Dermablend & other stretchmark coverups

[testadmin]

Well, as a result of a pregnancy & my lovely genetics, my abdomen has been completely covered in stretchmarks. Awful purple-pink and some silvers, and while I know they'll fade with time and post-pregnancy shrinking.. I was just wondering about any solutions you wonderful ladies have found.
I've heard great things about Dermablend - any reviews from users here? I just wonder how it stands up to sweating during performance.
So far I'm planning on investing in some good body stockings, and coverup makeup, but I would love to hear if anyone else has recommendation for covering up these tiger stripes!

[nasila]

Spray on legs!! There's one by Sally Hansen available at most drug stores. I use self-tanner first to darken my light stretch marks so that the spray-on-legs blends better before a show.

Also, if elasticity is an issue, you can use toupe tape (I've found TopStick to be superior) to pull your skin back into place under your belt. Sounds uncomfortable but it's not too bad, and works great!

[afra14]

Originally Posted by testadmin

Well, as a result of a pregnancy & my lovely genetics, my abdomen has been completely covered in stretchmarks. Awful purple-pink and some silvers, and while I know they'll fade with time and post-pregnancy shrinking.. I was just wondering about any solutions you wonderful ladies have found.
I've heard great things about Dermablend - any reviews from users here? I just wonder how it stands up to sweating during performance.
So far I'm planning on investing in some good body stockings, and coverup makeup, but I would love to hear if anyone else has recommendation for covering up these tiger stripes!

I love Dermablend. I've used it for years as a make-up artist when covering tattoos or blemishes, then a couple of years back I had a *very* bad attack of vasculitis that damaged the skin around my lower legs, ankles and feet very badly - they look bruises or burns a lot of the time. I use dermabland on them whenever I perform and in the summer when my legs are more likely to be on show, especially if I go swimming. I find it easy to apply and it is water resistant so sweating during performances is not a problem. I can swim for an hour without any deterioration at all.

Like I said - love the stuff!

[Lucinia]

I didn't know Dermablend was water proof.... hmmmm going to have to try some.

[tattood1]

i've used dermablend for years to cover bruises & tattoos. i successfully covered my tattoos completely when i got married. it is water proof & can handle sweating & swimming. NOW i never tried it for stretch marks which tend to be grooves in the skin. the only draw back for me was it can LOOK different under different lighting. sometimes it looks natural other times you can see what looks like a dry spot lighter spot. try it & if it doesn't work for stretch marks you have it for bruises.

[afra14]

Originally Posted by Lucinia

I didn't know Dermablend was water proof.... hmmmm going to have to try some.

Yes, it's one of the reasons why I love it! You need a special remover to take it off and an application lasts 12 + hours

[mihnea]

Where do you buy Dermablend?

[Lucinia]

Originally Posted by afra14

Yes, it's one of the reasons why I love it! You need a special remover to take it off and an application lasts 12 + hours

Okay I'm convinced. especially if it will cover my tattoos without looking hideous. It would be nice to dance without full length gauntlets...

[afra14]

Originally Posted by mihnea

Where do you buy Dermablend?

http://www.dermablend.com/

Lots of department stores and drugstores will probably stock it.

Also you can buy it through many screen and theatre make-up suppliers too.

[zafirah]

Can it even out texture too . . .? I mean stetch marks are texture as well as colour so any chance it'll work on my crinkly bits?

Z

[afra14]

Originally Posted by zafirah

Can it even out texture too . . .? I mean stetch marks are texture as well as colour so any chance it'll work on my crinkly bits?

Z

Well that depends on how 'crinkly' they are!

You can get a tester set from Screenface http://www.screenface.com/dermacolor.asp

Go to the Dermablend website first and click on the link about finding the right colour to work out what colour range you want.

Pity we live so far apart as I have a huge range of testers and could have tried some out on you. Nothing I like more than playing with make-up whether it's on me or someone else!

[Lauren_]

My stretch marks are crinkly, too, like scar tissue in the skin. They resist bronzers & self-tanners, so using those products on my tummy actually makes the stretch marks look WORSE.

Anyone have THOSE kind? Does the dermablend work for them, or do they resist that, too?

[Adishakti]

I don't know about the cover-ups, but after my tummy surgery I started using Mederma on my scar. The product claimed to improve even old stretch marks, so I put it on the ones that still reside and they've really improved in appearance.

My scar looks great... flat and fading nicely... and my stretch marks aren't as grooved as they used to be. They're still there, of course... but I think the Mederma has really helped to make them less noticeable.

[afra14]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

My stretch marks are crinkly, too, like scar tissue in the skin. They resist bronzers & self-tanners, so using those products on my tummy actually makes the stretch marks look WORSE.

Anyone have THOSE kind? Does the dermablend work for them, or do they resist that, too?

Hmm - perhaps I'd better go away and test it on my own! I'll try and do that over the next few days and report back. Dermablend is densely pigmented and as such is a very thick creme. Applied carefully you can build up several layers of thickness, which is often essential for very dark birth marks or tattoos, so it may well work on stretch marks etc as well. The real test is whether once you have set it with the finishing powder, just how resistant it would be to cracking under the stresses of movement on the torso. It isn't designed as a 'filler' as such, so you would have to be quite careful about building up the layers of pigment.

[Lauren_]

I just found this site, that will send you samples of 5 different shades plus the setting powder for $6.50 AND you get a $5 off coupon to order when you've selected a color.

http://www.whatshebuys.com/deculegbosas.html

I ordered a sample kit, so I'll be able to test it myself. It's OK if it doesn't even out the texture, I'm just wondering if the different tissue will "take" the pigment. But since it's used especially on scars, I'm guessing they've worked that out!

[afra14]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I just found this site, that will send you samples of 5 different shades plus the setting powder for $6.50 AND you get a $5 off coupon to order when you've selected a color.

http://www.whatshebuys.com/deculegbosas.html

I ordered a sample kit, so I'll be able to test it myself. It's OK if it doesn't even out the texture, I'm just wondering if the different tissue will "take" the pigment. But since it's used especially on scars, I'm guessing they've worked that out!

I think it should be fine - the real secret with all these things is not to use it to cover too large an area all at once. It's better to work on smaller imperfections and build up the coverage rather than try to do a large area all at once, you'll get much better results that way.

BTW - The pigment tends to lighten a little once the setting powder is applied, so don't make a final judgement on the shade to use until you've set it. Also skin tones vary from person to person, so you may find that in order to get a good match you need to mix two colours together. I have to do this on my ankles and what I do is make up a fairly large amount into a separate container so that I don't have to faff about getting a good match if I am in a hurry.

[Shirin.]

Originally Posted by testadmin

Well, as a result of a pregnancy & my lovely genetics, my abdomen has been completely covered in stretchmarks. Awful purple-pink and some silvers, and while I know they'll fade with time and post-pregnancy shrinking.. I was just wondering about any solutions you wonderful ladies have found.
I've heard great things about Dermablend - any reviews from users here? I just wonder how it stands up to sweating during performance.
So far I'm planning on investing in some good body stockings, and coverup makeup, but I would love to hear if anyone else has recommendation for covering up these tiger stripes!

I know exactly how you feel. I had my baby in January and my tummy is just like you mentioned. It makes me feel ugly (seeing them) when Im standing in front of the mirror naked. I'll be glad when they fade.

[elenya]

Don't worry the color will fade slowly. I had my son last July and have stretch marks from all the way down there to about one inch above my bellybutton. The color is faded to a nice very pale pink (that I can live with, it's hardly noticeable) but the grooves 1/4 inch wide and they will not shrink or even out one little bit. I tried to cover them with make-up but the texture remains very visible, if have resorted to body stockings instead (and the naked dress from the Swap Meet )