What Are the Different Types of Cosmetic Surgery for Stretch Marks?

I can totally understand why, in this case, someone might want to have plastic surgery. Stretch marks are pretty unsightly and unattractive, even though they are fairly common. I know some women wouldn't care about having a few stretch marks here and there, but some people are really bothered by it!

If you're that bothered, I don't see the harm in getting something done. As long as you research the procedure and the doctor beforehand, it sounds like it would be pretty safe.

@JessicaLynn - Stretch marks are very common, it's true. I know they're somewhat genetic, but I also think you can take steps to prevent them, at least during pregnancy.

I have a good friend who has two children, and no stretch marks. She swears up and down that all the stuff she did while she was pregnant helped prevent them. She drank a ton of water, ate really healthy, and slathered herself with cocoa butter day in and day out.

If I ever get pregnant, I plan to do exactly what she did and hopefully I won't have to resort to something like laser surgery for stretch marks.

All of the examples of plastic surgery for stretch marks sound positively horrifying. You can basically either destroy your top layer of skin or literally cut off the skin that has stretch marks. No thank you!

Personally, I think stretch marks are something we all have to live with. Most women I know have stretch marks in some for or another.

In fact I don't have any children yet, but I do have some stretch marks on my behind from gaining and losing weight (only a few pounds!) I pretty much just leave them alone. And, they're definitely faded a little bit over time too.

@honeybees - I have wasted my money on some of those stretch mark creams too. If anybody has found a cream that really works, I would love to know about it.

Most of my friends that have stretch marks have the thin, white ones that to me, are barely noticeable. I say this because mine are those ugly red and purple ones that really stand out.

I don't even like to wear shorts anymore because of having these on my legs and other parts of my body. I would absolutely love to have surgery for stretch mark removal, but we only have one income right now and that is completely out of the question.

I would have a hard time justifying spending the money on something like that even though I know it would increase my confidence and help me feel better about myself.

@Mykol - I looked into having a chemical peel done for my stretch marks. I am still debating between that and dermabrasion. I want something that is affordable, but also gets the job done.

I know there is a wide range of prices depending on who you see and what part of the country you live in.

With my dermatologist, each chemical peel was going to cost me around $300. Most of my stretch marks are the thin, white ones so they aren't too severe.

I was told I would probably need more than one peel and would need to plan on going back at least 2-3 times.

My stretch marks came from having my three beautiful babies. While I wouldn't trade them for anything, I wouldn't mind having some kind of stretch mark removal surgery to get rid of them.

I don't really like having the stretch marks as reminders of being pregnant and gaining all that weight.

Most people think of stretch marks when someone has gained a lot of weight. You can also get stretch marks if you lose weight - especially if it is a fast weight loss.

When I was having a lot of abdominal problems, I had a hard time keeping food down and ended up losing a lot of weight in a short period of time.

Even though I always wanted to lose weight, this is not the way I would recommend getting it done. I had stretch marks on my legs and breasts from having kids, but didn't have any on my stomach until I had this rapid weight loss.

Anytime you have such extreme changes in the collagen of your skin like that, it can lead to stretch marks. Now I feel like I have stretch marks all over my body and would really like to make them less noticeable.

Does anybody know how much a chemical peel for getting rid of stretch marks would cost?

I know I changed the style of bathing suit I wore after my pregnancies. Not that I really like wearing a bathing suit in the first place, but now I find those 'figure friendly' ones to help cover up the stretch marks.

I have tried a few creams that are advertised to help get rid of stretch marks, but I don't think any of them work. I think they are just marketing gimmicks and I have given up on finding a cream that really does what it says it will do.

Either I just live with them, or look into having some kind of plastic surgery stretch mark removal. Since that really isn't in the budget, I will probably just learn to live with them.

@MissDaphne - Most women will gain a little more with their second pregnancy, but I hope you get lucky! If you went a little crazy with the "eating for two" the first time and watch your diet more closely the second, you might be successful - but just make sure you are still eating enough for your baby to grow big and strong! You need lots of fat and protein.

I always thought that surgery to remove stretch marks, or really any cosmetic surgery, was a little silly. But a friend of mine had three children in five years and then was sure her family was complete. She would drag all three of those kids to the gym several times a week, but... you guess it, her belly wouldn't go flat again.

She decided to have a tummy tuck. Now most of her stretch marks are gone and she has the belly of a teenager again. It's still not something I would choose for myself, but then that's easy for me to say because I never had quite as flabby a look as she did. And I won't judge her. She is really happy with the results and was fortunate enough to recover quite well. (Not everyone is! Any surgery can have serious complications.)

It sounds like there's nothing really proven to get rid of stretch marks! All these options sound kind of iffy except for a tummy tuck, and it seems like a tummy tuck might not get to the right area, depending on where your stretch marks are. (It certainly won't help if they're on your breasts!) I've heard that in parts of Canada, a woman who has had twins is entitled to a free tummy tuck under their national health service!

Mine aren't too bad, but I've pretty much accepted that I'm stuck with them. I gained a little more weight a little faster than I should have in my first pregnancy, so I'm hoping to gain a little less next time and hopefully not get so many new ones!