Apr
Articles, Personal Growth
Are Stretch Marks Really As Scary As We Think They Are?
Universally dreaded and often inevitable, stretch marks are a fact of life. Clinically called striae, stretch marks occur when the collagen and elastin in our skin is ruptured by rapid growth or shrinkage.
They can range from silvery-white to dark purple or red in colour, and most women are TERRIFIED of them.
It’s high time to ask ourselves why.
Statistics show that 90% of pregnant women and 70% of adolescent girls develop stretch marks. Even 40% of men have them!
So what’s the deal with fearing them so much?
It’s a common misconception that stretch marks only occur during pregnancy. Although they often do, they appear during puberty as well. If you think about it that way, it’s clear that stretch marks develop at the height of femininity.
They are perhaps one of the greatest markers of our womanhood yet society still tells us that they are unsightly blemishes that need to be eradicated, thereby changing our conception of femininity to fit the unattainable beauty standards that benefit its agenda.
This encouragement from all sides to hate our stretch marks and by extension, our bodies play perfectly into the hands of companies that want nothing more than to take your money for miracle lotions and potions that will supposedly take every trace of your tiger stripes away.
News flash – they don’t work.
Trying to rid yourself of your stretch marks is a futile endeavor. For some, they may disappear, but for others, they may not.
So how do we go on?
How can we live with ourselves if our bodies will never return to their original unblemished state? The only option is acceptance.
It’s easier said than done, of course. Learning to accept your body takes years of dedicated positive self-talk. Remember, self-acceptance doesn’t necessarily translate to self-love – and that’s okay!
Some days will be good body image days, where we do love ourselves despite our stretch marks and all the other things that come with a post-pregnancy body. Some days will be far more difficult and we’ll find our heads filled with negativity.
In that case, there is nothing else to do but accept. Don’t feel pressure to love that day if it’s not realistic.
Just be okay with what you see in the mirror, and remind yourself that this is the only body you will ever have, and in order to be happy you need to accept it.
On those harder days, remember the magic of your body being a life-giving force. See your stretch marks and anything else that you don’t like as documentation of your experience as a mother.
You grew a new life inside you! You brought another human being into the world.
What an incredible gift – women are truly extraordinary beings, no matter what we look like.
Mums, you are normal. Further to that, you are beautiful, even on the days that you don’t believe it.
Your body is exactly how it is supposed to be.
Your wave-like stretch marks and the softness of your belly reflect the waves that we go through in life.
Don’t let an irrational fear of a natural occurrence take the beauty of that away from you x
My doctor said to me when i was pregnant…your stretch marks are called.. *Baby Ribbons* – and proof that you are a mommy. I thought that was so thoughful and beautiful at the same time, coming from a male doctor. So ladies, embrace your baby-ribbons 🙂 xxx
Stretch marks are our warrior stripes! Birthing a child is not always an easy task, every woman goes through it differently. We shouldn’t be shy to flaunt our stripes
It’s a every day decision to love these lines.
I absolutely love this!
Thank you our bodies are how they should be, i always remind myself everyday that i dont need no other body…i love my body with all the stretch marks and imperfections.
Wow really loved this, we need to be comfortable with how we are and also teach our girls to embrace the imperfection of their bodies. We need more articles like these so our girls can grow up to be confident young women that love themselves no matter what.
In my teens i was what use to call a “tomboy” and never had any marks on my body until i met my boyfriend and sons father i bacame aware of being a classy women that have a partner on her side that loves her unconditionally. When i got pregnant with our son all hell broke loos caus then i started to get this marks on my tummy,inner thighs,arms,breast,legs. The doc told me its because my body is stretching to carry the baby. I was so ashamed and self concious that till today i use everything and anything 2 help ease the marks.One day my came to me and said that his sorry and that im beautiful just the way i am. Its hard but if u believe in urself the sky is the limit with marks and all
i used to be so uncomfortable even around my partner but i had to accept and embrace them for me to realize that they’re here to stay# i’m beautiful just the way i am ..Accept & embrace them!!!
This article is awesome! My stretch marks are my stripes of honor and I wear them proudly I have my kids as the prize I went to battle with pregnancy and endometriosis. It’s a constant struggle having to deal with what society says is ugly but it’s high time we start loving ourselves every lump on our thighs and stretch marks too. I was shopping the other day and my 15 year old wanted cocoa butter for hers and I said no you will not become obsessed with trying to get rid of something that’s not going to go away and she she knows this cos I’ve tried everything myself and in the end I learned to own it!
Absolutely motivating to read
After my son I have alot of stretch marks…I don’t like to use shorts and it’s makes me feel so unattractive but it’s normal and we should start embracing our new mama bodies…thank youuu
I’ve had my stretch marks since I was in primary school and I’m now 33 years. This happened because of weight gain during my adolescent stage. It is really not easy to look at your body everyday and see them especially when you want to leave some skin out, more especially during summer. I believe these are somehow meant to be on our skin. M still learning to accept and embrace them. I believer I look beautiful on us since they appear on the most beautiful and attractive parts of our bodies.
As a young lady with stretch marks it has been one of the biggest insecurities I have had to deal with, having 3kids and ending up with so many marks on my tummy had me doubting myself worth until I realized that I have to be comfortable in my own skin and always keep in mind that something beautiful came out of it and my marks will always be a reminder on the beauty and strength a woman carries.
I remember at 8 months of my pregnancy I nearly fainted when I saw all those line so visible on my beautiful shaped stomach. my partner loved playing with it. after my pregnancy it went away and as I expanded more after 6 months it became visible once again.
To me these stretch marks are just wonderful memories to me of what home was once to my kid.
I love how you put it Mumbox, our bodies are exactly how they should be. Down with unrealistic beauty standards set by the beauty industry
I have learned to accept and embrace my stretch marks.I am no longer bothered by them anymore.
I have always felt betrayed by God because I lots both my boys and felt like these stretch marks reminds of this pain I have in me …of the pregnancies… birthing and feeding all to loose the my babies twice in a row…I really hated the stripes on me it felt like a lifetime of sorrow💔but reading this I’m willing to work on my view regarding the stripes ❤️try to embrace me in them
*lost I meant …both my beautiful babies
After reading this I am not going to worry ever again about stretch marks thanks mumbox!!!
I definitely first hated my stretch marks on my stomach and after my second pregnancy it came to my legs. I was ashamed and embarrassed. Until this year summer i worked on my self confidence and went to the beach in a bikini stretch marks and all and even post on instagram. The love i got from other woman saying how brave and beautiful I am really lifted me, it’s part of my motherhood journey and i wouldn’t want to change it now.
True mommy you are very brave and beautiful.
Stratch marks must be embraced, because we will never run away from them ,but thanks to this product that makes us confident, Power to the Woman
Its a good and and motivating article, but to be honest I am still struggling to accept my stretch marks even though I have accepted that there is not much I can do about them. Hopefully as the time goes I will learn to accept them.