Why am I getting these stretch marks?! I'm not even gaining weight!

Hi all,
I've been getting stretch marks at the top of my upper arm/arm pit which have been getting larger and more spread out over the last couple of weeks.
Why on earth is this happening all of a sudden? I'm not gaining weight/fat!

I've recently started some weight lifting, nothing serious, but there has been some muscle gain, but it really doesent seem to be in the same area as the stretch marks.

This is terrible, its making me feel so horribly fat. I'm of an average build, and my weight hasnt changed at all.

Is there anything I can do to stop this?! Am I going to have these horrid red marks on my arms for the rest of my life?

Reply 1

Lidka

13

It sounds like your weight lifting might be a factor.

There isn't a whole lot you can do about stretch marks, but it does help to rub a vitamin E rich moisturiser on them regularly to improve your skin's elasticity and prevent long-term scarring (stretch marks don't stay red, they'll eventually fade to thin, white scars that aren't all that noticeable). Cocoa butter is also an option. Twice a day should be enough, I think. :smile:

Reply 2

she

16

Muscle gain will propably have an effect on your skin, maybe you just don't notice where you have gained it.

Some people are also just prone to stretch marks.

Reply 3

Joric

Check out your weight lifting technique.

Reply 4

suicidal_dream

1

i would say thats it!!

Reply 5

shauny

What're your height and weight?

Also, what lifts/exercises have you been doing?

..shauny

Reply 6

smellielli

1

Its probably from the muscle gain. And don't you get stretch marks from a quick loss of weight? (I could be wrong on that one)

Reply 7

MaryKay

8

Make sure that your dietary zinc intake is good , shellfish, tuna red meat, as zinc is an important factor in the production of collagen,, which provides the underlying structural tissue, of your skin, it is this tissue that *stretches*, the visual skin *tears* with it sadly, they will fade in time.

also as some of the others suggested, cocoa butter is good and bio-oil seems to help to fade them.

Source of info? Consultant Dermatologist, make sure that you take the RDA for zinc. also omega oils are good to support skin integrity.

Reply 8

Yoda

12

Ghost

Hi all,
I've been getting stretch marks at the top of my upper arm/arm pit which have been getting larger and more spread out over the last couple of weeks.
Why on earth is this happening all of a sudden? I'm not gaining weight/fat!

I've recently started some weight lifting, nothing serious, but there has been some muscle gain, but it really doesent seem to be in the same area as the stretch marks.

This is terrible, its making me feel so horribly fat. I'm of an average build, and my weight hasnt changed at all.

Is there anything I can do to stop this?! Am I going to have these horrid red marks on my arms for the rest of my life?

Everyone lifting weight gets these. It is from your pecs and your delts growing. Worry not, no-one has noticed/cared about yoda's, and they are quite large.

Since you have not gained weight, you have clearly lost fat while gaining muscle. Congratulations.

Reply 9

Ghost

OP

20

Hi all,
Thanks alot for the advice, it's very useful! I'll go out and get some stuff to put on them today.
The exercises ive been doing are mainly upper body ones - lots of bicep/tricep stuff with dumbells and bars, and other stuff for my chest. I guess the weight lifting *is* the source of the problem.

Anyway, thanks again for the input, you've all made me feel alot better.

Reply 10

TurboShrimp

I'm a very little person (5"1, 7 stone 2) and I got stretch marks from growing because the skin was stretched, like your muscles appear to be doing to your arms. I was told that Shark oil (no, seriously, you can buy it from Palmers, the people who do all of the cocoa butter stuff) is really good for them, and it worked, so perhaps try that

Reply 11

Yoda

12

Buy something called "bio-oil". Its made for stretch marks.

Reply 12

username39618

1

Ghost

Is there anything I can do to stop this?! Am I going to have these horrid red marks on my arms for the rest of my life?

Cut down on the elastic.

Reply 13

Ghost

OP

20

Yoda

Buy something called "bio-oil". Its made for stretch marks.

Thats what I got today! :biggrin:

.

Reply 14

shauny

Hey Ghost, btw - add the mass building exercises to your routine, focusing around:

squats
deadlifts
bench press
barbell rows

Look up the form for these on the internet.

Are you wanting to gain weight? (muscle)

-shaun

Reply 15

Ghost

OP

20

Hi Shauny,

Thanks for the advice.
I'm basically wanting to bulk up a bit, yeah. Just want to make my upper body a little less flabby and a bit more solid. My legs are quite muscular from other sports, mind you.
I'll google some of those exercises and hopefully add them to my routine :smile:

.

Reply 16

shauny

Cool, good luck :smile:

..shauny

Reply 17

ZigZag

11

It's nothing unusual.

I got the same when I started lifting weights, went to the Dr. about it and he basically said the same as has been said in this thread.

Reply 18

BethAnderson0

I recently gained weight and got red stretch marks for the first time in my life. I was devastated. I purchased dermalmd stretch mark serum and started applying at night time. I can see them fading away more and more every day! It doesn't smell the best, but it works and that's more important to me.

Reply 19

alexp98

20

Don't worry stretchmarks only really don't look great when they're bright red but everyone's will fade overtime anyway. Completely normal, would rather be like you and lift weights with minor consequence of stretch marks than be unhealthy. If you really bothered tho try some bio oil, but honestly i wouldn't waste the time of putting it on! You're doing a great job of focusing on health instead clearly as you've lost fat and maintained/gained muscle.

(edited 7 years ago)

Why am I getting these stretch marks?! I'm not even gaining weight!

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