! All the best, CR

[cr]

Well for over a month now I've been doing a routine with consists of exfoliating in the shower, then when dry I use lactic acid. This is in the morning. In the evening before bed I use 30% glycolic acid, trireduction and emu oil. Then i wash it off in the morning. About 2-3 times a week I use a 1mm dermaroller.

I take daily doses of Vitamin E, C, Zinc, kelp, sawpalmetto, a multivitamin and a baby asprin.

I haven't seen any improvement, but my husband says he can.


Shoo

Hi Shoo,
That's funny because when I first starting doing my routine it was also my husband that noticed a difference before I did. Since skin remodeling is such a slow, snail-paced, process, you will likely be able to see real improvement after the third or fourth month. I hope sooner, though, but realistically you need at least 3 or 4 months of a consistent routine to see a tangible difference. I have been doing my routine, with alterations every few months, for roughly 8 or 9 months. Although, my stretch marks have improved leaps and bounds by filling in, lightening, and shrinking, I still believe it will take at least another 6 months to see them completely resolved. Maybe it will not take that long, but I have set my mind up for the long haul. You may have a faster healing and repair time, and you may not need as long, but it is still a slow process and simply by knowing that will hopefully fend off discouragement. And, I do think it is good to experiment with different peels (say, giving your body a few months on one peel and then if need be switching to another one) just to see how your body responds to each one. For that matter, experimenting with the different methods that are suggested on this forum is always good because what my stretch marks respond to may not do anything for yours, and vice versa. But, long story short, if your husband sees an improvement then there probably is something there! I wish you the best with your routine!!! All the best, CR

[Guest]

Hello,

I have never used a glycolic acid peel before. I am thinking of trying one relatively soon, but I am wondering, if this is my first time ever using it, would I leave it on overnight? I don't know how my skin will respond because it is fairly sensitive. I don't know where routines are posted because this thread is so long. I used to come here often when the thread was a lot shorter, but I haven't been able to keep up. I was also wondering if there is a certain seller or company that makes dermabrasion cloths that is good, or if it doesn't really matter which company you buy from. I'm also wondering if people have found it best just to use peels, or to combine peels with dermabrasion. I'm worried about overloading my skin all at once. Sorry for all of the questions. I really need to get started on a routine, though I don't have much money for supplies at the moment. Also, do you think it's essential to combine copper peptides with GA peels? Or is emu oil enough? Thanks for your time.

[Guest]

Thanks cr for your advice and encouragement. My sm's are quite old so I figured it would take me longer then most to get rid of them. I'm hoping by next summer to have major improvement. So with that goal in mind I will trudge forward, trying not to get discouraged. This forum is always a helpful way to stay focused and positive.

Maybe a bikini will never be in my future, but at least I'm trying!

Shoo

[Mai]

Hi kids
Update on my method of torture, today I tried injecting glycolic acid into the mark instead of retin-A. let me just say OUCH. pain factor is about the same as carboxy.
Tomorrow will inject copper peptides
Sure hope the Edward Nigma guy wasn't crazy.

[Guest]

Hello,

I have never used a glycolic acid peel before. I am thinking of trying one relatively soon, but I am wondering, if this is my first time ever using it, would I leave it on overnight? I don't know how my skin will respond because it is fairly sensitive. I don't know where routines are posted because this thread is so long. I used to come here often when the thread was a lot shorter, but I haven't been able to keep up. I was also wondering if there is a certain seller or company that makes dermabrasion cloths that is good, or if it doesn't really matter which company you buy from. I'm also wondering if people have found it best just to use peels, or to combine peels with dermabrasion. I'm worried about overloading my skin all at once. Sorry for all of the questions. I really need to get started on a routine, though I don't have much money for supplies at the moment. Also, do you think it's essential to combine copper peptides with GA peels? Or is emu oil enough? Thanks for your time.

This is where you have to follow what your skin is telling you. I tried filing and it absolutley killed by skin. It took 2-3 days for the swelling to go down and I was filing lightly. I stopped filing and changed to my glycolic acid, trireduction, and emu oil routine. This doesn't irritate my skin much at all so when my GA is gone I'll switch to a TCA peel to try and move things along. I'll even use my dermaroller right before I put on my GA. It itches and stings but as long as my skin isn't having an adverse reaction like hyperpigmentaion or swelling for more then a day, I think it's ok.

The point is start doing something but start out with one thing, like a 30% glycolic acid and see how your skin responds before adding to your routine. Consistency is the key.

Good luck
Shoo

[Guest]

I'm curious about one thing: about 3 months ago I had surgery and it left me with a red raised scar line. 3 months later I can see it fading more and more and in another 3 moths I believe it will totally disappear. So how can this happen so quickly when the surgeon cut my skin completely right through the dermis but a stretch mark can't repair itself after so many years!? Aargh! It sucks!!
Can anyone explain this by the way??

[cr]

Hello,

I have never used a glycolic acid peel before. I am thinking of trying one relatively soon, but I am wondering, if this is my first time ever using it, would I leave it on overnight? I don't know how my skin will respond because it is fairly sensitive. I don't know where routines are posted because this thread is so long. I used to come here often when the thread was a lot shorter, but I haven't been able to keep up. I was also wondering if there is a certain seller or company that makes dermabrasion cloths that is good, or if it doesn't really matter which company you buy from. I'm also wondering if people have found it best just to use peels, or to combine peels with dermabrasion. I'm worried about overloading my skin all at once. Sorry for all of the questions. I really need to get started on a routine, though I don't have much money for supplies at the moment. Also, do you think it's essential to combine copper peptides with GA peels? Or is emu oil enough? Thanks for your time.

Hi,
I would start off slowly with GA peels (beginning with a 30%), and definitely do not leave it on overnight. I believe the instructed rule for just starting with GA peels is to just leave it on for 1-2 minutes and then neutralize for about 30 seconds and rinse. A neutralizer is easy to make at home by just simply mixing water and baking soda into a toothpaste-like consistency and apply on top of the area where the GA peel is. You don't even have to do this step, but I am extremely cautious so I include this step in my routine when I do use GA peels. Leave it on for 30-60 seconds to neutralize GA and then thoroughly rinse off. As for the microdermabrasion cloths, I have heard that ebay has good ones, but I have not had much luck with getting a good one from ebay. Maybe somebody else could suggest a good seller. I like doing a mild abrasion before applying peels, one that is the least abrasive is dry skin brushing. You can do this by getting a bristle brush with a handle and before showering in small, upward circles brushing your entire body and paying closer attention to your stretch marks. There is a lot of info on the web regarding dry skin brushing. It is also used to rid the body of toxins and improve circulation, and on the web it will explain the manner in which to brush the body. I also like using copper-peptides because they rebuild collagen. But, CP's can be pricey, so another alternative is to use emu oil. Another woman on the forum who said she resolved her marks used a mixture of MSM cream, emu oil, and vitamin E oil combined together (in addition to using peels and dry skin brushing,etc.). I would use that after your peels in order to nourish your skin since peels are removing the top layers of skin. Also, if you can take MSM (and even iron) supplements and Vitamin C daily this will help heal your body from the inside out. That is great that you are starting your routine and as you experiment you will see what your body and stretch marks respond best to. Whatever you are able to do will surely help the condition of your marks and improve your perception of them. All the best!!! CR

[Guest]

A lot of people spew information about peels on this message board as though they are experts. Peels can cause way more damage than good if not done correctly. Anyone new to this procedure should consult a real expert. Everyones skin is different and will react differently. Only someone trained in skin peels will know what is best for each individual after doing a skin evaluation.

And no I am not an expert on peels but would certainly consult one if I were going to experiment with burning my skin.

[cr]

A lot of people spew information about peels on this message board as though they are experts. Peels can cause way more damage than good if not done correctly. Anyone new to this procedure should consult a real expert. Everyones skin is different and will react differently. Only someone trained in skin peels will know what is best for each individual after doing a skin evaluation.

And no I am not an expert on peels but would certainly consult one if I were going to experiment with burning my skin.

Yes, and personal discretion is always the most important advice when experimenting with different methods for resolving stretch marks! Best, CR