I'll make it simple.

When I was 15 and a half I had a small growth spurt. Gained about 2 inches in height, as well as some lovely stretch marks to go across my mid/lower back. Flash forward to 2 1/2 years later and they are still there (of course). Basically, they have ruined my life. The past 2 1/2 years have easily been the worst of my life. I don't think about them so much in the fall and winter but once spring and summer come around I am so miserable. Everyone is going swimming and out on boats and lounging around by the pool while I am cramped up inside, unable to enjoy any of it.

I just feel so terrible all the time because of it. I feel inferior to everyone else. I've never even seen nor heard of anyone with the same problem as me. I'm terribly ashamed of myself now. My mom tries to tell me to not worry about it and go swimming anyway but I would DIE if anyone saw them. I've had nightmares about people seeing them. Over time this problem has destroyed my self confidence, self esteem, and worst of all my hope for the future. They are scars and will never go away. That is the hardest thing to accept. I can pour thousands and thousands of dollars into removing them but they will always be there. I feel so defeated. Everyday I wonder what life would be like had I never got them. My life would be totally different. This problem has limited me so much in what I can do with friends. I can't just be "up for anything", especially in the summer. Most of the time they want to go swimming so I have to make up excuses. This summer I actually got a full time job working 40 hours a week to keep my mind off of it and to have a good excuse to not be in a situation where I have to take my shirt off.

The worst part about is that I have always taken care of myself. I've made it a point to stay in shape. I've never been a pound over or underweight in my life. And yet some of my overweight friends have perfect skin all over. Why did I get this problem and not them? I did nothing wrong.

I know it may sound like I am making this out to be a bigger deal than it actually is but I can't help it. It's like a pebble in my shoe. I can try to ignore the pain and just keep walking but it's always there, and sometimes you just can't take it anymore and want to take the pebble out. Only I can't do that. This pebble has been in my shoe for a long time now and shows no sign of going away. I want to so bad to wake up and have them be gone. I said I've had nightmares about them, well I've also had good dreams about them as well. Where I wake up and they are totally gone. Those dreams are always too short.

I've been to dermatologists, plastic surgeons, laser specialists, etc. Right off the bat they always tell me the problem is permanent. I always just want to start crying in their office as soon as I hear that. I actually had treatment on them with a pulsed dye laser a few weeks ago. At this point I am terrified. It looks worse than ever. They say it's bruising but I am scared to death it has only made it worse. Now my mind is concentrating on the problem 100%, all day and night.

I posted this in the depression forum because well, I am extremely depressed. I know that if I posted questions about stretch marks in the skin forum I would only hear things I've already heard a million times. I've researched this problem so much. Somtimes I wish I never had the internet because my findings on it have been so discouraging. At this point I don't know what to do so I can feel better. A shrink couldn't help me - this is my ONLY problem. This is it. It's the only thing bringing me down. They could only help if they referred me to a miracle worker with lasers. Which isn't going to happen. Could I benefit from medicines at all? I just need something to get through this pain. It's unbearable.

Sounds like you are very insecure about your stretch marks majorly.

I don't know what to say?

Some pregnant women get HUGE stretch marks accross their stomachs and they are cool...

I have a bunch on my arms and lower buttox...

However, I don't worry about them... But you do... Hmm...

If they are permanent, then the only thing left to do is ACCEPT YOURSELF FOR WHAT/WHO/HOW YOU ARE... Stretch marks and all! Because a few scretch marks don't make the man! The man is made by what is on the inside!

Hang in there...

Maybe you should consider seeing a therapist. We all have flaws that cause us to be insecure. But to say that stretch marks are "ruining your life" is a little extreme. If they are permanent, you need to learn to accept them. I know therapists can help with self esteem, and this seems to be the case with you.

Another thing I may suggest is doing some volunteer work at a hospital or something like that. Maybe spending time with and getting to know people who are worse off than you yet still happy to be alive will inspire you and make you realize how lucky you really are....

There is soo much more to life than looking good. It's so sad, the pressure society places on people to look perfect. Nobody is perfect.

Scooterman, its not much I can say that will suppress your burden with these stretch marks. I have stretch marks around my waist and my arms so I know how you feel. Please take this advice from someone who is about as socially reclusive as it gets because of my physical unattractiveness. I know that it makes you feel like your not as good as everyone else, you dont feel attractive enough to go swimming, you feel like your different, it seems like everyone else is a perfect shape, skin, body, etc. But worrytoomuch is right. I think your idea of this problem has become unrealistic and obsessive. If you take your shirt off, everyone isnt going to turn to you and say or think bad things of you. And you cant let it ruin your life. Because right now, your worst enemy is yourself. Because your fighting this perception that you have to look perfect to enjoy life and be happy. Believe me im not one to lecture, my life has been destroyed basically because of my face and my weight and even to this day I cant accept how I look. But under no circumstance do I believe you are inferior, or less attractive because of stretch marks. Why would you want to live that type of superficial life? Is it really to please yourself, or to please how other people view you? Are you going to value your own self worth as to what people think of you or how they react to your stretch marks? I really think the stretch marks is a minimal problem spawning from a much bigger issue. Ive seen women with stretch marks on their stomach from pregnancy out in bikini's enjoying themselves, because there are bigger things in life than trying to live up to societies image.

I saw this overweight guy on the beach last weekend, he look like he was balding a bit, he didnt have a shirt on and he was hairy. I stared at him for a moment not because of how he looked, but because I envied him. He was having fun, he had a girlfriend or wife or female friend with him and other friends and they were just all running around having fun. He was the only one that was overweight. I looked at him and I remember saying to myself, I admire and envy whatever he has inside him personality wise, and emotionally that can allow him to just, not care and realize nothing comes between him and living a happy life. And I felt sad, cos Ill never get pass feeling bad about how I look. Itll always be between me and my happiness.

i am overweight and have them... but they dont really bother me, my scars form SI do though... and summer has been tough on me as well... having to hide away behind long sleeves and getting super hot... so i can relate in a way...

i wish things were better for you... try not to think about them too much... and dont beat yourlsef up over them... its not your fault... maybe no one will pay attention to them? maybe you can try vitamin E on them.. id ont know...

i wish of you the best though and hope you feel better.

*hugs*
Camilla

live with it!!!!!! be who u r who cares wat other ppl think? u shouldnt!!!! and good luck! :) :)

You could get one of those SPF swim shirts and wear that. Just tell everyone there's a lot of skin cancer in your family, so you're playing it safe. I see a lot of people wearing those these days. Just do a search on the web for SPF swim shirts and there's a whole bunch of links that pop up.

I understand how you feel and it stinks that this has happened to you, but I do agree that your reaction is a bit extreme based on the situation and there is probably something else going on. Perhaps you should see a CBT therapist to talk about this.

--CarrieLynn

I had stretch marks when I was a teenager enough though my weight never changed more than 10 lbs. either way. I know now that I have a zinc deficiency. This happens around the time of puberty because sexual maturity requires extra zinc.

You can find out for sure if you have a zinc dificiency. Buy Zinc Status in a health food store. It is just liquid zinc that you swallow 2 teaspoons and if you don't taste it you know that you are deficient. Zinc also plays a role in taste sensation.

Do you have white spots on your fingernails? That is another sign of zinc deficiency.

If you do supplement zinc please also get a manganese supplement, about 10 mg. of manganese gluconate would be helpful. Supplementing the zinc can block the manganese from being absorbed so you could easily develop a manganese deficiency.

Also consider taking some vitamin B6 too. B6 can help with the zinc absorbtion. Usually the problem is really one of too much copper. So, if you drink (filtered) tap water that might be a good source of copper, which you don't need.

You might do some research on this yourself so you know what foods contain zinc and which ones contain copper. No point in taking supplements if you are eating a diet that is working against those supplements. The best sources for zinc are animal protein; so being a vegatarian can be a challenge in getting enough zinc.

I think the zinc will definitely help with your stretch marks, but give it some time. You simply have a nutritional defiency. The RDA is only 15 mg per day for zinc so don't go much higher than that for a maintenance does (30 mg. at most).

Good luck.