Stretch Marks from Weight Lifting

[shooter619]

Hi,
I am an active 22 year old male, and I do a lot of weight lifting. I have gained massive amounts of purple and pink thick stretch marks near my underarm and pectoral region. I am not putting on huge amount of muscle weight, 10 lbs at the most and the stretch marks keep coming.  I currently have Hashimoto's disease which is an underactive thyroid, but I don't know if it is related. I have seen a dermatologist, but he didn't have too much to say about them but said if I get laser treatment, I could potentially keep getting them. I've tried the creams and I've been told that they do not help. I've got no idea what is going on. I'm not taking any sorts of steroids, only creatine and L-glutamine. PLEASE HELP!!!

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
Stretch marks are caused by rupture of the elastic fibers on the skin.  This usually happens during weight gain since there is more stretching on the skin, hence more rupture of the elastic fibers.  There are products (creams, lotions) that promise to minimize the appearance of stretch marks, though results vary.  What you can do is try to minimize the tension on your skin by not doing too much weight lifting and control weight gain.
Good luck.

[afterlifex]

You can also get streach marks from an over extintion of your arm. Like said above its a rupture of the elastic fibers. I my self have 2 large streach marks on both shoulders right at the joint in the front, so you my just want to slow down a bit with your lifting.

[rawrrusuck]

Stretch marks are like scars, they take time to disappear. Creams and such don't work, just think of them as scars. Unless your willing to pay for laser surgery, just accept that its there, and its staying.

[athletic4444]

I tried laser and that doesn't work either. How does a laser make fibroblasts divide and secrete collagen/elastin (it damages your fibroblasts, making them older)?  I am reading up on hyaluronic acid injections (restylene). Basically there is a company named  Isolagen which will grow up your skin cells and inject them into wrinkles. Maybe one day they will do that for your stretch marks.