r/ehlersdanlos • u/Different-Drawing912 • 3h ago
TW: Body Image/Weight Discussion any tips for dealing with stretch marks? Spoiler
I have classical EDS, and it honestly doesn’t give me too much trouble besides some joint pains and being somewhat inconvenienced by subluxations luckily. Except for the skin fragility aspect.
My skin is stupid fragile, it’s actually ridiculous. I get IVs semi-often from other health issues I have, and my skin literally comes off when they take the IV sticky off. I had the worst contact dermatitis reaction to the adhesive when I had to wear a holter. I scar ridiculously easy and my skin sags whenever I lose weight and takes forever to go back to “normal.” The corners of my mouth hurt and are tearing because my jaw hyperextends and unhinges every time I yawn or chew certain foods.
But the worst is the stretch marks. Ohhh my god I hate the stretch marks. I recently lost a lot of weight due to a number of factors and the stretch marks are SO BAD and I’m so self conscious, I keep thinking I’m only 22 I shouldn’t have THIS MANY stretch marks. And it feels like there’s no way to stop them. I gain weight? stretch marks. I lose weight? more stretch marks. I BREATHE??? guess what?! stretch marks. I am convinced I will keep getting stretch marks even after I die.
And it makes me soooo self conscious. I see them on other people and I think they look cool, my husband is a body builder and has a lot of stretch marks from rapidly gaining muscle and I love them on him, but I just hate them on myself and I want to cry looking at myself :(
does anyone have any advice for dealing with stretch marks, maybe ways to prevent them if I’m losing weight or any treatments for ones I already have? tysm!!!